Sorry, Ronald: Disney's cutting the fat

Disney has given its longtime partner, the Golden Arches, a devastating kick in the McRibs. The entertainment company is ending its McDonalds Happy Meal tie-ins — at least for children’s movies. Cars and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest will be the last Disney kidflicks to be promoted via trans fat. (They’re leaving open the possibility of McMarketing films aimed at adults, so get ready for the Miramax Meal.)

How to explain the move? Disney’s not saying, but Pixar boss Steve Jobs (Disney’s largest shareholder) has, in the past, wondered aloud about the consequences of selling Finding Nemo via cheeseburger. (It should be noted: Nemo himself contains life-giving Omega-3 triglycerides.) It’s not such a small world after all: Kids are fatter than they’ve ever been, and, increasingly, the blame is falling on fast-food corporations. Maybe that’s a cop-out (citing bad parenting, it seems, is like blaming the tides for beach erosion), but it’s a cop-out plenty of parents are probably happy to get behind: Don’t blame us! Blame the lard-peddling, bottom-swelling bottom-liners who mesmer-market our children into bad eating habits!

Jobs had better tread lightly. Just this week, he has made enemies of McDonalds and the Beatles. If I were him, I’d be checking my McMansion to make sure it can’t be easily Hamburgled.