FTC Suspects Chuck E. Cheese of Marketing to Children

[chanel]

The eagle-eyed regulators at the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) have a sneaking suspicion that a company offering disgusting pizza, animatronic human-sized mice, and a ball pit may be trying to appeal to children. Or rather, their marketing (the slogan was "Chuck E. Cheese: Where a Kid Can Be a Kid!" last time I checked) may inappropriately appeal to children.

But Chuck E. Cheese is one of 44 marketers who received an "order to file special report" three years ago. The chain, or rather its parents company CEC Entertainment, has now been subpoenaed so that the commission can check up on how that whole voluntary industry self-regulation thing is going. The FTC is just trying to be "supportive" of those self-regulation efforts, you see. Other companies caught in the net include Yum Brands, Wendy's, Sunkist, Red Bull, and Chiquita.

From layman's prespective it's not entirely clear how much self-regulation would satisfy the FTC in the case of the animatronic mouse, since the whole model of Chuck E. Cheese seems to be built on getting kids to whine and complain until their parents take them there—along with 10 of their closest friends—for an afternoon of plastic and cheese fueled mania.

FTC Suspects Chuck E. Cheese of Marketing to Children - Hit & Run : Reason Magazine

Out of control bureaucrats trying to justify their own jobs. Yes Virginia - Chuck E. Cheese Markets to Children. Tough mouse shit.

 

[Quantum Windbag]

"Where a kid can be a kid."

I think they might be onto something.

 

[chanel]

I wonder if they'll go after the toy companies next.Then amusement parks and record labels and teen fashion! Wow - talk about job security!

 

[strollingbones]

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh its been 20 years since i have been in one...here hoping for another 20....

how could you market that mess to adults?

and what about toys r us? i hear they are mostly for little ones....

 

[strollingbones]

does anyone like this place?

 

[Madeline]

Don't this sort of ridiculous shit make you wanna fire every last goddamned federal employee some days?

 

[DiveCon]

Hasbro markets towards children

are they next?

 

[DiveCon]

so does Mattel

 

[Trajan]

does anyone like this place?

I go at gunpoint only, or that is my wife won't put out unless I take the grand kids there....sux to be me.

 

[Baruch Menachem]

Kids are having a good time.

And they do have salads.

But the pizza requires internal organs of stainless steel.

And the ball pit, where my kids liked to hang out, was on the opposite side from the animontronic mice.

you do a favor for the kid, when they grow up the kids might indulge you.

 

[chanel]

We had a party or two for the kids when they were little. I hated the noise, but my kids loved it.

Hey - why was this moved to "Humor" It may seem like a complete joke, but it is not. Hell - half of govt antics could be considered comedy. But most of us aint laughing.

 

[Ringel05]

We had a party or two for the kids when they were little. I hated the noise, but my kids loved it.

Hey - why was this moved to "Humor" It may seem like a complete joke, but it is not. Hell - half of govt antics could be considered comedy. But most of us aint laughing.

I'm wondering that myself. We need a sub-forum: Bureaucrats Gone Wild.
Wait, we already have one, Politics. Silly me.

 

[RetiredGySgt]

Don't this sort of ridiculous shit make you wanna fire every last goddamned federal employee some days?

Your Liberals hard at work.