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McDonald's: "an ecumenical refuge for travelers" - "Russ & Johns" Archives

McDonald's: "an ecumenical refuge for travelers" - "Russ & Johns"

[D]espite its vaunted reputation as a juggernaut of American culture, McDonald's has come to function as an ecumenical refuge for travelers of all stripes. This is not because McDonald's creates an American sense of place and culture, but because it creates a smoothly standardized absence of place and culture -- a neutral environment that allows travelers to take a psychic time-out from the din of their real surroundings. This phenomenon is roundly international: I've witnessed Japanese taking this psychic breather in the McDonald's of Santiago de Chile; Chileans seeking refuge in the McDonald's of Venice; and Italians lolling blissfully in the McDonald's of Tokyo.
. . .
(Interestingly, Marlboros are sold worldwide -- and American cigarette brands are just as unhealthy and aggressively marketed as American fast food -- but for some reason there is not a similar activist reaction. Perhaps this is because there are no Marlboro outlet stores to firebomb -- but I suspect it has more to do with subliminal, adolescent-style favoritism. The Marlboro Man is, after all, a handsome tough-guy, whereas Ronald McDonald is a makeup-and-jumpsuit-wearing dork.)

"Slumming the Golden Arches," by Rolf Potts, Traveling Light, June 5, 2006

Citing a longstanding need to "restore honor and dignity to the American food-service industry," Sens. John McCain (R-AZ) and Russ Feingold (D-WI) announced the public debut of their joint business venture Monday, a chain of integrity-themed restaurants which opened in 12 locations nationwide.

The new Russ & John's chain, which the two senators funded privately via small financial donations of no more than $2,000 per investor, was founded on the idea that "today's customers want quality food without all the lies and exaggerations that all too often accompany it," according to McCain.

"McCain, Feingold Co-Sponsor Chain Of Integrity-Themed Eateries," The Onion, June 27, 2006

June 27, 2006 07:37 AM    Caught Our Eye

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