Unhappy Face

A mom in California (where else?) is suing McDonald's to get them to take toys out of Happy Meals.

Why, you may ask? Was one of the toys unsafe? Did it contaminate the food? Did its plastic packaging deteriorate in the presence of a McDonald's hamburger and somehow adulterate the food itself? Nope. Well, it's California. One of the toys was probably culturally insensitive, right? It demeaned an oppressed group? It promoted an insensitive stereotype or an environmentally harmful mindset. Nope again. Well, it's the nutrition problem, then. Sugary sodas, fatty French fries; those are the problem. Try again -- at the customer's request, McDonald's will substitute milk for sodas and apple slices for fries.

What happened is that since the Happy Meals have toys, and this woman's children like the toys, they have "frequently pestered (her) into purchasing Happy Meals, thereby spending money on a product she would not otherwise have purchased.” Yes, you got it. In order to avoid being pestered by her children, this woman insists McDonald's remove toys from Happy Meals. What's more, when she told them no, they became disagreeable and pouted. In other words, when the children don't get their way, they throw tantrums. Wonder where they picked up that behavior.

PS -- As you may note if you read to the end of the story, the woman in question is not just a run-of-the-mill busy mom, but works for a federally-funded program that campaigns for people to eat their vegetables.