VOA标准英语2011--Brand Names Slip into Cartoons, Video Games

Brand Names Slip into Cartoons, Video Games

 

By all accounts, American kids are way too fat, and parents are getting a good scolding for feeding their kids junk food. But now critics are blaming something else as well.

It’s called “immersive advertising¹.” You see, the makers² of fattening³ foods are paying to slip their brand names into cartoons and video games as never before.

In animated⁴ stories, children’s characters not only run around with superheroes and sorcerers and fairy princesses. They also eat sugary cereals, creamy soups, and sticky candy.

Not make-believe products. Real ones, such as Honey-Nut Cheerios and M&M candy bits. Kids see these products and buy them. Or more often, they beg their parents to - which is exactly why advertisers pay to “immerse” their product names in the cartoons. Lots of parents also watch these shows alongside their kids, and they get just as hooked on the stories - and perhaps the products.

The Neopet online program, and many shows aimed at kids on television, have several advertising and merchandise income streams.

The hottest immersive-advertising partners are “Neopets.” These are cute little characters who live in what’s called a “virtual pet community” on the Internet. More than 60 million kids pretend to “own” these pets as they play Neopet games.

When Neopets such as Aisha and Bori and Kougra get hungry, they gobble down McDonald’s French fries. And in one promotional campaign, McDonald’s put little plush Neopet toys in its very real kids’ meals of hamburgers and soft drinks and French fries.

All this has health advocates screaming. While cuddly⁵ cartoon creatures are plumping up corporate⁶ profits, they say, they’re hooking American kids on junk food and sending them down the seductive road to obesity⁷.

1 advertising   

n.广告业；广告活动 a.广告的；广告业务的

参考例句：

• Can you give me any advice on getting into advertising? 你能指点我如何涉足广告业吗?
• The advertising campaign is aimed primarily at young people. 这个广告宣传运动主要是针对年轻人的。

2 makers   

n.制造者，制造商（maker的复数形式）

参考例句：

• The makers of the product assured us that there had been no sacrifice of quality. 这一产品的制造商向我们保证说他们没有牺牲质量。
• The makers are about to launch out a new product. 制造商们马上要生产一种新产品。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 fattening   

adj.（食物）要使人发胖的v.喂肥( fatten的现在分词 )；养肥（牲畜）；使（钱）增多；使（公司）升值

参考例句：

• The doctor has advised him to keep off fattening food. 医生已建议他不要吃致肥食物。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• We substitute margarine for cream because cream is fattening. 我们用人造黄油代替奶油，因为奶油会使人发胖。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 animated   

adj.生气勃勃的，活跃的，愉快的

参考例句：

• His observations gave rise to an animated and lively discussion.他的言论引起了一场气氛热烈而活跃的讨论。
• We had an animated discussion over current events last evening.昨天晚上我们热烈地讨论时事。

5 cuddly   

adj.抱着很舒服的，可爱的

参考例句：

• The beautiful crib from Mom and Dad is so cuddly.爸爸妈妈送的漂亮婴儿床真舒服。
• You can't call a hedgehog cuddly.你不能说刺猬逗人喜爱。

6 corporate   

adj.共同的，全体的；公司的，企业的

参考例句：

• This is our corporate responsibility.这是我们共同的责任。
• His corporate's life will be as short as a rabbit's tail.他的公司的寿命是兔子尾巴长不了。

7 obesity   

n.肥胖，肥大

参考例句：

• One effect of overeating may be obesity.吃得过多能导致肥胖。
• Sugar and fat can more easily lead to obesity than some other foods.糖和脂肪比其他食物更容易导致肥胖。