I contacted the company informing them that my family would no longer be eating their establishments and that, yes, I had informed my family and friends of what I had seen and disapproved of.
There reply?
"We regret that you were displeased with our advertising promotion. {Restaurant name here} restaurants, adopts a creative approach to our advertising. We do not aim to offend anyone with our efforts, but merely to offer entertaining content. We understand that not everyone may view our advertising the same way, so we respect all views and welcome all comments. Your feedback is very important to us."A creative approach in advertising!? No, that was not a creative approach. That did not make me want to buy a hamburger. It did not make me want to visit their chains. It did make me want to vomit. It did make me angry. It did make me afraid to turn the tv on again.
We must guard our heart. We must be careful of what we see and hear. This garbage is everywhere.
My husband and I were discussing this yesterday. We have very strict blocks on our computers, kindles, and cell phones through Covenant Eyes. We closely monitor what our family watches on tv. We try to record most things on dvr so that when we watch the shows we can fast forward through commercials. But there are occasions, like Sunday night, when we are watching a live show, like the local news, and something sneaks by us. And then there are those times when you are driving down the highway and a billboard advertising undergarments or a store or a "place" appears and you have no way, other than trying to distract your child, to protect them. There are women dressed inappropriately as you walk in the mall or down the street. The list can go on and on.
I don't want this junk to fill my home or my children's eyes and hearts. We must do what it takes to guard our children. We must protect them. But we must also teach them to protect their own eyes and hearts. We must teach our children the difference between right and wrong. We must teach them to avoid inappropriate things and when it is unavoidable, to turn their heads. They need to learn, even at a young age, to live with integrity.
Our children need to know what God expects and what we, as parents, expect. We need to be careful what we let our eyes, and the eyes of our children, see. As I told my daughter recently, what they see and do now as children and teens, it affects their future. It is time to be careful about what we see.
O be careful little eyes what you seeO be careful little eyes what you seeThere's a Father up aboveAnd He's looking down in loveSo, be careful little eyes what you seeO be careful little ears what you hearO be careful little ears what you hearThere's a Father up aboveAnd He's looking down in loveSo, be careful little ears what you hearO be careful little hands what you doO be careful little hands what you doThere's a Father up aboveAnd He's looking down in loveSo, be careful little hands what you doO be careful little feet where you goO be careful little feet where you goThere's a Father up aboveAnd He's looking down in loveSo, be careful little feet where you goO be careful little mouth what you sayO be careful little mouth what you sayThere's a Father up aboveAnd He's looking down in loveSo, be careful little mouth what you say
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I feel like I could have written this! I couldn't agree with you more.
ReplyDelete- Lauren
I am in total agreement with you, Jenifer. I have been increasingly burdened by the disgusting things I've seen on television. Seems like the last few years have gotten worse and worse. Our only recourse is to keep speaking out like you've done here.
ReplyDeleteEventually, if enough of us stand up to these companies by taking our business elsewhere, maybe they'll change their ways.
God bless you and thanks for this post!
Well said. We need to protect our children, but we also need to teach them to guard their own hearts and minds. That is a vital part of this vast responsibility!
ReplyDeleteBlessings to you!
Hi Jenifer, just stopping by to say how delightful your blog is. Thanks so much for sharing. I have recently found your blog and am now following you, and will visit often. Please stop by my blog and perhaps you would like to follow me also. Have a wonderful day. Hugs, Chris
ReplyDeletehttp://chelencarter-retiredandlovingit.blogspot.ca/
I was squinting my eyes in disbelief and shaking my head the whole time I read their response!! The first thing I thought was, "CREATIVE?!?" You're so right: some of these commercials are X-rated! We must guard our eyes, ears and hearts... Thank you for posting! :)
ReplyDeleteSo very true! I am constantly bothered by the bombardment we receive from our culture. I was in Target yesterday and happened to see the Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition... Ooooh.... don't get me started! We are in a war, and we must equip our children properly for sure! Blessings!
ReplyDeleteYou are 100% right. We all need to be writing letters and taking stands. It's our job to guard or children's heart, it's our jobs to make a difference. Thank you for making us aware of what's happening. Have a wonderful day friend!
ReplyDeleteBlessings~
Shari
You are 100% right. We all need to be writing letters and taking stands. It's our job to guard or children's heart, it's our jobs to make a difference. Thank you for making us aware of what's happening. Have a wonderful day friend!
ReplyDeleteBlessings~
Shari