Stating clearly that McDonald’s advertising will not acknowledge the existence of lesbian or gay diners in the United States — and that such advertising may be withdrawn elsewhere around the world — the company’s chief operations officer Don Thompson had this to say to the Chicago Tribune:
Thompson: (We talk) about things that may have an implication in one part of the world and may be the cultural norm in another part of the world. And those are things that, yes, we’re going to learn from. But, you’re right, that commercial won’t show in the United States.
Chicago Tribune: How has it done in France?
Thompson: Interestingly enough, there have been no negatives coming out of France. The brand is a local brand and different things will occur in different parts of the world. We just have to make sure that we understand the impact one action may make on another part of the world.
Translation: McDonald’s does not wish to offend bigots in its central African and Islamist market territories, so in the interest of global cohesion, McDonald’s will ostracize certain minorities from its advertising all over the world.
Gays are not the only demographic that is stigmatized in nether regions of the world; Jews are verboten throughout the Arab world, and Hispanics are unwelcome in the American Southwest.
Can we expect them to be ostracized, as well, by a Christian Right operations chief who bases corporate “core values” upon the prejudices of the world’s most primitive and oppressive places?
Hat tip: Box Turtle Bulletin
That’s okay,Wayne…I didn’t like their greasy fries and fat inducing Big Mac anyways along with that artery clogging dairy product they call a milk shake anyways.
But..the McRib and McMuffin are good. McNuggets are okay, even if I doubt there is much, if any, real chicken in them.
If McDonald’ advertising will not acknowledge the existence of lesbian or gay diners in the United States, then maybe lesbian and gay diners in North America should acknowlege that we need to start spend our money at Burger King instead and then we’ll see how quickly McDonald’s becomes more inclusive
I never eat at old McDonald’s Factory Farm Poisonous House of Flab anyway; and only the socially and culturally retarded United States would get all bent out of shape over a GD commercial on TV in France!–a country which most rightwingers hate and mock anyway. I wonder if bill o’reilly knows that they also show nude women and men on regular tv in western Europe, I know i’ve seen them while in Germany. Being a conservative family values man, I’m sure billo would pause the tv screen and start jacking off.