Today's Lesson, Sponsored By...
Caroline E. Mayer,
Washington Post,
Jun 16, 2003
What I have to ask is, what are people thinking when they have Dunkin Donuts sponsor a school party, Oscar Mayer sponsor a student singing contest (of the corporate jingle), or Angel Soft toilet paper give prizes to students for community service? We want children to be receptive to the information they receive in school - that's the whole point, isn't it? - and these companies pay what amounts to a pittance for exclusive access to this receptivity. The vast bulk of this article is devoted to describing and defending the school activity sponsorships, but what the story should contain is some sort of analysis of how these companies are being given a direct pipeline into the students' subconscious. The only sensible paragraph in this entire article: "It's a very dangerous thing for a corporation to have this kind of presence in school," said advertising critic Jean Kilbourne. Children are more susceptible in school, she said, because they tend to believe that what they learn there is valid. So a commercial message in schools, no matter how subtle, "gives an aura of responsibility and truth," Kilbourne said.
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