How to understand this sentence

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I'm thrilled to find this great great site. I've got trouble understanding a sentence here. "Everything the kid might like is covered in counsel about toxicity and the effect of plastic bags pulled over the head. Adults today need telling that a little one learning, for example, the laws of fit and shape via Lego just might succumb to the oral imperative, and thus should be watched." I could not see the relation between Lego and "the oral imperative". what oral imperative refers to. Thanks a lot.

CalifJim · Accepted Answer

Here "the oral imperative" is the desire of small children to put anything they see into their mouths! <img class='emoticon' style='Width:19px;Height:19px;' data-delaysrc='https://uat-englishforward-forums-backend.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Emoticons/1.gif' src='https://uat-englishforward-forums-backend.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Emoticons/1.gif' alt='Emotion: smile'/>

MountainHiker · Answer

Ahava,

Something got messed up with the quoted sentence. At best, it is very poorly written.

I am going to make some wild guesses here.

Oral imperative. To stick something in one's mouth.

Lego. It is a popular childhood toy. You can go to www.lego.com to learn more about it if you are not familiar with this product.

So if children succumb to the oral imperative with Legos, they might yield (or give in) to their temptation and stick Legos in their mouths. That is bad because the Legos might get lodged in their throats etc. Legos are small (laws of fit and shape) so children can easily fit Legos in their mouths.

Whoever wrote that sentence was acting in pretentious manner.

They would have been better to say....

You should watch young children carefully when they play with toys. The toys they seem to like most are often harmful. For example, some toys are toxic. Some toys might become caught in a child's throat. Legos toys are small and children can easily put the toys in their mouths. And other common objects might cause suffocation. When children put plastic bags over their heads, they can suffocate themselves.

I hope that helps.

MountainHiker

MountainHiker · Answer

Sorry CalifJim, I was busy writing my answer when you had just answered before me.

On the positive side, at least we agree!

MountainHiker

Ahava_yin · Answer

Thank you Califjim. Thank you MountainHiker. Thanks a lot for your detailed explainations.

Yes, this sentence is from an artical that is supposed to be sarcastic. The author talks about the warnings carried with products nowadays, and the warnings are always talking some common senses, so that in a sense the consumers are treated like fools.

Your answers help me a lot. Thank you again!!

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