Jack and the King are probably getting nervous.

Fast food giant McDonald's is being pressured to pink slip their longstanding spokesman Ronald.
Some health activists are pushing for the franchise to ditch the clown who has been working for the golden arches since the sixties because he's making kids fat.

Unemployment here in the US is still too high. I don't think he should be fired, especially since according to the activists he is great at his job. Plus look at the after effects. If he's canned what happens to Grimace and the Fry kids? Mayor McCheese doesn't need that stress!

All this hubbub makes me wonder, with the popularity of Captain Jack Sparrow why don't we have a rising epidemic of childhood alcoholism since there's a swashbuckler going by the title of Captain Morgan spreading the word about his distilled beverage? Pirates, except the modern day Somalian ones are as cool as clowns aren't they?

My guess is that it has to do with something called parental responsibility.

It should be common sense by now that too much junk food and not enough physical activity could lead to obesity over time. And this common sense should be passed along from parents to their children. Telling restaurants to make changes will only go so far because there is plenty of junk on the grocery store shelves being represented by big cats like Chester and Tony and dozens of other childishly amusing characters.

In my opinion the well intentioned efforts are off target. Making companies fire their mascots is not the solution. It starts with education and that starts at home. And after the education comes discipline. Moms and dads need to just say NO when your toddler tells you he's going to go to Micky D's for a couple of big macs and some fries. Brush up on your nutritional knowledge and your culinary skills. A burger is not that difficult to make, and there's a great chance you can make one a lot tastier and healthier than the fast food joints.

If getting the parents to take charge doesn't work I suggest the activists stand outside of fast food joints holding up fun-house mirrors- the lateral distorting kind.

Fun-house Mirror credit: flickr.com/photos/foxtongue

Let repeat offenders get a glimpse of their possible future. Or maybe the marketing execs at Fruits and Veggies Matter could offer Sweet Tooth a new job, or find a very cool, persuasive pirate.