Outsourcing Parenthood

Spunky has written about this, but here it is again. Jacob Sullum writes about parents suing Dora the Explorer. Actually they are suing Viacom, Nickelodian and Kellogg. (I really need to think of some corporation to sue. Just one nice settlement and I would be comfortable, but not happy with myself.) These people want the courts to take over for the parents who obviously can't say "No" to the kids.

"While I have no doubt that advertising encourages children to request certain products, what happens after that is up to their parents. Neither Viacom nor Kellogg has the power to dictate whether SpongeBob SquarePants Wild Bubble Berry Pop-Tarts are purchased, how often and in what quantities they're eaten, what else children eat or how much exercise they get."

Now we have bought our kids Scooby-Doo fruit snacks (they aren't true fruit, I know), but we don't give them a steady diet of that kind of junk. Even if we did, is that the fault of some corporation, or worse, the courts? Of course if we all just got rid of the TV our kids wouldn't know who Dora, or SpoungeBob, or Scooby-Doo is. Then they would just want any sugar source, not a particular sugar source. That would be better. Right.