Mom News
Is it true that Happy Meals don’t go bad for … years?
By Riddhi Shah for Salon
Ever since Morgan Spurlock held up that jar of mysteriously well-preserved fries in “Super Size Me,” the list of exhibits in the McDonald’s museum of food-that-refuses-go-bad has grown exponentially. The latest entrant is the Happy Meal Project, a burger and a packet of fries that have soldiered on undecayed for 143 days.
Started by New York photographer Sally Davies, as a part-art, part-food science experiment, the Happy Meal Project involves Davies documenting a Happy Meal every few days until it spoils. At day 137, the meal still looks pretty great.
And then there are other, more shocking examples of McDonald’s food’s weird indestructibility: like this poor burger that’s been around for 12 years. This one managed to stave off mold for a year and this one’s been around the country in this lady’s purse for more than four years. Each experiment, of course, brings with it a new wave of fear and outrage over the chemicals and preservatives that are making our fast food almost inorganic.
For its part, McDonald’s has remained largely silent. The fast food giant’s Chinese arm released a statement this May to counter the hysteria over Joann Bruso’s year-long experiment. It announced that all its patties are made of 100 percent USDA-approved beef and are completely preservative-free. Sneakily, though, it made no mention of its fries, bread, cheese or sauce.
But preservatives alone may not be responsible for the fungus-resisting powers of a Happy Meal. Marion Nestle, chairwoman of New York University’s food studies program, told us over e-mail that McDonald’s would have to use “really a lot of” sodium propionate to prevent bacterial or mold growth.
McDonald’s French fries, for example, which have repeatedly proven their hardiness to spoilage, contain citric acid as a preservative. But a bigger factor might be the fat content of the fries. About 50 percent of the total 250 calories contained in a small order of fries come from fat. “Anything that is high in fat will be low in moisture,” says Barry Swanson, a professor at the Washington State University department of food science. And low moisture means less room for mold to grow. They’re crisper and thinner than regular fries, which means that they’re exposed to greater heat per surface area, killing pathogens and reducing water content. McDonald’s fries are also coated in a nice, thick layer of salt, something we’ve been using as a natural preservative for the last 2,500 years.
The beef patty is also high in fat — varying between 37 and 54 percent of the total caloric content — and has been cooked at a high temperature. “It’s also very thin, which once again means high heat per surface area,” says Sean O’Keefe, a professor of food science at Virginia Tech. Davies noted that over time, her patty just shrank and hardened, losing whatever moisture it once contained.
A regular McDonald’s sesame-seed bun contains calcium propionate and sodium propionate — both preservatives. But the list of ingredients — down to the preservatives — is actually no different from what you’d find on the packaging of your average loaf of supermarket white bread. Wonder Light Enriched Buns, for example, are also loaded with calcium propionate. While neither list mentions quantities, it’s reasonable to assume that both are under the FDA-approved limit.
Ultimately, says O’Keefe, the McDonald’s haters have gotten their science wrong. “The ingredients are similar to anything you’d see in processed fast food,” he says. For better or for worse, McDonald’s is no more a chemical laboratory of secret compounds designed to embalm us from the inside than any other processed food maker. A Happy Meal manages to stay unspoiled because it is fatty, salty and practically empty of nutrients — which, really, are all good reasons to avoid it anyway.
Study: More first-time moms are having C-sections; doctors too impatient
One in three first-time moms are now delivering their babies by Caesarean section, according to a new study.
This has a tremendous ripple effect because most of these moms are likely to have repeat C-sections, says lead study author Dr. Jun Zhang. “C-section in first-time mothers is increasing and VBAC (vaginal birth after C-section) is decreasing.”
Zhang is a labor and delivery expert at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, which funded the research. He says his study, published in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology, also found that 44 percent of women who attempted vaginal delivery were induced, and in this group the C-section rate was twice as high as women who were not induced.
More research is needed to determine whether inducing a pregnancy leads to complications, which then make a C-section necessary, Zhang says.
Zhang also says the study suggests that doctors may not be patient enough. Researchers found that with first time moms attempting natural delivery, the decision to deliver the baby by C-section was made before the recommended three hours of “second stage of labor” (when moms are pushing) or before the moms were at least 6 centimeters dilated, both short of the recommended guidelines set by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
Zhang and his co-authors analyzed electronic medical records from more than 200,000 births at 19 hospitals across the United States.
In March, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released data that shows that 32 percent of babies in the United States are delivered by C-section, which is the highest rate ever recorded and 53 percent higher than the rate in 1996. Some pregnancy complications that could make a C-section more likely include the age of the mother, the mother’s weight and twin or multiple pregnancies.
Zhang says scheduled repeat C-sections now contribute to almost a third of all Caesarean deliveries. He says only one in six women even attempted natural delivery after having a C-section in a previous pregnancy. “Prelabor Caesarean delivery due to a previous uterine scar (from previous C-section) was the most common reason for Caesarean section,” the study said. According to an NIH panel of experts on vaginal birth after Caesarean, the risk of uterine rupture is a common reason for doctors to suggest a repeat C-section, even though that risk is lower than 1 percent.
Carol Hogue, a maternal and fetal health expert at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, was on the NIH panel. She strongly believes that moms-to-be need to be better educated before they have their baby. “C-section itself is not a benign thing,” says Hogue. While many people may no longer view Caesareans as a major operation, she says women need to remember that there are risks
for a mother because it is still major surgery, which can include complications with anesthesia and scarring. ‘The process of labor helps the baby survive,” Hogue adds.
Just last month, ACOG reaffirmed its guidelines that VBAC is a viable option and urged physicians to counsel women who have had one or two previous C-sections to consider delivering their baby naturally.
The study concludes that if fewer women were induced, if better guidelines for the timing of Caesareans existed and if women were better educated about their ability to deliver a baby after a surgical birth, it could help lower the number of C-sections in this country.
Study: Cafeteria lunches play role in childhood obesity
From SMU Research
With children going back to school, parents are concerned that their youngsters are staying fit and eating right, especially those who dine in a school cafeteria.
New research funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture finds that children who eat school lunches that are part of the federal government’s National School Lunch Program are more likely to become overweight.
The same research study found, however, that children who eat both the breakfast and lunch sponsored by the federal government are less heavy than children who don’t participate in either, and than children who eat only the lunch, says economist Daniel L. Millimet at Southern Methodist University in Dallas.
Millimet authored the study with economists Rusty Tchernis, Georgia State University, and Muna S. Hussain, Kuwait University.
“The fact that federally funded school lunches contribute to the childhood obesity epidemic is disconcerting, although not altogether surprising,” said Millimet, whose research looks at the economics of children, specifically topics related to schooling and health.
Book a live interview
 To book a live or taped interview with Daniel L. Millimet in the SMU News Broadcast Studio call News and Communications at 214-768-7650 or email news@smu.edu. |
The new study was published in the Summer issue of The Journal of Human Resources. It is titled “School Nutrition Programs and the Incidence of Childhood Obesity.”
The U.S. Department of Agriculture oversees the federal lunch and breakfast programs. Through USDA the federal government reimburses schools for a portion of school lunch costs and also donates surplus agricultural food items. While USDA does require that the meals meet certain nutritional standards, schools choose the specific foods.
A la carte items outside the guidelines
Schools also can serve individual food items a la carte, which fall outside the scope of the federal guidelines and allow students to choose additional foods.
For their study, the researchers analyzed data on more than 13,500 elementary school students. Students were interviewed in kindergarten, first and third grades, and then again in later grades.
“First, it is very difficult to plan healthy but inviting school lunches at a low price,” Millimet said. “Second, given the tight budgets faced by many school districts, funding from the sales
Related links
- School Nutrition Programs and the Incidence of Childhood Obesity
- Daniel L. Millimet
- USDA and First Lady Michelle Obama: Let’s Move Initiative
- Report: White House Task Force on Childhood Obesity
- SMU Department of Economics
More SMU Research news
of a la carte lunch items receives high priority. That said, it’s comforting to know that the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees the federal school nutrition programs, takes the issue very seriously. The USDA sponsors not only my research, but that of others as well, to investigate the issues and possible solutions.”
The USDA is partnering with First Lady Michelle Obama to fight what experts say is a childhood obesity epidemic among America’s school children. The First Lady on May 18 released the results and recommendations of The White House Task Force on Childhood Obesity report, which said that more than 30 percent of American children ages 2 to 19 are overweight or obese. The report recommends serving healthier foods in schools.
Lunches may not be in compliance
Judging from the results of the study, Millimet said, the food being served in school lunches may not maintain a healthy weight in children. The food in school breakfasts appears to be healthier, however.
“Technically what is going on is that the federal government establishes nutrition guidelines for lunches and breakfasts if schools wish to receive federal funding,” Millimet said. “But there’s evidence that school lunches are less in compliance with these guidelines than breakfasts. The other possible issue is that these days schools try to make money from a la carte items at lunch. And it’s possible that even if the school lunch is healthy, kids buying lunch are more likely to tack on extra items that are not healthy.”
Nutritionists strongly advocate eating breakfast for a healthy lifestyle, Millimet said, noting that — up to a point — any breakfast is better than no breakfast.
The National Student Lunch Program supplies meals to about 30 million children in 100,000 public and nonprofit private schools, according to the USDA.
The School Breakfast Program gives cash assistance to more than 80,000 schools for about 10 million children.
Obesity among students takes jump
The study cites data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey taken between 1971 and 1974 and again from 2003 to 2004 that found the prevalence of overweight preschool children ages 2-5 jumped from 5 percent to 13.9 percent. Among school-aged children, it jumped from 4 percent to 18.8 percent for children 6-11; and 6.1 percent to 17.4 percent for those 12-19.
Millimet is a professor and director of undergraduate studies in the SMU Department of Economics. Tchernis is an associate professor in Georgia State University’s Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, and Hussain is an assistant professor in Kuwait University’s Department of Economics. — Margaret Allen
For some pregnant women, drinking is no longer taboo
By SHEILA McCLEAR
The New York Post
“My therapist recommended wine [for stress],” says Donna, 32, a Brooklyn mother of two. Her midwife also recommended wine, she says, after her first trimester.
“I’ve had two glasses in the last nine days,” she says cheerfully.
Still, not everyone is supportive of her choice. “My boyfriend is not happy about it,” she says. “My aunt said I shouldn’t do it.” And Donna, who isn’t ashamed of her drinking, is still so worried about the stigma she doesn’t want her last name to appear in this article.
Drinking while pregnant is perhaps the last big taboo for moms-to-be. Much like breastfeeding and co-sleeping, it’s an issue that draws as much debate as the mosque at Ground Zero. On the mommy Web site UrbanBaby, the responses range from the blithe “Go for it!” to the disgusted “That is sick.”
But in New York, a growing number of pregnant women are saying, “Bottoms up!”
Tired of the zero-tolerance hysteria — no alcohol, soft cheeses, fish or hair dye — that treats pregnancy like an affliction, they’re embracing a European attitude and indulging in the occasional glass of vino.
“The truth is, if you look at who’s born with fetal alcohol syndrome, their mothers were alcoholics — not one drink a week” women, says Dr. Randi Hutter Epstein, a mom of four and the author of “Get Me Out: A History of Childbirth From the Garden of Eden to the Sperm Bank.”
“I feel strongly that all of our anti-alcohol messages are just targeting the wrong audience,” she says, meaning healthy moms without dependence problems.
The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists advises “no amount of alcohol consumption can be considered safe during pregnancy.” Still, research has found that light drinking is reasonably safe. A study published in the International Journal of Epidemiology last year found that children whose moms had “one to two” drinks per week during pregnancy were at no more risk of cognitive deficits than those who had zero alcohol.
Furthermore, a French study published in 2008 found that more than 50 percent of French women drank alcohol at least once while pregnant. The same study, which appeared in a May 2008 issue of Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, found that only 12 percent of American women did.
It’s time to stop the madness, say many mothers. “This issue is more of a mob mentality,” says Real Housewife of New York Alex McCord, a mother of two and the author of parenting memoir “Little Kids, Big City.” “I want women to have the confidence to know that there’s more than one way to have a healthy pregnancy or raise a healthy child. You obviously need to take care of your body when you’re pregnant, and that includes feeling well and enjoying yourself.”
So McCord had the occasional drink while pregnant. “I would drink half a glass of wine or Champagne,” McCord says. She even drank a glass of bubbly en route to the hospital to give birth to her first child, Francois.
During her first pregnancy, April Peveteaux, a 38-year-old Brooklynite, was nervous about drinking: “There was still that fear in the back of my mind that I could do something to hurt the baby.” However, “I was four months pregnant when I got married,” says the writer at CafeMom.com and now a mother of two. “I thought, ‘I’m definitely having a glass of Champagne at my wedding.’ ”
During her honeymoon in Ireland, she learned about cultural differences regarding pregnancy and drinking while flipping through parenting books that advised no more than two drinks . . . per day. “I was laughing,” she says. “But it taught me a big lesson: I’m going to relax.”
Other expectant moms, such as Donna, are quietly being given the go-ahead by medical experts. Stephanie Korenman’s doctor prescribed alcohol after her amniocentesis test, telling her to “go home and drink a glass of wine,” because it calmed down painful uterine contractions that can result from the procedure. “Of course I was nervous, but it was my third kid,” said Korenman, 38, a Manhattan attorney. She says she was less hyper-vigilant than the first time around — plus, she did her own research to make sure it was safe. “I’m Orthodox [Jewish], so on Friday nights, I’d have just a little bit of wine — like half a shot glass,” she says. “Although I do know people who would say, ‘Not even that.’ ”
Dr. Epstein’s own doctor, by contrast, wasn’t concerned about the occasional sip. “My doctor said, ‘Go about your life and don’t worry about wine or anything,’” says Epstein, recalling her first pregnancy 10 years ago. On a trip to France while she was expecting, “We’d go out to dinner, and the waitress would show me the wine list, and I’d say, ‘I’m pregnant,’ ” says Epstein. “And she’d say, ‘Congrats, what kind of wine do you want?’
“I’ve been pregnant and given birth in England, and I’ve been pregnant and given birth in New York, and they make you a lot more uptight here,” she adds.
Still, many New York women don’t want to admit they are drinking and expecting. One Brooklyn woman who copped to enjoying the occasional glass of wine while four months pregnant told The Post she couldn’t talk about it for fear of jeopardizing her “standing in the mommy community.”
Even so, many parents say it’s time to stand up to the sancti-mommies — and just chill out a bit.
For Peveteaux, the freedom to relax with her husband and have a beer was important for her mental well-being.
“It made me feel more like a person,” she says, “rather than just a vessel.”
Hospital in Pakistan scrambles to save babies
Multan, Pakistan (CNN) — Amiza Mai rushes through the hospital doors, tears streaming from her eyes and her two-month-old boy cradled in her arms. He is screaming.
Her baby boy Kalsoon has severe diarrhea and has been vomiting. He is so dehydrated that he needs fluids pumped into him intravenously immediately. He and his entire family are living in harsh conditions after losing everything in a rush of water. They are victims of Pakistan’s mighty flood that has tossed so many families into chaos.
Little girl, 3, walks to fire department, reports “frozen” dad
(CNN) — Alesaundra Tafoya’s parents have been teaching their daughter about safety in their Northern California community, pointing out such safe havens as fire stations if she ever finds herself in trouble.
They weren’t, however, expecting 3-year-old Alesaundra to call upon those lessons when one of them needed help — but that’s exactly what she did Friday when her father collapsed in their Manteca, California, home.
Frank Tafoya told CNN affiliate KOVR that he “took a mixture of medication I wasn’t supposed to at the time — a bed-time dose — and I guess I collapsed.”
Alesaundra did exactly what she was taught — walking two blocks to reach Fire Station 243, a firehouse the family passes daily.
Once there, she told firefighters that her dad was “frozen” and wouldn’t wake up, according to KOVR.
“I’ve been here over 20 years,” Capt. Robert Villalovoz said. “It’s the first time I’ve had a 3-year-old walk up to the fire station.”
Alesaundra then escorted rescuers back to her house, where her father was “sitting in the living room, needing medical care,” Villalovoz said.
Doctors told KOVR that without the prompt medical attention, Frank Tafoya would have died.
“She’s been listening,” her mother said Saturday. “What we’ve been teaching her she’s been listening and that’s good.”
Hundreds fall ill after eating tainted eggs; recall under way
(CNN) — Hundreds of Americans have likely become ill from tainted eggs, according to estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC spokeswoman Lola Russell said Thursday.
The Food and Drug Administration, which investigates food contamination, said the CDC received reports of approximately 200 salmonella cases every week during late June and early July. Normally, the CDC has received an average of some 50 reports of salmonella illness each week for the past five years. Many states have also reported increases of this pattern since May 2010, the FDA said.
A total of 380 million eggs have been recalled since last week because of concerns they may be tainted with the potentially deadly salmonella bacteria, the Egg Safety Center said.
Salmonella, which is generally contracted from contaminated poultry, meat, eggs, or water, impacts the intestinal track.
Symptoms include diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps, which typically begin within 12 to 72 hours, according to the CDC. Vomiting, chills, headache and muscle pains may also occur, according to the Mayo Clinic. These symptoms last about four to seven days, and then go away without specific treatment in healthy people. Antidiarrheal medications may help with cramps, but they may also prolong the diarrhea, the Mayo Clinic said.
The elderly, infants, and people with impaired immune systems are at heightened risk for developing a more serious illness because of salmonella, the CDC said. Some people can develop life-threatening complications if the infection spreads beyond the intestines. In that case, a doctor may need to prescribe antibiotics to kill the bacteria. Other infected people may also require medical attention for dehydration due to persistent diarrhea. Warning signs for extreme dehydration include sunken eyes, dry mouth and tongue, decreased urine output, and reduced production of tears, according to the Mayo Clinic.
The Egg Safety Center is run by United Egg Producers, which describes itself as a cooperative of egg farmers from all across the United States, representing the ownership of approximately 95 percent of all the nation’s egg-laying hens.
On its website, United Egg Producers says that U.S. egg farmers produced almost 6.5 billion table eggs in April, the most recent month for which statistics are available. The average American eats about 250 eggs per year, the trade group says.
Wright County Egg of Galt, Iowa, which announced an earlier recall last week, added several more batches and brands to the recall Wednesday afternoon.
“Wright County Egg is fully cooperating with FDA’s investigation by undertaking this voluntary recall,” the company said in a statement. “Our primary concern is keeping salmonella out of the food supply and away from consumers. As a precautionary measure, Wright County Egg also has decided to divert its existing inventory of shell eggs from the recalled plants to a breaker, where they will be pasteurized to kill any salmonella bacteria present.”
After the uptick in salmonella infections, the CDC and the FDA traced the source and determined it was most likely eggs from Wright County Egg. The company says it is working to determine how the shell eggs are being contaminated.
The new recall covers eggs branded as Albertsons, Farm Fresh, James Farms, Glenview, Mountain Dairy, Ralph’s, Boomsma, Lund, Kemps and Pacific Coast and are marked with a three-digit code ranging from 136 to 229 and plant numbers 1720 and 1942, the company said.
The earlier recall covered the Lucerne, Albertson, Mountain Dairy, Ralph’s, Boomsma, Sunshine, Hillandale, Trafficanda, Farm Fresh, Shoreland, Lund, Dutch Farms and Kemps brands that were marked with with a three-digit code ranging from 136 to 225 and plant numbers 1026, 1413 and 1946.
The four-digit plant number begins with “P – ” and is followed by the three-digit code.
Both recalls affect eggs packed in several different sized cartons, from a half-dozen to 18 eggs. Only shell eggs are affected by the recall, the company said.
Consumers are encouraged to return the eggs in their original packaging to where they were purchased for a full refund.
Salmonella bacteria can be found inside and outside of eggs that appear to be normal.
Given the health risks posed by eggs, the FDA offers the following safety advice on its website:
–Don’t eat recalled eggs or products containing recalled eggs. Recalled eggs might still be in grocery stores, restaurants, and consumers’ homes. Consumers who have recalled eggs should discard them or return them to their retailer for a refund. Individuals who think they might have become ill from eating recalled eggs should consult their health care providers.
–Keep shell eggs refrigerated at 45 F (7 C) at all times.
–Discard cracked or dirty eggs.
–Wash hands, cooking utensils, and food preparation surfaces with soap and water after contact with raw eggs.
–Eggs should be cooked until both the white and the yolk are firm and eaten promptly after cooking.
–Do not keep eggs warm or at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
–Refrigerate unused or leftover egg-containing foods promptly.
–Avoid eating raw eggs.
–Avoid restaurant dishes made with raw or undercooked, unpasteurized eggs. Restaurants should use pasteurized eggs in any recipe (such as Hollandaise sauce or Caesar salad dressing) that calls for raw eggs.
–Consumption of raw or undercooked eggs should be avoided, especially by young children, elderly persons, and person with weakened immune systems or debilitating illness.
Sheriff: Mother suffocated toddlers before sinking car
CNN) — Unemployed, single and apparently fed up with criticism from her mother, a 29-year-old Orangeburg, South Carolina, woman suffocated her two toddlers with her bare hands before strapping them into car seats and submerging her car in a river, authorities said Tuesday.
Shaquan Duley is facing two counts of murder in the deaths of her sons, ages 1 and 2, said Orangeburg County Sheriff Larry Williams. She is set to appear in court Wednesday.
“She was a mother that was unemployed. She had no means of taking care of her children,” Williams told reporters. “She lives with her mother and her mother was a very, I guess, firm individual. … She often talked with her daughter about, I guess, maybe being more of a mother or being more reliable.”
Mother and daughter argued the night before the children’s bodies were found early Monday in Duley’s Chrysler sedan, submerged in the Edisto River, he said.
“We believe this is a direct response (to the argument) from Ms. Duley,” he said. “I believe she was just fed up with her mother telling her she couldn’t take care of the children and she wasn’t taking care of her children and she just wanted to be free.”
However, he said, “this wasn’t a hardened criminal. This was a young lady in trouble, in trouble in more ways than she realized.” Duley has no previous criminal history, he said.
Duley’s third child, a 5-year-old daughter, was at the home of Duley’s mother. Police identified the dead children as Ja’van T. Duley, age 1, and Devean C. Duley, 2.
Under questioning, Duley told authorities she smothered the boys by putting her hand over their mouths at the Trumps Inn in Orangeburg, Williams said. She drove them to the river while “trying to find a way to discard the bodies,” he said.
“She just wanted to get rid of the children, as sad as it may be,” Williams said. Authorities do not know how long the boys had been dead before they went into the water, he said.
Duley initially reported that she had lost control of the car and it had rolled into the river. But authorities from the outset believed her story didn’t add up, Williams said. Her clothes were dry, he said, and there were no skid marks or other indications of an accident at the scene.
In addition, Duley reported she had walked a mile before flagging down a motorist to call for help, Williams said previously. The sheriff told CBS’ “The Early Show” that she could have run to residences nearby.
Authorities responded to a report of a car accident near a boat landing on the river Monday, and divers found the children’s bodies.
Williams said Monday he couldn’t confirm reports that the key was still in the car’s ignition, but he said the car apparently was in neutral.
Ramona Milhouse told CNN she lives next to the boat landing, and her house and a neighbor’s house are clearly visible from the road. She said she was at home around the time Duley told authorities she lost control of her car.
“I don’t know why the young lady would walk that far when we are here, that’s easy to see, and we have phones so we could have called someone for her,” Milhouse said.
In addition, she said, the road near the landing is a busy one. “It’s not a quiet country road,” she said. “There’s a lot of people driving up and down, all parts of the day and night.”
She said she did not see the car go into the water, but heard sirens as authorities responded.
“When I heard what happened, I just couldn’t go to sleep at all, thinking about those two little boys,” she said.
It wasn’t immediately known whether Duley had retained an attorney.
Williams described Duley as distraught, but said she showed no signs of remorse.
“I don’t believe she woke up and said, ‘I’m going to the Shillings Bridge Road to get rid of my children,’” he said. “Of course, that hasn’t been determined. I believe she was just angry, upset and for some reason found the boat ramp, but mind you the children were deceased … so (she was) trying to find a way to discard the bodies.”
The father of the two children has not been found, Williams said. Duley “was more or less being mother and father for the children,” he said.
“The mom has basically been a good mom,” he said, but was just unable to financially support the children. “For whatever reason, this was her weakest moment,” he said.
The South Carolina Department of Social Services has no record of prior involvement with Duley, department spokeswoman Marilyn Matheus said.
The incident has striking similarities to a 1994 case, also in South Carolina. The bodies of Michael Daniel Smith, 3, and 14-month-old Alexander Tyler Smith were found in their mother’s car, still strapped into their car seats, in John D. Long Lake in Union, South Carolina. Their mother, Susan Smith, was convicted on two counts of murder, but jurors opted to spare her the death penalty and she was sentenced to life in prison.
The case inflamed racial tensions in Union, because Susan Smith claimed at first she had been carjacked by an African-American man. She stuck to that story for nine days, issuing tearful pleas for her sons’ return on national media outlets, before confessing to authorities. Prosecutors alleged she killed her children after being rejected by a man she was dating who did not want children.
Duley spent two years as a cashier at a Dairy-O fast-food restaurant a couple of years ago, said assistant manager Grace Simpson.
“She was such a good-natured person, very friendly, but quiet,” Simpson recalled. “Never disciplined. Never in trouble with our boss. She left because she chose to. We don’t have health insurance here, and she wanted to just move on and up with her life maybe.”
At the time Duley worked for Dairy-O, she did not have children, Simpson believes. Simpson did not know if she was married at the time.
“Whatever compelled Shaquan to do what she did … Lord please be with her,” said Simpson. “I cannot judge Shaquan. I will not judge her. But God, be kind to her.”
Barbie is sooo yesterday. Get ready for the girls of Monster High School
By Andrea Chang, Los Angeles Times
Barbie wouldn’t last a day at Monster High.
The latest fashion dolls from Mattel Inc. are a dramatic departure from the toy maker’s most recognizable blond: As the offspring of famous monsters, the new Monster High girls are fearless, occasionally furry and a bit freaky.
Creepy is the new pretty.
With its lineup of creepy characters, Mattel is capitalizing on the vampire and werewolf obsession that has infiltrated books, movies, television shows and magazine covers in recent years and making it relevant for pre-teens, or “tweens.” Analysts have praised the creative, quirky storylines at Monster High, where students play “casketball” and try out for the “fearleading squad.”
But the biggest challenge facing the brand will be whether young, image-conscious girls can get on board with dolls that look more like kids from the Addams Family than pals of Barbie or the American Girls.
“Fashion dolls are tricky, because fashion dolls have an emulative aspect or an aspirational aspect. Girls want to be Barbie … but I don’t know how many girls aspire to be Draculaura or Frankie Stein,” Johnson said. “One reason why Shrek was never a good toy line — never has been, never will be — is because boys want to be Luke Skywalker, they want to be Optimus Prime, Spider-Man. They don’t want to be a green ogre living in a swamp.”
That wasn’t a concern for 8-year-old Ashly Garcia as she rushed over to the Monster High section at a Justice youth apparel store in Westside Pavilion this week, snatching up the remaining Clawdeen Wolf doll and a hot pink Monster High journal.
“I have lots of dolls, but in real life I don’t like them,” she said. “The only one I like is this one. I’m going to play with her a lot with my friends.”
For Mattel, launching a slew of toy, apparel and entertainment products all at once is a strategy that the company hopes to employ further in the future, Chief Executive Bob Eckert said.
“That’s a model that we’re keen on — franchise management, if you will. Not just creating toys but creating brands,” he said. “We used to be just so myopically focused on the toy and its features. We’re now starting to think much broader.”
Retailers say they’re seeing early indications that the line will perform well.
Store associates at the Justice store in Westside Pavilion said they have had trouble keeping the dolls in stock and are fielding calls throughout the day from kids and their parents looking for specific characters (Frankie Stein is currently the most sought-after).
“It’s been a very long time since we’ve carried dolls in our store, and they’re extremely popular,” said Leslie Armour, who heads strategic partnerships for Justice, a mall-based retailer of tween apparel and accessories. She said the company placed an order for more dolls last week because they’ve been selling so well.
“What we saw was something that was fresh,” she said. “It took on the whole craze of vampires and made it fun and very comedic. It has a little twist to everything, and tweens really like that.”
Such was the case for 8-year-old Maya Reynoso, who rolled her eyes at the mention of traditionally girly toys, saying she hadn’t played with dolls since she was 4.
Yet the soon-to-be fourth grader picked out a pink hoodie with the Monster High skull logo at the Justice store this week and even paused to admire the dolls before deeming them acceptable.
“They seem like they would kill Barbie,” she said.
andrea.chang@latimes.com
