Late night television and Maccas

Ali and I were watching the box late the other night, and a "community service announcement" comes on. Sponsored by McDonalds, of course. It's advising children how best to cross the road.

The next commercial comes on. Another community service announcement from some quasi-government mob. Child safety around the swimming pool.

Ali points out the (now) obvious anomaly here: what on earth are commercials lke this doing on at night when kids are in bed asleep? Well my kids usually are asleep. Why don't they put them on during the afternoon?

My first thought was that McDonalds must've committed some crime to have to perform community service like this. And aren't they getting out of it lightly by putting them on late at night when commercials are cheaper? Har-de-har-har.

My second thought was less charitable:the target market for these commercials can't be the children. It must be the adults awake at that hour. Are they trying to, under the banner of community service, trying to boost their brand name? Do people really think, "Oh I saw that commercial late last night telling children how to cross the road safely. Therefore McDonalds must be good. So I'll eat there." You've got to be kidding, that tactic surely doesn't work.

I can't think of any other explanation.

I've broken my McDonalds addiction. Since swearing myself off it late last year, (and our US trip aside, where we just had to try the Macca's) I've only had one late night cheeseburger. I reckon that's pretty good. And driving home after basketball now my car doesn't automatically stear towards the nearest McDonalds. There's three of them on my route. (route -- hee hee hee)

I've also seen Super Size Me (bloated Flash site alert) recently which further put the nail in the Maccas coffin for me. Although I reckoned the film was largely sensational [I mean come on, of course if you eat any fast food for three meals day you're going to adversely affect your health], watching someone do what he did just turned my stomach. Yucko. Arrggh, I can still picture the scene where he's spewing out the car window. Forcing yourself to eat food till you spew! Yucko again.