"Kid's Beer?"

[GrubbTheFragger]

WHAT THE CRAP !!!!!!

[Kaligraphic]

Interestingly enough, the "small beer" that kids drank from the middle ages all the way up to a couple of centuries ago... was more alcoholic than any beer on the market today.

There's no problem with drinking - it's only when you get drunk that there's a problem, as the next morning is designed to teach. Getting rid of beer, however, won't strike the root of the problem, as people will continue to overdose on anything and everything else. Say, McDonald's? Or haven't you noticed how pudgy a lot of kids are looking today?

The attitude I see here toward alcohol borders on the pathological. It's a simple fact that reasonable amounts of alcohol will not have any adverse effect on the human body. A mouthful of beer won't turn somebody into a raging drunk, and it is wrong to morally condemn somebody for what God doesn't condemn. If you think that the production of alcohol is evil, you need to take another look at precisely what miracle Jesus did at the wedding at Cana.

[Hitokiri]

Personally, I don't care really.

Don't know why. I just don't. I highly doubt having "Kids Beer" will encourage underage drinking. I mean, since when have you seen "Candy Cigarettes" one of the cuases of underage smoking?

[mitsuki lover]

The problem is not with the product ,as a few have already pointed out since beer and wine were consumed by nearly everyone for centuries because of the fact that
water was probably the worse thing one could drink in the days before Louis Pasteur,but rather with the marketing of it.

[chibiphonebooth]

i have one thing to say:

"WHHHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAATTTTTTT."

[Radical Dreamer]

Interestingly enough, the "small beer" that kids drank from the middle ages all the way up to a couple of centuries ago... was more alcoholic than any beer on the market today.

There's no problem with drinking - it's only when you get drunk that there's a problem, as the next morning is designed to teach. Getting rid of beer, however, won't strike the root of the problem, as people will continue to overdose on anything and everything else. Say, McDonald's? Or haven't you noticed how pudgy a lot of kids are looking today?

The attitude I see here toward alcohol borders on the pathological. It's a simple fact that reasonable amounts of alcohol will not have any adverse effect on the human body. A mouthful of beer won't turn somebody into a raging drunk, and it is wrong to morally condemn somebody for what God doesn't condemn. If you think that the production of alcohol is evil, you need to take another look at precisely what miracle Jesus did at the wedding at Cana.

I don't think that any of us said that alcohol in and of itself is evil. There's absolutely nothing wrong with drinking alcohol responsibly, that isn't the point. The point is that, if the drinking age in this country is set at 21, why would they market beer (even if it is non-alcoholic) to children? I agree that this wouldn't be a terribly bad thing under the right parents and with the proper training, but really...let's face it, kids are irresponsible. If they were able to get their hands on the real thing, how easy would it be for them to become drunk, then?

The other issue here is the fact that kids are being encouraged to grow up faster than they should. Not to mention the fact that kids don't need to feel like they need beer at such a young age. Any other kind of drink is fine for a kid (water, anyone?). So yeah, just my two cents on the subject.

[ChristianKitsune]

OK enough of the overweight stuff...some kids can't help but be overweight.. genetics play a HUGE role in that....

another thing. While it's not a sin to drink.. it is a sin to get drunk and hurt people. My family was really affected badly by alcohol..and while not everyone drinks as irresponsible as some do, the fact is that it does happen.

Yeah back in the middle ages women were considered property but that doesn't make it right now does it?

Sorry that I am going slightly off topic. I am not going to get back on track. The point is that just because something has been done for centuries doesn't make it right. Encouraging children to grow up too fast and fool themselves into thinking they are adults by drinking some fakey alcohol is stupid. Hand the kid some good old fashioned grape juice or water.

Beer is unhealthy anyways...too many carbs.

[Dyne]

Really, it is showing kids that Alcohol is a "fun toy"; that it is cool to actually get drunk. We cannot teach children, who cannot even understand the consequences of their actions, to drink beer, not matter how "fake" it is.

[Shao Feng-Li]

Beer is no toy, but there's not a thing wrong with drinking. Besides, don't we raise children to be adults?

[AnubisWerewolf]

Lets start on the way towards alcoholism quicker.......woohoo.... *sigh* Makes me want to throw up hearing about this garbage. What will they think of next....actually i'm scared it might actually be worse than this.

[Kaligraphic]

Besides, don't we raise children to be adults?

Where've you been? These days we raise adults to be children and children to be pets.

[GhostontheNet]

Within the Biblical society people would be married (through an arranged marriage) in their teens and pretty much be adults. In anthropology, we learn that the difference between childhood and adulthood is not in fact biologically determined but is culturally determined by when an individual is ready to take on the roles of adult living, which in our high tech world takes a very long time. Nevertheless, it really irritates me that people call all the possibilities for new idiocy once one becomes an adult "adult things", as if these were signs of mature and responsible living rather than a new brand of childish idiocy that nobody can stop you from doing anymore. I know from reading up on Japanese culture that it is customary for the businessmen to go out and get really drunk like a bunch of fools (which are the true business meetings), and then if they are "lucky" get even more drunk in an after-business meeting among higher-ups. However, as Seneca says, the only difference between a drunken man and an insane man is that the condition of the drunken man gets better with time. I'm all for children learning the ropes of becoming decent respectable adults early on, and a very large amount of toys which are made agree with me. I am not however all for children learning the ropes of how to be idiotic adults early. This is by no means like those countries where there isn't really a very clean source of water and the best thing you could possibly drink is beer, or wine like in the Biblical society - this is more emulation of the various idiocy surrounding the pursuit of drinking. Naysayers would do well to consider the sociological perspectives on the functions of toys and playtime (which is extremely meaningful in child development).

[Cognitive Gear]

Yeah... I think this is pretty screwed up. It's just a new way to market an adult product to youth.

[Maledicte]

I'm all for children learning the ropes of becoming decent respectable adults early on, and a very large amount of toys which are made agree with me. I am not however all for children learning the ropes of how to be idiotic adults early.

Hit the nail right on the head.

It's a very shameful marketing ploy, I think, and with the volatile combination of parents wanting to be "hip" instead of good parents and kids not being taught responsibility by said parents...well, one can at least hope for the best.

Also, I've heard of at least one person dying of liver failure after drinking only non-alcoholic beer.

[indyrocker]

If parents actualy taught their kids about this little known thing in todays coulture known as "responcable drinking" we wouldent have the same problem as we do now. Come on if you look at other countrys with a lower drinking age they don't have any where neer the rate of abuse as we do.

[Kaligraphic]

The thing is, if we condemn this because it's just giving kids an imitation of something they can't legally have, then we need to condemn those red-and-yellow plastic Fisher-Price toy cars that toddlers "drive" around with their feet, because they can't and shouldn't have a real car. Otherwise it's just hypocrisy.

If we condemn it because it's the first step to alcoholism, then we need to condemn all food as leading to obesity, because just as one drink can be the start of many, so too one bite of food can be the start of many. Otherwise, it's just hypocrisy.

As far as being unhealthy, well, take a look at some of the things you're putting in your own mouth. Hopefully, nobody here is insane enough to think that they consume a perfect diet.

[Radical Dreamer]

The thing is, if we condemn this because it's just giving kids an imitation of something they can't legally have, then we need to condemn those red-and-yellow plastic Fisher-Price toy cars that toddlers "drive" around with their feet, because they can't and shouldn't have a real car. Otherwise it's just hypocrisy.

If we condemn it because it's the first step to alcoholism, then we need to condemn all food as leading to obesity, because just as one drink can be the start of many, so too one bite of food can be the start of many. Otherwise, it's just hypocrisy.

As far as being unhealthy, well, take a look at some of the things you're putting in your own mouth. Hopefully, nobody here is insane enough to think that they consume a perfect diet.

I don't think that's the point here. The point is that beer in this country is for ages 21+. Trying to market the "watered down" version of that to kids is like giving them their first step into a drinking situation that could ruin their lives. It's not like any other food; alcohol can send you into a coma if you have too much. And also, food is legal for people under the age of 21. :/

And the toy cars? Well, maybe it would be the same, if there were "Beer Drinkers' Ed" classes being given in each city.

[Shao Feng-Li]

Kaligraphic does have a very good point.

It's only in a legalistic society that alchohol is evil. Alchohol doesn't make you a drunkerd. Being drunk makes you a drunkered.

Letting children drink doesn't mean anything. In European countries, even the children have wine with dinner. It's even healthy.

Even I drink alchohol, and I'm only 16. I even had tastes of it at 13 and I'm not going to have a drinking problem. (Most of it tastes bad anyway.)

[Radical Dreamer]

Kaligraphic does have a very good point.

It's only in a legalistic society that alchohol is evil. Alchohol doesn't make you a drunkerd. Being drunk makes you a drunkered.

Letting children drink doesn't mean anything. In European countries, even the children have wine with dinner. It's even healthy.

Even I drink alchohol, and I'm only 16. I even had tastes of it at 13 and I'm not going to have a drinking problem. (Most of it tastes bad anyway.)

I never said that alcohol was evil. My parents drink wine quite often. There's nothing inherently wrong with alcohol, it's the abuse of said product that makes it wrong. Like others have said on this thread many times, it's the irresponsible parents and kids that will make this a problem. And while red wine is quite good for your heart, I don't think that beer has the same effect...n_n;

[Shao Feng-Li]

I think it's the alchahol itself that's good for your blood. Beer has that and the calories and taste XP.

I didn't mean you said it was evil.

[QtheQreater]

Letting children drink doesn't mean anything.

I have to mention something about the USA. Here, beer is one of the symbols(to children) of adulthood and cool. Give them some and they'll try to get drunk. If they only have this childrens beer, they'll realize that this is only the "kiddy" version, and try to get a hold of the real thing. They won't be inclined to drink it(kids beer) if the cool people(adults) aren't. It won't be a good intro, and it certainly won't teach them any good drinking habits. No good can come of it.

[Shao Feng-Li]

Good point. It is a bit of a simble(sp?) of coolness. And liver poisening even more so.

[Takuya]

.............that's Sick And Wrong! Burn It!!!! XD

[Linksquest]

Even the slogan, "Even kids can't stand life unless they have a drink." is terrible!

[Takuya]

...oh... I think I can prove it wrong... *STARES AT A BEER FOR AN HOUR THEN SHOOTS IT* See? Now let's try when I'm depressed... *SMELLS IT* ... ugh... *THROWS IT AGAINST A ROCK* ... I hate the smell of alcahol and only consume it in medicine...

[Shao Feng-Li]

Obviously you've never had a Mike's Hard Lemonade...

[Jingo Jaden]

Even the slogan, "Even kids can't stand life unless they have a drink." is terrible!

Your right, too bad for the marketing.

How about this one.

Kids beer, got foamy bubbles. Take that soda!!!

[GhostontheNet]

I've already responded to the objections to the contrary. Once more, the reason beer and wine are drank underage in many countries is because it is a source of clean drinking water where there is no clean drinking water, and Japan is not really one of those countries, and nor does the marketing of this product indicate it is one of those countries. Similarly, I noted the perspective of sociologists that the purpose of toys is to engender potential future life roles in the minds of children which they can wrap their conceptions around in their playtimes. Boy toys are given to boys because they represent the roles our culture wishes boys to have in their lives, while girl toys represent the roles our culture wishes girls to have. It is for this reason that the concept of giving a boy only girl's toys and a girl only boy's toys is considered tantamount to utter sacrilege, while giving a child both's toys is considered precarious (although probably highly useful if we want our children to have the more useful sides of the other sex's gender roles). It is not hypocricy to give a child toys that deal with things the child cannot yet deal with in real life - it is in fact the catalyst of the child beginning to deal with something in real life later. In this respect, marketing a children's mock-alchoholic product marketing it based off of the misconception that life is utterly intolerable without drinking alchohol is enculturating children in the attitudes that alchoholics have, while alchoholism in Japan is seriously becoming an epidemic already. This product is hence seriously amoral, reaping profit but making the state of the country worse by encouraging what the country does not need more of.

[mitsuki lover]

And I thought the Germans were the beer drinking champions of the world.

[Jingo Jaden]

And I thought the Germans were the beer drinking champions of the world.

The Germans? What about the English?