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Dayton Daily News education reporter Scott Elliott writes about schools, kids, teaching and learning.
Home > Blogs > Get on the Bus > Archives > 2006 > October > 27 > Entry
When kids learn (about beer!)
My oldest daughter turned eight Thursday and we went out to eat at her favorite restaurant — Logan’s, a steak house in Beavercreek. Waiting for our food, my youngest daughter tapped me on the shoulder and pointed to a lighted beer sign on the wall.
“Look! Guinness!” she said.
I looked at the beer sign — a big frosty beer mug with “Guinness” scripted over the top — and turned back to the table.
Wait a minute. I looked back at my four-year-old and remembered something. She can’t read!
“How did you know that was Guinness?” I asked her.
“Because of the “C” in the middle,” she said, pointing to Guinness’ trademark C-shaped harp in the middle of the mug.
And thus began my lesson in the power of marketing and how beer companies subtly encourage kids to think of drinking alcohol as fun and natural.
How do my kids even know about Guinness? Simple. I watch ESPN, a sports network. Guinness advertises relentlessly during sports programs. And their clever and entertaining ads feature cartoonish characters in slapstick scenarios.
Their ads have even become part of pop culture with the signature line “Brilliant!”
My kids fall off their chairs laughing as a bear attacks one of the characters, as they scare away fans with smelly cheese on their heads at a football game, as one of them bursts into flames eating chicken wings. Heck, I’ve even called them into the room to see these commercials because I know they enjoy them.
In theory, those ads are targeting me — the middle-aged male demographic. But the side benefit to beer companies is they appeal also to young children. As I thought about this after the restaurant incident, I realized they’ve asked me more questions lately about beer and drinking.
I don’t really drink beer that often — almost never at home but occasionally at events and restaurants. Now that I think about it, they’ve lately asked me if that beer in my hand is Guinness, what it tastes like and why I drink it. As is usually my policy, I answer them as honestly and completely as I can.
So in a way, I’m doing the beer company’s dirty work — indirectly teaching my own kids that drinking alcohol is a fun, acceptable, even desirable pass time.
What to do now? Well, I’ve resolved from now on to mention the dangers of drinking too much when these questions come up. What about you? What advice do you have for these situations? And do beer companies have a responsibility to make creative ads that are not as appealing to kids? Are Guinness’ commercial characters the T.V. equivalent of Joe Camel?
Permalink | Comments (7) | Categories: Young Children
Comments
By Ms. Cornelius
October 29, 2006 4:47 PM | Link to this
I once startled my mother as she pushed me through the supermarket by shouting out “General Mills!!!” every time we passed a General Mills product (cereal, etc.) from having seen their icon on the corner of the TV screen during ads. I was about 2. And that was back in the Dark Ages— or at least, the Black-and-White Ages….By Karen
October 29, 2006 3:08 PM | Link to this
I think that advertisers would be VERY happy if most parents “never took too much interest in much of anything.” There are way too many people able to communicate with my children. Very few of these people have my kids’ best interests at heart. I’m going to be interested and I’m going to teach them to be interested as critical thinkers rather than as consumers.By Oldprof
October 28, 2006 5:14 PM | Link to this
Fixated on beer today? Next month, fixated on videogames or proper sleep or trans-fats? Why do my fellow citizens get mesmerized first by one presumed ill, then another? Sure, misused alcoholic beverages are detrimental—as is misused exercise or too much reading. Rather than ranting about one potential future character flaw at a time, isn’t there a way to get back to the Aristotelian values of balance in all things? Or at least, like Uncle Charley’s child-raising philosophy in “Death of a Salesman” — “my saving grace is that I never took too much interest in much of anything”.By Mary
October 27, 2006 11:49 PM | Link to this
I know I read recently in the sports pages about a book just on the association of alcohol and sports. The book “Beer and Circus” also discusses the issue. Some consider big time sports on college campuses as money makers for the alcohol business. Members of trustees and boards of regents are sometimes among the financial beneficiaries of high alcohol sales near campuses. We have let our kids taste beer and wine long before they were of drinking age to help dissipate the allure. I also believe there is something to the theories that some people are more genetically predisposed to alcoholism. Some children develop alcoholism at very young ages. The blood type theory related to diet mentions some people are secretors and some are nonsecretors. According to that theory,nonsecretors, who do not secrete blood antibodies into their sweat and saliva are supposedly more susceptible to alcoholism and some other medical conditions. If this is really true, I think people should be forewarned up front about their susceptibility.By Scott Elliott
October 27, 2006 10:59 PM | Link to this
Expat, I like your advice. In fact I have allowed them small tastes of beer and wine and it mostly went as you predicted (the middle one, age six, seemed to actually like the taste of beer. Gotta keep an eye on that one). This experience taught me that I probably have to explain more fully about drinking — why adults do it, how it can be dangerous vs. safely done in moderation, etc. Otherwise, the danger is its just seen to them as all fun and good times.By Expat Teacher
October 27, 2006 10:09 PM | Link to this
Scott, Aren’t you being a little hard on everyone? So beer companies have unique and funny ads that show that drinking can be associated with fun. Drinking can be fun. In fact, you even said so yourself. You drink “occasionally at events and restaurants”, which I assume are fun outings. I teach teenagers and they often talk about being able to drink legally as if it is the be all and end all. And it is, because we’ve made it the final hurdle to adulthood. It is wise to tell your daughters that drinking can lead to drunkenness and stupidity. However, it is probably just easier to give them a little to drink at an early age. They won’t like beer. It doesn’t taste nice to a child or adolescent’s palate. If beer isn’t the big taboo, they see beer drank responsibly by mom and dad and they recognize that it doesn’t taste all that great, you’ll probably have this hazard licked. Now about boys, driving, college, drugs, self-image…By NYC Educator
October 27, 2006 8:10 PM | Link to this
I think Guiness tastes like soy sauce. I used to work backing up this Irish singer who made it his mission in life to teach me how to drink it, pointing out such subtleties as how a skilled bartender could put a shamrock in the foam. I agree with you about the pernicious nature of advertising, but you don’t need to worry about kids getting hooked on Guiness. Beer may be another story, unfortunately.