FWIW, all comments about globalization, corporations, socialization, Meet The Press, sweatshops, jock itch or any other thing that has been brought up here - da do run run run - aside, **Fast Food Nation ** is an amazing book. It never once dipped into sensationalism but presented some incredible, thought-provoking facts. I highly recommend it. I can’t say I boycott anything because of it, but it certainly gave me pause as to some practices going on in certain circles.
[sub]This post brought to you by TION and it’s cousin, ISM.[/sub]
If you are looking for perfection in those who protest against capitalism, you won’t find it ANYWHERE! If every single person who was anti-capitalist gave up every single thing they had and lived in a cave, IT WOULD SOLVE NOTHING and could easily make things even worse if enough people decided to do that.
There’s millions who support socialism/communism and/or at the very least, highly critical of capitalism. If they all lived in communes or about as far away from capitalism as possible, that’s a few million less who will be buying from franchises, corporations and certain business. THAT can and would effect the bottom line. Do you honestly think that capitalists would like this very much? Do you honestly believe that would accomplish ANYTHING in the world?
No matter what a person’s political view is, the majority live in a capitalism society. Sure, there’s some who are indeed hypocrites, but the vast majority do the best the can in the only ways they know how. That is, to REFUSE to buy from as many places as they could. They’re not Luddites(anti-technology), they’re not anti book and THEY DO HAVE TO WORK WITHIN THE SYSTEM JUST TO SURVIVE. They do the best they can, it might not be much, but it’s better than just being complacent or buying into everything those who support capitalism have to say.
Besides, the most effective boycotts are worker-led anyway. Without the workers’ support, a boycott would just make things worse for the very people they’re trying to help.
A most interesting McDonald’s advertising development in my opinion is the new use of English people in their ads. I don’t know if, in Britain, such ads have always been shown but I live in NZ and until a few weeks ago I’d never seen an aristocratic English Dad selling McDonald’s. It’s something to think about, for sure.
Ah yes. Anti-globablization demonstrations. A lame excuse for spoiled suburban college student to run around like idiots in urban areas, set random fires, and attack symbols of their pseudo-socialist doctrine.
Funny how the spoiled children of these ‘demonstrations’ attack McDonalds in the name of protecting the poor downtrodden minimum wage employee. Yet when the L.A. riots took place, the local McDonald’s were scarcely touched.
On might argue it was becuse there was little to loot, but that doesn’t explain it all. The simple fact is that the locals looked upon McDonalds as a place that, while not the * golden arches of opportunity for the future*, would at least hire the locals and give them many opportunities that other businesses and franchises would never give them.
This attituide of “they exploit the workers” is mostly horsehit from the idiot fringes of the left. Its another case of daddy’s princes and princesses telling the poor masses what’s good for them after their three years of experience in a cloistered college where they learn about poor people from their proffessors.
McDonalds is no saint, and they’ve made some major corporate fuck-ups. But almost all of the larger companies have fallen on their face from time to time. They certainly don’t deserve to have their windows taken out by this lot. The excuse given of “they are making us obese” sounds like a serious lack of taking responsibility. Did McDee’s shove fries down your throat? No they just made it cheap and convenient for you to do so.
Hey, HEY, HEY!! We’re trying to bash McDonald’s, here! All you yahoos take your “Capitalism vs. Exploitation” crap the GD, where it belongs!! We have standards in the Pit, consarnit!!
Kids these days… anyway…
Yer all wrong. The most pathetic advertising attempts that McDonald’s ever throws out are the commercials that try to depict the place as being “high-class” and “formal”… one commercial that comes to mind was one that showed a bunch of High School kids taking a fuckin limo to McDonald’s for their prom night dinner.
Then there was the whole Baja menu bullshit… did anybody actually buy that crap?
McDonald’s can’t top Burger King. This morning, as I pulled up into the drive-thru, I noticed a sign next to the speaker. It read: “Have A Soft Drink for Breakfast!” I WISH I was lying, but it’s true, ya’ll.
What the heck’s wrong with having a soft drink for breakfast? If I’m in a hurry, or can’t get to a Dunkin Donuts, I’ll often have a Mountain Dew (usually with a Twix bar) for breakfast. I realize that I’m not exactly normal in this regard, but it shouldn’t be a scary concept.
This comes from an article on Anti-Americanism in the New Statesman magazine:
"… oddly, arms manufacturers, European as well as American are never portrayed as the most pernicious corporations, the lefty’s fire being directed mainly at Monsanto (whose GM foods have never been proven to endanger health) and McDonald’s (which is just one supplier of industrial food among many others).
I do wonder from time to time why arms manufacturers are so hard to target in the same way anti-globalisation protesters target Nike and McDonald’s. What’s the problem? Find some arms warehouses and blow them up - why not? Infiltrate the factories and mess with the tool and dye equipment. Create a fungus that attacks gun powder. Something like that, anyway.
This current batch of commercials is particularly annoying and had you not started this rant I would have.
I like the idea of using a McDonald’s employee in this commercial… of course… McDonald’s could never afford to run a commercial that lasted 21 minutes because that’s how long it takes a McDonald’s employee to earn enough money for a nuggets and fries deal.
I didn’t account for taxes so it would actually take longer than 21 minutes.
Hell… they couldn’t afford to use me in those commercials and I make significantly more than minimum wage.
I know the answer to this one. It’s because arms manufacturers are not mass-marketers. Think about it: when was the last time you saw a Swith & Wesson ad during the Super Bowl or on MTV? Arms manufacturers don’t try to sell to kids, and the dangers of their product is the very reason for their existence. Most of their marketing is directed at middle-aged white men, the demographic of LEAST concern to any self-respecting liberal. Don’t believe me? Check out the ads in “American Rifleman” or “Guns & Ammo.” I have never, and I meannever seen a black person or anyone obviously younger than 30 in these ads, unless they were accompanying dear old Dad on a duck hunt.
The reasons for this are as much political as anything. Most pro-gun support ( a la the NRA) comes from middle-aged white men who live in rural areas. This is what’s called a “niche market.” Advertising intended to reach them is very targeted, and most people outside this market rarely see it. The result is that most people could hardly name two European gun manufacturers, much less protest against them.
That actually reminds me of a guy I used to know in high school… Kevin really liked Coke, and had at least one can in his locker at all times. I remember talking with his mom once, and she said that sometimes he’d pour Coke in his breakfast cereal instead of milk. The next day, I asked him about it: definitely the truth, he told me. Well, all I can say is that I hope he’s not donstantly on a sugar high or something!
And in regards to the OP, I remember seeing that commercial… I didn’t think much of it at the time. Later on, though, I began to see the inequity of it all… it might be inexpensive for your typical doctor, lawyer, etc., but for your average minimum-wage earner? I think not!
In the last 25 years, I have eaten at McSloppo’s 3 times. Twice for breakfast, once when I had a car accident, & I had to get out of the cold & get something in me to warm up. I had a hot apple pie & a hot chocolate.
I haven’t touched a burger of their’s in more than a quarter of a century.
