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FTC Take Down: Your Baby Can Read!

by Marakatapolis
41 replies
FTC took them out, says Your Baby Can Read! is deceptive:

FTC:


EDIT: eh, not sure what happened to my link, it's small now, ha. Click FTC, will take you to article.
#baby #ftc #read
  • Profile picture of the author theory expert
    Banned
    I loved the infomercial though,lol. I don't know if the ftc was just reaching.

    The complaint also says the defendants failed to provide competent and reliable scientific evidence that babies can learn to read using the Your Baby Can Read! program, or that children at age three or four can learn to read books such as Charlotte's Web or the Harry Potter series.
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    • Profile picture of the author Joseph Robinson
      Banned
      Originally Posted by theory expert View Post

      I loved the infomercial though,lol. I don't know if the ftc was just reaching.
      I always thought the product was pretty cool. Whether or not it worked? Probably came down to the individual kid, the environment they were in, and how the parent worked with them. The materials were probably best served as tools, and how they were used would determine the effect they would have (sound familiar lol)?

      Of course, if there aren't really studies that back up what they say, then the company shouldn't have claimed there were studies that back up what they say. On that much, they were clearly wrong and deserving of the punishment that they got.
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  • Profile picture of the author HostWind
    Interesting. I like the fact that they stated the girl was two years old, and then the mom says "When she was 3..".
    While deceptive, Im not sure what justifies $185 Million.
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  • Profile picture of the author danr62
    Those dang DVDs were boring as all get out (whatever that means). I coulnd't get my toddler pay attention to the thing.

    Also, the price was exorbitant.

    I had better luck teaching her the letters and sounds using various toys. And Youtube. Youtube is killer for some basic education.
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    • Profile picture of the author Joseph Robinson
      Banned
      Originally Posted by danr62 View Post

      Those dang DVDs were boring as all get out (whatever that means). I coulnd't get my toddler pay attention to the thing.

      Also, the price was exorbitant.

      I had better luck teaching her the letters and sounds using various toys. And Youtube. Youtube is killer for some basic education.
      Nothing tops the old Nick JR. for learning. Ah, to be a kid again...


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      • Profile picture of the author Marakatapolis
        When I was a little kid I was into Fraggle Rock, Transformers, GI Joe, He-Man, Rock Lords, Thundercats, Looney Tunes and stuff like that.

        I am SO glad I missed Barney, Teletubbies, Power Rangers, Dora, and the other really annoying shows. When I have kids, I am blocking out the annoying stuff and raising them on the good stuff!
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      • Profile picture of the author Cali16
        Originally Posted by Joseph Robinson View Post

        Ah, to be a kid again...
        Joe, at 22 (if I recall correctly) you still ARE a kid...!
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        If you don't face your fears, the only thing you'll ever see is what's in your comfort zone. ~Anne McClain, astronaut
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        • Profile picture of the author Joseph Robinson
          Banned
          Originally Posted by Cali16 View Post

          Joe, at 22 (if I recall correctly) you still ARE a kid...!
          Appropriate avatar for that comment too lol.
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          • Profile picture of the author Cali16
            Originally Posted by Joseph Robinson View Post

            Appropriate avatar for that comment too lol.
            Actually, my current avatar is about confidence (the caption for that picture is "what matters most is how you see yourself") - has nothing to do with age... Much as I hate to admit it, I'm plenty old enough to be your mom - hence the "kid" comment.
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            If you don't face your fears, the only thing you'll ever see is what's in your comfort zone. ~Anne McClain, astronaut
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  • Profile picture of the author Mike Hill
    When is the FTC going to chase after deceptive advertising from McDonalds, Subway and all those other fast food chains who say they have healthy alternatives. Everyone knows their healthy alternatives are NOT healthy at all?

    The FTC obviously does not play fair and is more like an anti-competition bureau to the big corporations. It would be a great day to see a class action lawsuit against the FTC for the way they make their decisions to go after one company but not another.
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    • Profile picture of the author Michael Oksa
      Originally Posted by Mike Hill View Post

      When is the FTC going to chase after deceptive advertising from McDonalds, Subway and all those other fast food chains who say they have healthy alternatives. Everyone knows their healthy alternatives are NOT healthy at all?
      They do have healthier alternatives when compared to their regular menu items. Those items may not be the healthiest foods a person can eat, but so what?

      All the best,
      Michael
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      "Ich bin en fuego!"
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      • Profile picture of the author Joseph Robinson
        Banned
        Originally Posted by Michael Oksa View Post

        They do have healthier alternatives when compared to their regular menu items. Those items may not be the healthiest foods a person can eat, but so what?

        All the best,
        Michael
        Exactly lol. The whole point of a trip to McD's for me is to regret it an hour later .
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        • Profile picture of the author danr62
          Originally Posted by Joseph Robinson View Post

          Exactly lol. The whole point of a trip to McD's for me is to regret it an hour later .
          No, you need Jack In The Box for that.
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      • Profile picture of the author Mike Hill
        Originally Posted by Michael Oksa View Post

        They do have healthier alternatives when compared to their regular menu items. Those items may not be the healthiest foods a person can eat, but so what?

        All the best,
        Michael
        Deception in advertising that McDonalds uses is in the fact they get Olympic athletes to promote their product and the viewer is lead to believe these athletes actually eat this stuff.

        For example, look at this commercial when it says "You don't need to be an Olympic athlete to eat like one"... Now that is deceptive!

        http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdhWIs76K80
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        • Profile picture of the author KirkMcD
          Originally Posted by Mike Hill View Post

          Deception in advertising that McDonalds uses is in the fact they get Olympic athletes to promote their product and the viewer is lead to believe these athletes actually eat this stuff.
          Really?
          Vancouver Olympics: Living the life at the athletes
          But on a drizzly afternoon, the village's most happening place was the dining hall. McDonald's was one of the most popular stations - drawing far more athletes than the ethnic-themed stations, including Italian, Asian, and French.
          Inside Olympic Village: Bolt
          The only branded food is from Games sponsor McDonald's Corp. Champion sprinter Usain Bolt gets his chicken nuggets here.
          Sex and Parties in the Olympic Village: The Secret Olympian
          McDonald's
          All the food is free, so it's not uncommon for athletes to chow down three or four ice-cream bars a day. And after a big night out, post-competition athletes gather at McDonald's, which is the only branded food outlet because of its sponsorship. "Maurice Greene, the American sprinter, was even spotted in Athens enjoying a Big Mac ... the day before his 4 x 100m final."
          Why so much hate for McDonalds?
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          • Profile picture of the author Mike Hill
            Originally Posted by KirkMcD View Post


            It was one of many examples of the discrimination perpetrated by the FTC to allow deceptive advertising of some companies but not others.
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            • Profile picture of the author Joseph Robinson
              Banned
              Originally Posted by Mike Hill View Post

              It was one of many examples of the discrimination perpetrated by the FTC to allow deceptive advertising of some companies but not others.
              Er, the links were to anecdotal stories showing that the atheletes do in fact eat McDonalds. The deception isn't there on that point.
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              • Profile picture of the author Mike Hill
                Originally Posted by Joseph Robinson View Post

                Er, the links were to anecdotal stories showing that the atheletes do in fact eat McDonalds. The deception isn't there on that point.
                The deception happens when people see the commercial and associate eating at McDonalds just like Olympic athletes with a deeper meaning of becoming just like an Olympic athlete and that if they eat it while training then it must be good food. Believe me, there are people who think that association is accurate which brings me back to my point of deception.
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                • Profile picture of the author Joseph Robinson
                  Banned
                  Originally Posted by Mike Hill View Post

                  The deception happens when people see the commercial and associate eating at McDonalds just like Olympic athletes with a deeper meaning of becoming just like an Olympic athlete and that if they eat it while training then it must be good food. Believe me, there are people who think that association is accurate which brings me back to my point of deception.
                  Well one could just as easily make the point that the people who believe it have issues in their head. That's the problem. Not black and white and both sides share the blame pretty much equally.
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                • Profile picture of the author Troy_Phillips
                  Originally Posted by Mike Hill View Post

                  The deception happens when people see the commercial and associate eating at McDonalds just like Olympic athletes with a deeper meaning of becoming just like an Olympic athlete and that if they eat it while training then it must be good food. Believe me, there are people who think that association is accurate which brings me back to my point of deception.
                  Just because they have Happy Meals (God knows we want our kids happy) with toys for boys or girls doesn't mean they are targeting anyone. I am almost positive having to sidestep those toys before getting in line was not intentional or premeditated. Really Mike .. you have a problem with clowns or something :-)

                  I decided to include McD's in my training. I have to say the results are somewhat different than I expected. Does anyone know if Sumo wrestling is an Olympic sport?
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                • Profile picture of the author DubDubDubDot
                  Originally Posted by Mike Hill View Post

                  The deception happens when people see the commercial and associate eating at McDonalds just like Olympic athletes with a deeper meaning of becoming just like an Olympic athlete
                  How stupid would someone have to be for them to think eating at McDonald's will make them become an Olympic athlete?

                  By your reasoning, the FTC should sue Hanes underwear for conning everyone into believing if you wear Hanes you'll be like Michael Jordan on the basketball court.
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                  • Profile picture of the author Mike Hill
                    Originally Posted by DubDubDubDot View Post

                    How stupid would someone have to be for them to think eating at McDonald's will make them become an Olympic athlete?

                    By your reasoning, the FTC should sue Hanes underwear for conning everyone into believing if you wear Hanes you'll be like Michael Jordan on the basketball court.
                    Lots of people are in fact that stupid... Trust me... and as to your underwear example, that's exactly the point. There are a lot of misleading innuendos (also referred to as insinuation) in advertising.
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                • Profile picture of the author Michael Oksa
                  Originally Posted by Mike Hill View Post

                  The deception happens when people see the commercial and associate eating at McDonalds just like Olympic athletes with a deeper meaning of becoming just like an Olympic athlete and that if they eat it while training then it must be good food. Believe me, there are people who think that association is accurate which brings me back to my point of deception.
                  Self-delusion is not deception.

                  EDIT: Self-deception is self-delusion, and cannot be regulated.

                  ~Michael
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                  "Ich bin en fuego!"
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                • Profile picture of the author rhealy29
                  Originally Posted by Mike Hill View Post

                  The deception happens when people see the commercial and associate eating at McDonalds just like Olympic athletes with a deeper meaning of becoming just like an Olympic athlete and that if they eat it while training then it must be good food. Believe me, there are people who think that association is accurate which brings me back to my point of deception.

                  There is a huge, huge, huge, difference between a company like McDonalds using an Olympic athlete, who does eat at McDonalds, in their advertising and creating some sort of soft association and a company claiming things like scientific evidence of their product being able to teach babies to read when no such evidence exists.

                  The later is deception. The former is not. If Michael Phelps ever, even rarely, eats at McDonalds, then there is nothing unethical or deceptive about him being in a commercial where it is implied or directly stated that he does so.

                  McDonalds is not saying "Eat at McDonalds all the time and you'll become athletic!", and anyone, even a child, would have to be exceptionally foolish to make that leap. If they did, it wouldn't be McDonalds' fault.

                  When a company says, "Our product is proven to teach babies to learn to read!" when in fact no such proof exists, now you've got a problem. That is deception. It's also pretty clear how different the two cases are.

                  Asking the FTC to step in and slap McDonalds would essentially be the same as asking it to come in and slap almost all advertising that exists today.

                  If I bought some Axe body spray and was mad because women didn't fight each other tooth and nail to try and get to me, is it axe's fault for being deceptive? Or my fault for being stupid?
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                • Profile picture of the author jdkesler
                  Originally Posted by Mike Hill View Post

                  The deception happens when people see the commercial and associate eating at McDonalds just like Olympic athletes with a deeper meaning of becoming just like an Olympic athlete and that if they eat it while training then it must be good food. Believe me, there are people who think that association is accurate which brings me back to my point of deception.
                  Does this mean I am not getting the blond with the sports car?
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    • Profile picture of the author Joe Mobley
      Or television preachers that promise 30, 60, 100 fold return on your "seed-faith gift."

      Joe Mobley

      Originally Posted by Mike Hill View Post

      When is the FTC going to chase after deceptive advertising from McDonalds, Subway and all those other fast food chains who say they have healthy alternatives. Everyone knows their healthy alternatives are NOT healthy at all?
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  • Profile picture of the author danr62
    What, Olympians never eat McDonalds? Ever?
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    • Profile picture of the author Joseph Robinson
      Banned
      Originally Posted by danr62 View Post

      What, Olympians never eat McDonalds? Ever?
      Nope, they test for that stuff. Phelps is under investigation because there was traces of Snack Wrap in his blood.
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      • Profile picture of the author goindeep
        Originally Posted by Joseph Robinson View Post

        Nope, they test for that stuff. Phelps is under investigation because there was traces of Snack Wrap in his blood.
        By Snack Wrap you mean Northern Lights right? Lol
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  • Profile picture of the author TheWrightWords
    Missed this one (been tv free for 2+ years, yay)...but as a mom of 4, kids can read at 3-4...but that isn't exactly considered "baby"! (#4 is a slacker, already 9 months and not reading a word!)
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  • Profile picture of the author shane_k
    maybe they will go after the "your baby can talk" company next, where they say you can teach your baby sign language as early as 10 months old.
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    • Profile picture of the author danr62
      Originally Posted by shane_k View Post

      maybe they will go after the "your baby can talk" company next, where they say you can teach your baby sign language as early as 10 months old.
      But you can teach your baby sign language that early, so that wouldn't really fly.
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  • Profile picture of the author DubDubDubDot
    The bust is merely symbolic. They were allowed to profit $185 Million before the FTC took them down. As the article states, the actual fine is only $500,000 since the company has little money left. So where is the punishment here?

    The top executives are still living in their nice homes paid for by the scam. Perhaps their personal assets should have been seized also. Everything from their bank accounts to their pillow cases.

    I think a better way of handling these cases would be for the FTC to keep the judgement a secret and one day pull semi trucks up to the owner's houses and empty everything out. Then tell them they've got 30 days to leave the house. Suddenly losing everything they bought with scam money would be a better deterrent.
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  • Profile picture of the author mosthost
    Your baby is illiterate just didn't sell as well.
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  • Profile picture of the author Guru4u
    Honesty is the best policy - sure the FTC will leave this site alone... LOL
    Your Kids Art Sucks
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  • Profile picture of the author Kurt
    I liked McD's better when they weren't as "healthy". Their fries just aren't the same since they changed to whatever oil they cook them in now.
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  • Profile picture of the author JeanneLynn
    I think 10 months is a little young. My nephew is brilliant. He's a senior in high school now and trying to decide between Harvard and Columbia. He couldn't read until he was 18 months old. He's my sister's only child and they spent a lot of time teaching him as an infant.

    My kids didn't read until kindergarten. I was a lazy mama. But I had 3 of them!
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  • Profile picture of the author jamiebarclay
    I bought this program for my now 2 and a half year old. She was about 1 when we go it. We applied everything and did not see much progress. She began to rip the books and could not concentrate for long. I then read in a different journal that children should only concentrate for short periods of time. This was in conflict with the my baby can read program. I am surprised that the FTC took them down.
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