Susan's Place Transgender Resources

Gay-Positive French McDonald's Ad Won't Air in U.S.
by Kilian Melloy
Tuesday Jun 15, 2010

http://www.edgeboston.com/index.php?ch=news&sc=&sc2=news&sc3=&id=106944 (http://www.edgeboston.com/index.php?ch=news&sc=&sc2=news&sc3=&id=106944)

A McDonald's ad showing a gay teenage boy and his father getting ready to eat lunch at one of the chain's restaurants tells patrons to "Venez comme vous etes," or, in plain English, "Come As You Are." But the ad won't be coming to America.

In a June 13 interview with the Chicago Tribune, McDonald's operations chief Don Thompson agreed that the ad had provoked controversy, and said that it would not be aired in the U.S. The controversy has been in the United States, however, and not in France, where the ad has played.

The US is so far behide. I don't see the big deal in that ad.

I'm not a big fan of McD's, but I think it's messed up that the commercial won't be aired here in the US

I like the commercial and think American prudishness is silly.

Only one thing...too bad the kid isn't out to his father.

I think I'm getting a craving for some Micky D Freedom Fries.

Oh yes... potato flavored greasy salt is so tempting and tantalizing especially when coupled with a dried out beef flavored salty air burger and a sugar fix soda... Heh, ya gotta gag it all down with something

I liked that ad.. there's irony in it.
The kid's a good actor..

Quote from: Virginia Marie on June 16, 2010, 11:20:07 PM
Oh yes... potato flavored greasy salt is so tempting and tantalizing especially when coupled with a dried out beef flavored salty air burger and a sugar fix soda... Heh, ya gotta gag it all down with something

Those things must be addictive cause I could So go for a McD's burger right now..

Too bad McD's has left Iceland...
Now we just have "metro"...
... hmm... should try 'em before I complain..

In the Golden Tits, in France (and Italy), you can buy a small wine or beer with your Big Mac. Much more civilised.

Compared to the UK's Little Chef chain," Large Lardburger with lard fried chips, and a cup of sludge to takeaway", Macca's is not too bad!

McD's isn't the best restaurant in town, and yeah there's a lot of them - but it isn't all that bad of a restaurant. The food [particularly their breakfast options] is actually pretty good if you're in a hurry. I've had worse from some local places around Raleigh.

As for the ads, if controversy was what they didn't want then I think they'll be hard pressed to avoid it either way. Only now, they have an interesting public relations battle to fight.

Gay Group Cuts Ties With McDonald's Over Comments On French Ad

The Huffington Post 
Heeseung Kim
First Posted: 06-17-10 05:19 PM

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/06/17/mcdonalds-homophobic-comm_n_616458.html?ref=fb&src=sp#sb=632152,b=facebook (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/06/17/mcdonalds-homophobic-comm_n_616458.html?ref=fb&src=sp#sb=632152,b=facebook)

A couple weeks ago, McDonald's, France, released a gay-friendly commercial that encouraged patrons to "come as you are." The ad, which created a lot of buzz (mostly in America, where it wasn't -- and as we learn below, won't be -- aired), got a reception from McDonald's execs in America that was colder than day-old fries.

The Chicago Tribune recently interviewed Don Thompson, the Chief of Operations at McDonald's, and has him saying:

    "[A]t McDonald's, there are core values we stand for and the world is getting much closer. So we have a lot of conversations.

What do I tell you.

I love the way Thompson goes on for several sentences without really saying anything or committing himself. Valuable skill, that.

I have yet to see or hear anything about the add that says gay. This is just nuts and I refuse to eat at Mcducks. Personal reasons.

His latest interview sounded like he was just trying to appease bigots as not to lose their business

Most of the people in the US have a hard enough time speaking and understanding English.  Running an ad in French would not pay the bills.

Running an ad in French would not pay the bills LOL

I'm sure it would be rather simple to do an English voice over...

But then they'd have to do one in Spanish and maybe a few other languages  :laugh:

Voice overs almost always look like voice overs.  Add to that the problems with actor's unions, contracts, residual payments and it's just easier to re-shoot it here with people who don't look, well, quite so French. 

When you're trying to sell something you put people in the ads who resonate with the people your trying to sell to. That does not mean 'are like the people you are trying to sell to' either.  You are selling them their dreams, not their reality.

Or smelling that bad, either way.

Quote from: ƃuıxǝʌ on June 18, 2010, 03:21:36 PM
No way! The French are way hotter than Americans.

and the Japanese are way hotter than the French. ;D

Yes, of course we can smell through our televisions.. And we have folks from all over the world

Although I may not agree... Paris Hilton thinks she is hot

Anyway here's THE CURE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQHsZH-XlXo# (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQHsZH-XlXo#)

Yes, of course we can smell through our televisions.

Of course it that were true then perhaps everything on it might not stink so bad.

Of coarse it that were true then perhaps everything on it might not stink so bad.

Oh, I see what your looking for... Shall it be ping pong paddle, incense holder or an open hand spanking?  >:-)

I'm in Vegas right now, so by the time I get back I'll no doubt need the whip.

So, If I've got this right... I'll need to bring a whip, wear my orange dress, black sweater, Hello Kitty ears and bow on my head and be ready to go to a SF Giants game at the park?

I don't want to be defending MacDonalds or any other oppressive, politico-global, trans national, culturally homogenous capitalist neo-whatever.

But the point of an advert is to tell people that this product will fit in with your current lifestyle and enhance it.

Adverts are intended to sell products, so the company can make profit and employ people.

A few years ago, I was in a large factory making cosmetics, for various reason. In the distribution room there were hundreds of people, young and old, male and female, packing these products into little boxes then larger boxes. They were all working for minimum wage. All around were posters of various glamour models living beautiful lives.

It may sound like an obnoxious irony but in reality, those models were selling those products so those people could be employed. All were part of the team.

That is reality.

Quote from: LordKAT on June 18, 2010, 01:09:06 PM
I have yet to see or hear anything about the add that says gay. This is just nuts and I refuse to eat at Mcducks. Personal reasons.

does that mean when we go out you'll be taking me to a fancy restaurant then? ;D

(though I must admit a fondness for cheeseburger Happy Meals with the girl toy)

Quote from: spacial on June 19, 2010, 04:43:45 AM
the point of an advert is to tell people that this product will fit in with your current lifestyle and enhance it.

Adverts are intended to sell products, so the company can make profit and employ people.

It may sound like an obnoxious irony but in reality, those models were selling those products so those people could be employed. All were part of the team.

That is reality.

OT, I know, but it seems to me that only about 10% of the US economy is directed towards necessary goods and services.  Of the rest, about 70% seems to be directed towards goods and services that people don't really need, while the remaining 20% is directed towards creating desire among the public for those goods and services.  No wonder the US is a nation of overweight debtors who have meaningless jobs and produce mounds and mounds of trash upon trash.  I don't think it makes sense to force people to buy wardrobes and burn gas and whittle their lives away for the sake of giving people "busy work."  There must be a better way to care for the people whose services aren't really needed, than forcing them to work or starve, just so other people can work or starve, and so on and so on.  I guess this makes me a socialist, but I'd rather people have a choice whether to work or not, with those who don't work receiving everything they need, while those who work get frills, like air condition, automobiles, and cable television.  Surely there is a more efficient way that we could engineer to expend our diminishing resources, without forcing everyone to choose between being a field slave or a house slave, but the free market creates a race to the bottom.

I'm down with the creation of Desire (which up until the Mass Production/Mass Consumption age was thought to be a BAD thing) largely for things they don't really need, and that in many cases are not even good for them, i.e. McDonald's 'food'.

There is a reason why in survey after survey that people who don't watch TV are much happier than those that do (and  lot less paranoid also).


So, If I've got this right... I'll need to bring a whip, wear my orange dress, black sweater, Hello Kitty ears and bow on my head and be ready to go to a SF Giants game at the park?
And out to a show later.