Pizza Hut's Book It program coming under fire

Ramma2

Platinum Member
Jul 29, 2002
2,710
1
0
http://www.cnn.com/2007/EDUCATION/03/02/reading.for.pizza.ap/index.html

NEW YORK (AP) -- You've read the book, now eat the pizza.

Since 1985, that's been the gist of Pizza Hut's Book It, an incentive program used by 50,000 schools nationwide to reward young readers with free pizzas. The program is now under attack by child-development experts who say it promotes bad eating habits and turns teachers into corporate promoters.

Book It, which reaches about 22 million children a year, "epitomizes everything that's wrong with corporate-sponsored programs in school," said Susan Linn, a Harvard psychologist and co-founder of the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood.

"In the name of education, it promotes junk food consumption to a captive audience ... and undermines parents by positioning family visits to Pizza Hut as an integral component of raising literate children," Linn said.

This week, Linn's organization called on parents to end their schools' participation in the long-standing program.
[snip]


I can remember the Book It program from when I was in elementary school, and I really enjoyed it. It gave me something to work for as a kid and the rewards were great! Family night to Pizza Hut was a good time, who cares if my folks had to eat pizza too, I was getting my own pizza just for myself. It encouraged me to read books and I think had a good part in creating my enjoyment of reading. Am I some Pizza hut loving corporate created drone these days? Nope, Pizza Hut ranks as one of my least desirable pizzas out there.

As a father of 2 boys, the eldest of which is starting real school next year, I would be disappointed to see this program axed by the save the children nanny state loving fools out there.
 

Zolty

Diamond Member
Feb 7, 2005
3,603
0
0
Book it rocks, if it wasn't for that program I doubt I would read as much as I did.
 

ZetaEpyon

Golden Member
Jun 13, 2000
1,118
0
0
This is ridiculous. Getting the free personal pan pizza from Book-It back in grade school was great.

Maybe if parents didn't feed their kids crap all the time, the pizza wouldn't be such a big deal. Hmm...
 

Kaido

Elite Member & Kitchen Overlord
Feb 14, 2004
49,295
5,841
136
Yah I think I got into reading because of Book It, the free pizzas were AWESOME! I actually worked at Pizza Hut for a couple years...we rarely got any kids in with them, I think there were only 2 or 3 that came in the entire time I worked there. Kinda sad...
 

clamum

Lifer
Feb 13, 2003
26,252
403
126
Oh jesus. I used to love that program. Yeah, it might be unhealthy for you if you eat it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner everyday.

I swear this country is getting more fvcking stupid by the minute.
 

rudder

Lifer
Nov 9, 2000
19,441
86
91
I tell Pizza Hut to give those a-wipes the finger. Kids should be taught moderation/healthy eating habits anyway by the parents. One personal pan pizza everynow and then will not make an obese kid. My daugher feels very special when she goes to get her free pizza and she is by no means fat.
 
Jun 19, 2004
10,860
1
81
My son's school gives out cards for free Applebees, Chick-Fil-A, BK, etc., and he loves it. However, as a parent I take these and save them then use them as treats for special occasions (good job on chores = him getting to use a card for a free ice cream). I don't really tell him he needs to do something good in order to use something he's already earned, but that's how it works. It spaces the stuff out more and he seems more appreciative of it.
 

mugs

Lifer
Apr 29, 2003
48,920
46
91
It took them 22 years to realize these things? :laugh:

It's one little personal sized pizza a month. Big deal.
 

AgentJean

Banned
Jun 7, 2006
1,280
0
0
Actually, traditional pizza isn't all that bad for you if you choose your topping wizely , it's the assembely line grease soak crap loaded with extra cheese, all the different types of artery clogging meats you can think of places like Pizza hut.

If you go old school, with just dough, tomato sauce, a little bit of cheese and baked in a coal or wood fire oven, you'll be alright. Real Pizza does not have the grease like the crap Pizza hut calls pizza.
 

Genx87

Lifer
Apr 8, 2002
41,091
513
126
I love these socialists, and that is all this lady is. She is appalled private enterprises are doing something she deems a state job.

btw if she is so worried about Pizza Huts health implications in school. Maybe she should look at her beloved state run school lunch programs. Nothing get worse than school lunch for taste and nutrional value.

 

pontifex

Lifer
Dec 5, 2000
43,804
46
91
Originally posted by: AgentJean
Originally posted by: pontifex
its called repost

Where i'm from it's called Dupe. :p

Well this is ATOT, son, and around these here parts, we call it a repost. If you don't like it, you can take your high falootin "dupe" out of here! ;)
 

AgentJean

Banned
Jun 7, 2006
1,280
0
0
Originally posted by: Genx87
I love these socialists, and that is all this lady is. She is appalled private enterprises are doing something she deems a state job.

btw if she is so worried about Pizza Huts health implications in school. Maybe she should look at her beloved state run school lunch programs. Nothing get worse than school lunch for taste and nutrional value.

Well at my high school back in the day(97-2001) we had PIZZA HUT pizza once a week.
Not to mention all the other crap we had the rest of the week.

I skipped lunch.

I hear a lot of schools now, contract out to nothing but fast food joints.
 

pontifex

Lifer
Dec 5, 2000
43,804
46
91
Originally posted by: AgentJean
Originally posted by: Genx87
I love these socialists, and that is all this lady is. She is appalled private enterprises are doing something she deems a state job.

btw if she is so worried about Pizza Huts health implications in school. Maybe she should look at her beloved state run school lunch programs. Nothing get worse than school lunch for taste and nutrional value.

Well at my high school back in the day(97-2001) we had PIZZA HUT pizza once a week.
Not to mention all the other crap we had the rest of the week.

I skipped lunch.

I hear a lot of schools now, contract out to nothing but fast food joints.

we didn't even have a fast food restaurant in my town until about 96 or 97, let alone the school. I look back at what I ate for lunch in HS and can't believe I did that.
 

AgentJean

Banned
Jun 7, 2006
1,280
0
0
Originally posted by: pontifex


we didn't even have a fast food restaurant in my town until about 96 or 97, let alone the school. I look back at what I ate for lunch in HS and can't believe I did that.

What like Mystery Meat Wednesdays?
 

Balt

Lifer
Mar 12, 2000
12,673
482
126
I liked that program when I was in school. Back in those days a free personal pan pizza seemed like a big deal.
 

BeauJangles

Lifer
Aug 26, 2001
13,941
1
0
Originally posted by: MisterJackson
My son's school gives out cards for free Applebees, Chick-Fil-A, BK, etc., and he loves it. However, as a parent I take these and save them then use them as treats for special occasions (good job on chores = him getting to use a card for a free ice cream). I don't really tell him he needs to do something good in order to use something he's already earned, but that's how it works. It spaces the stuff out more and he seems more appreciative of it.

Responsible parenting ftw. Honestly, how many other parents really do something like this? Most don't seem to give a damn about their kids or, if they do, are so clueless in how to conduct themselves.
 

ElFenix

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Mar 20, 2000
102,380
8,509
126
Originally posted by: Genx87
I love these socialists, and that is all this lady is. She is appalled private enterprises are doing something she deems a state job.

btw if she is so worried about Pizza Huts health implications in school. Maybe she should look at her beloved state run school lunch programs. Nothing get worse than school lunch for taste and nutrional value.

honestly, a small personal pizza once a month is much worse for you than 'chicken fried steak/fingers/nuggets' (warmed over poop), smothered in gravy with a side of mashed potatoes, rice, or french fries (also smothered in gravy) every day of the week (except thursday, which was sausage pizza day, and was smothered in ranch dressing, with a side of gravy smothered rice)
 

Aikouka

Lifer
Nov 27, 2001
30,383
912
126
I'll admit that I used to cheat and say that I read books to get my free pizzas :eek:. I blame my hatred of reading on school anyway... damnit, I don't care about Laura Ingles Wilder's Farmer Boy or any of those other horrid books I had to read. I still read, yet I find my willingness is much lower than most people and I tend to form quite the queue (right now I have iWoz, Darkly Dreaming Dexter and Dearly Devoted Dexter in said queue).

But this sounds like an argument against positive reinforcement. Sure, it pushes Pizza Hut among other brands, but I guarantee most kids will eat any brand of pizza given to them on a plate, regardless if it's Pizza Hut or not.. although PH is pretty tasty.
 

yowolabi

Diamond Member
Jun 29, 2001
4,183
2
81
Book it did/does a lot to motivate children to read. The amount of pizza you get is not enough to be damaging unless you eat terribly all the time. If that's the case, you can hardly blame pizza hut for motivating you to do something that you would have done anyway.
 

sao123

Lifer
May 27, 2002
12,653
205
106
Originally posted by: Ramma2
http://www.cnn.com/2007/EDUCATION/03/02/reading.for.pizza.ap/index.html

NEW YORK (AP) -- You've read the book, now eat the pizza.

Since 1985, that's been the gist of Pizza Hut's Book It, an incentive program used by 50,000 schools nationwide to reward young readers with free pizzas. The program is now under attack by child-development experts who say it promotes bad eating habits and turns teachers into corporate promoters.

Book It, which reaches about 22 million children a year, "epitomizes everything that's wrong with corporate-sponsored programs in school," said Susan Linn, a Harvard psychologist and co-founder of the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood.

"In the name of education, it promotes junk food consumption to a captive audience ... and undermines parents by positioning family visits to Pizza Hut as an integral component of raising literate children," Linn said.

This week, Linn's organization called on parents to end their schools' participation in the long-standing program.
[snip]


I can remember the Book It program from when I was in elementary school, and I really enjoyed it. It gave me something to work for as a kid and the rewards were great! Family night to Pizza Hut was a good time, who cares if my folks had to eat pizza too, I was getting my own pizza just for myself. It encouraged me to read books and I think had a good part in creating my enjoyment of reading. Am I some Pizza hut loving corporate created drone these days? Nope, Pizza Hut ranks as one of my least desirable pizzas out there.

As a father of 2 boys, the eldest of which is starting real school next year, I would be disappointed to see this program axed by the save the children nanny state loving fools out there.


what political agenda crap...