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Bizarre how the article seems to present this as a hopeful and positive thing about McDonalds. To me it is just another indicator of how broken American societ

Bizarre how the article seems to present this as a hopeful and positive thing about McDonalds. To me it is just another indicator of how broken American society is. A fast food place serving terrible and unhealthy food is becoming a gathering place for poor people who are probably the ones most in need of a healthier and better lifestyle. It is also a sad reminder of how society has gone so utterly wrong when the cheapest food is the absolutely worst food. This is of course not McDonalds fault, but society has allowed huge chains pushing cheap unhealthy food to the masses flourish. It isn't just about the food, but the sort of cultural wasteland a place like McDonalds is. Everything mass produced and equal everywhere. A country priding itself in diversity is drowning in homogeneity.

pweissbrod 10y ago
I wish I could upvote this more. I also dont blame McDonalds as a company. Like any other restaurant they're forced to strike their own line between quality of ingredients vs price. Like any other restaurant they must pander to what their customer base wants. Their success is a reflection of what we have become as a society, gladly choosing such a faceless generic landmark as the focal point of our community. There is just something about it that feels soulless and submissive to me.
- dreamdu5t 10y ago
  So where should the focal point of your community be? What super-sophisticated place do you socialize at? A bar? Starbucks? The mall? At home in front of the computer?
  - cloakandswagger 10y ago
    It's really not hard to find a communal gathering spot a little more high-brow than McDonald's For example, I live in the suburbs of San Francisco. Not far from me there is a delightful and quaint organic bakery, and across from that is a gorgeous park. On weekends after my kids finish lacrosse practice, my wife and I take them there and enjoy some cheap ($9 each) chocolate croissants while they play on their tablets in the park. People choosing to congregate in a McDonald's is as inconceivable as choosing to meet up in an outhouse or an abbatoir to me.
    - city41 10y ago
      But you live in a San Francisco suburb. Try a small town in West Virginia or Alabama. It's very different.
      - cloakandswagger 10y ago
        Then the people that live there should make an effort to move out west. Again, not hard -- take some CodeAcademy classes.
        city41 10y ago
        That's pretty silly. You both imply we can all fit in the bay area, and that poverty is a trivially solved problem. Both are definitely not true.
        ghaff 10y ago
        I assume you're being a troll. Because the alternatives I can think of are a lot worse.
    - palimpsests 10y ago
      I can't tell if this comment is sarcastic or not. $9 croissants? I never thought I would defend McDonald's - comparing that place to an outhouse along with your croissant comment just comes across as being incredibly privileged, and not in a very nice way.
  - pweissbrod 10y ago
    Well your comment suggests I'm a privileged and snobby type person, maybe youre right about the privileged part. I live in Maine and I wouldn't say in this town there's one focal point. Different types of folks can be found frequenting different places such as the town rec center and the locally owned coffee shop and yes there's two bars people commiserate at after work. For the most part this community still integrates the wealthier living with the poorer in the same neighborhoods and generally speaking everyone privileged and lesser fortunate take pride in the local economy and integrate well. Now maybe I am being snobby but I do hope everyone in a community has a unique place that defines their community to call their own. I realize that isn't always possible for everyone to put together
j2kun 10y ago
In the article it seems like most people go for the coffee. Is their coffee as bad as their food, healthwise?
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Shivetya 10y ago
There are healthy choices at McD, but why do so many give sit down restaurants a pass? Some of the big name ones will load you down in calories, fat, and salt, and just hide it behind foodie names and portions. Yeah McD ain't the bastion of good health but not many places are except maybe a boutique spot
drzaiusapelord 10y ago
>unhealthy food and food at other restaurants are magically healthy? Come on. I lived in a poor neighborhood, heck I grew up in one. Our McDonalds was mostly a place to get breakfast and coffee and such and a lot of seniors spent all day or at least the morning in there reading, socializing, etc. Meanwhile across the street you can get all a 3,000 calorie fettucine alfredo at the italian place. Or go to starbucks and get a 550 calorie frappucciono. The idea that only fast food is unhealthy is a bit much. >but society has allowed huge chains pushing cheap unhealthy food to the masses flourish. People will go where they want. Choice matters, you don't have to go to the mcdonalds, but it has cheap coffee and cheap breakfast. 300 calories for a McMuffin isn't the society destroying thing you seem to think. In fact, these people hang out at McDonalds because its usually the only place that won't chase them out after x amount of time after buying something. In poor neighborhoods there aren't a lot of boutique coffee shops with wifi or Paneras where hanging out is the norm. McDonalds as a hangout predates those by decades. If anything McDonalds is unusually progressive in this way. I know its un-cool to praise McDonalds, but I think Ray Kroc had his heart in the right place and sincerely cared about customer service and the experience of his customers.
dreamdu5t 10y ago
What makes it a cultural wasteland, exactly? Where are people supposed to be socializing, if not the place they like to eat? Mass production is what enables McDonald's to provide good food at super cheap prices. Probably the best food value for your money in the entire USA. McDonald's food isn't unhealthy as part of a balanced diet. It's no less healthy than chipotle if you're getting a soda. I don't eat there but McDonald's is simply amazing for providing so much great food at rock-bottom prices.
- ghaff 10y ago
  Some of the elitism on this thread is absolutely astounding. And I say this as someone who is elitist to at least some degree but I would never think of making some of the comments I read here--and certainly not in public.
  - voxic11 10y ago
    Yeah it's really something to see. I especially love the guy wondering why all the lower cast people can't just join him at his nice restaurant in downtown Toronto rather and just spend a few more dollors for his obviously superior food.
- 3pt14159 10y ago
  This is where I'm currently sitting: http://i.imgur.com/n77GGsK.jpg http://i.imgur.com/n77GGsK.jpg It's a small restaurant that sells food for a dollar or two more than McDonalds. It's a 10 minute ferry ride from downtown Toronto, and after the work day ends (very soon) it will be full of people talking and laughing. I'm not going to judge somebody that loves McDonalds going there, but I am going to long for a society where we have less mass produced, race to the bottom, crap. I want artists and greenery and real forks and cups. I don't want to be around a bunch of unheathy food wrapped in wax paper. I don't want to be around shitty "John is gay" graffiti on poorly lit washrooms. How is there even a discussion here? Can't we hang out in parks and eat veggie loaded wraps? Can't we get people off of transfats and sugar?
- eli_gottlieb 10y ago
  >Where are people supposed to be socializing, if not the place they like to eat? In a lot of places, there are publicly-supported community centers equipped with kitchenettes. Even in America, there are often churches, school buildings, or (dare I say it) community centers equipped to function as community centers. The fact that Americans think "no public place for general socialization" is the default is part of what makes Americans (and the Anglo world in-general) a little weird.
khattam 10y ago
>terrible and unhealthy food It is neither terrible nor unhealthy. >the cheapest food is the absolutely worst food. First, that would totally make sense. Second, it is not the case. Most McDonald foods are better than gluten-free ass-shit, both in taste and health. >A country priding itself in diversity is drowning in homogeneity. Breathing oxygen is homogenous. Let's create something else to breathe. Fucking brainless idiots going after thoughtless tropes made up by malnourished hippies and poorly fed morons!
- hx87 10y ago
  Now if they'd only make kid's meals smaller versions of their regular meals, instead of being blander, more tasteless versions.
- noobermin 10y ago
  >Most McDonald foods are better than gluten-free ass-shit, both in taste and health Alright, at least in terms of calories, many things are leaner than the typical McDonald's meal. Merely contradicting is not a convincing argument.
  - khattam 10y ago
    You want leaner meals? Have you tried eating less of it?
- m00n 10y ago
  Your style of writing doesn't warrant a reply, but anyway: Your "argument" seems to be: Who calls McD unhealthy or bland must be "fucking brainless", also if McD food were as cheap as it is, because it's of the worst quality, that would totally make sense. But for some reason this isn't the case. Indeed, it is "better than shit." If you enjoy tasty food, by all means, eat it. But if you think deep-frying or pickling is the best way to serve vegetables, grilling meat puree to death the appropriate way to prepare BBQ and the main ingredient in good ice-cream can be corn-sirup, then you have a lot to discover in the world of tastes. Go out of your comfort zone and try something new!
msane 10y ago
It's not bizarre, this is a PR piece. It's a paid advertisement meant to evoke positive feelings.
DrScump 10y ago
<poor people who are probably the ones most in need of a healthier and better lifestyle.> Have you never observed in a grocery store what people buy with public aid redemptions ("food stamps", WIC, CalFresh, etc.) The Burger King closest to me actually has a huge rooftop banner advertising that they accept/redeem CalFresh/WIC.
pbhjpbhj 10y ago
I wonder if there's an international problem with this story. McDonalds in the UK isn't particularly cheap, you can feed a family on the price of a BigMac meal (burger, fries, drink). BigMacs here are quite a sweet food, sugary bun with sweetened relish; and certainly fatty though the patties tend to be pretty dry. The fries at McDo are saltier tasting than any other food I eat except "salt chicken" [at the chinese buffet] - pretty sure they put more salt on than the nutritional info suggests. You can get a [sweet, concentrated] OJ instead of carbonated "fountain" drinks though. It's not cheap [to me] and I've never seen anyone except teenagers hanging out in any in the UK. The seating is firmly padded benches with upright backs or uncushioned chairs. Tables are usually fixed to the floor. Additionally McDo here tend to be in town centres or adjacent to supermarkets, not really in areas where poor people - other than youths - are hanging around.
- coliveira 10y ago
  There is a big difference between McDonalds in the US and abroad. I know them from Brazil, and there it is a relatively upscale fast food chain. In the US, they serve very low quality food and most locations are also borderline usable (only clean enough to pass inspections).
pjlegato 10y ago
A little perspective: cheap, unhealthy fast food is not ideal, but it's much better than the previous state of society -- for all of human history until approximately 50 years ago, and still the case in most of the world -- where poor people just went hungry.

pweissbrod 10y ago

I wish I could upvote this more. I also dont blame McDonalds as a company. Like any other restaurant they're forced to strike their own line between quality of ingredients vs price. Like any other restaurant they must pander to what their customer base wants. Their success is a reflection of what we have become as a society, gladly choosing such a faceless generic landmark as the focal point of our community. There is just something about it that feels soulless and submissive to me.

dreamdu5t 10y ago
So where should the focal point of your community be? What super-sophisticated place do you socialize at? A bar? Starbucks? The mall? At home in front of the computer?
- cloakandswagger 10y ago
  It's really not hard to find a communal gathering spot a little more high-brow than McDonald's For example, I live in the suburbs of San Francisco. Not far from me there is a delightful and quaint organic bakery, and across from that is a gorgeous park. On weekends after my kids finish lacrosse practice, my wife and I take them there and enjoy some cheap ($9 each) chocolate croissants while they play on their tablets in the park. People choosing to congregate in a McDonald's is as inconceivable as choosing to meet up in an outhouse or an abbatoir to me.
  - city41 10y ago
    But you live in a San Francisco suburb. Try a small town in West Virginia or Alabama. It's very different.
    - cloakandswagger 10y ago
      Then the people that live there should make an effort to move out west. Again, not hard -- take some CodeAcademy classes.
      - city41 10y ago
        That's pretty silly. You both imply we can all fit in the bay area, and that poverty is a trivially solved problem. Both are definitely not true.
      - ghaff 10y ago
        I assume you're being a troll. Because the alternatives I can think of are a lot worse.
  - palimpsests 10y ago
    I can't tell if this comment is sarcastic or not. $9 croissants? I never thought I would defend McDonald's - comparing that place to an outhouse along with your croissant comment just comes across as being incredibly privileged, and not in a very nice way.
- pweissbrod 10y ago
  Well your comment suggests I'm a privileged and snobby type person, maybe youre right about the privileged part. I live in Maine and I wouldn't say in this town there's one focal point. Different types of folks can be found frequenting different places such as the town rec center and the locally owned coffee shop and yes there's two bars people commiserate at after work. For the most part this community still integrates the wealthier living with the poorer in the same neighborhoods and generally speaking everyone privileged and lesser fortunate take pride in the local economy and integrate well. Now maybe I am being snobby but I do hope everyone in a community has a unique place that defines their community to call their own. I realize that isn't always possible for everyone to put together

j2kun 10y ago

In the article it seems like most people go for the coffee. Is their coffee as bad as their food, healthwise?

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Shivetya 10y ago

There are healthy choices at McD, but why do so many give sit down restaurants a pass? Some of the big name ones will load you down in calories, fat, and salt, and just hide it behind foodie names and portions. Yeah McD ain't the bastion of good health but not many places are except maybe a boutique spot

drzaiusapelord 10y ago

>unhealthy food and food at other restaurants are magically healthy? Come on. I lived in a poor neighborhood, heck I grew up in one. Our McDonalds was mostly a place to get breakfast and coffee and such and a lot of seniors spent all day or at least the morning in there reading, socializing, etc. Meanwhile across the street you can get all a 3,000 calorie fettucine alfredo at the italian place. Or go to starbucks and get a 550 calorie frappucciono. The idea that only fast food is unhealthy is a bit much. >but society has allowed huge chains pushing cheap unhealthy food to the masses flourish. People will go where they want. Choice matters, you don't have to go to the mcdonalds, but it has cheap coffee and cheap breakfast. 300 calories for a McMuffin isn't the society destroying thing you seem to think. In fact, these people hang out at McDonalds because its usually the only place that won't chase them out after x amount of time after buying something. In poor neighborhoods there aren't a lot of boutique coffee shops with wifi or Paneras where hanging out is the norm. McDonalds as a hangout predates those by decades. If anything McDonalds is unusually progressive in this way. I know its un-cool to praise McDonalds, but I think Ray Kroc had his heart in the right place and sincerely cared about customer service and the experience of his customers.

dreamdu5t 10y ago

What makes it a cultural wasteland, exactly? Where are people supposed to be socializing, if not the place they like to eat? Mass production is what enables McDonald's to provide good food at super cheap prices. Probably the best food value for your money in the entire USA. McDonald's food isn't unhealthy as part of a balanced diet. It's no less healthy than chipotle if you're getting a soda. I don't eat there but McDonald's is simply amazing for providing so much great food at rock-bottom prices.

ghaff 10y ago
Some of the elitism on this thread is absolutely astounding. And I say this as someone who is elitist to at least some degree but I would never think of making some of the comments I read here--and certainly not in public.
- voxic11 10y ago
  Yeah it's really something to see. I especially love the guy wondering why all the lower cast people can't just join him at his nice restaurant in downtown Toronto rather and just spend a few more dollors for his obviously superior food.
3pt14159 10y ago
This is where I'm currently sitting: http://i.imgur.com/n77GGsK.jpg http://i.imgur.com/n77GGsK.jpg It's a small restaurant that sells food for a dollar or two more than McDonalds. It's a 10 minute ferry ride from downtown Toronto, and after the work day ends (very soon) it will be full of people talking and laughing. I'm not going to judge somebody that loves McDonalds going there, but I am going to long for a society where we have less mass produced, race to the bottom, crap. I want artists and greenery and real forks and cups. I don't want to be around a bunch of unheathy food wrapped in wax paper. I don't want to be around shitty "John is gay" graffiti on poorly lit washrooms. How is there even a discussion here? Can't we hang out in parks and eat veggie loaded wraps? Can't we get people off of transfats and sugar?
eli_gottlieb 10y ago
>Where are people supposed to be socializing, if not the place they like to eat? In a lot of places, there are publicly-supported community centers equipped with kitchenettes. Even in America, there are often churches, school buildings, or (dare I say it) community centers equipped to function as community centers. The fact that Americans think "no public place for general socialization" is the default is part of what makes Americans (and the Anglo world in-general) a little weird.

khattam 10y ago

>terrible and unhealthy food It is neither terrible nor unhealthy. >the cheapest food is the absolutely worst food. First, that would totally make sense. Second, it is not the case. Most McDonald foods are better than gluten-free ass-shit, both in taste and health. >A country priding itself in diversity is drowning in homogeneity. Breathing oxygen is homogenous. Let's create something else to breathe. Fucking brainless idiots going after thoughtless tropes made up by malnourished hippies and poorly fed morons!

hx87 10y ago
Now if they'd only make kid's meals smaller versions of their regular meals, instead of being blander, more tasteless versions.
noobermin 10y ago
>Most McDonald foods are better than gluten-free ass-shit, both in taste and health Alright, at least in terms of calories, many things are leaner than the typical McDonald's meal. Merely contradicting is not a convincing argument.
- khattam 10y ago
  You want leaner meals? Have you tried eating less of it?
m00n 10y ago
Your style of writing doesn't warrant a reply, but anyway: Your "argument" seems to be: Who calls McD unhealthy or bland must be "fucking brainless", also if McD food were as cheap as it is, because it's of the worst quality, that would totally make sense. But for some reason this isn't the case. Indeed, it is "better than shit." If you enjoy tasty food, by all means, eat it. But if you think deep-frying or pickling is the best way to serve vegetables, grilling meat puree to death the appropriate way to prepare BBQ and the main ingredient in good ice-cream can be corn-sirup, then you have a lot to discover in the world of tastes. Go out of your comfort zone and try something new!

msane 10y ago

It's not bizarre, this is a PR piece. It's a paid advertisement meant to evoke positive feelings.

DrScump 10y ago

<poor people who are probably the ones most in need of a healthier and better lifestyle.> Have you never observed in a grocery store what people buy with public aid redemptions ("food stamps", WIC, CalFresh, etc.) The Burger King closest to me actually has a huge rooftop banner advertising that they accept/redeem CalFresh/WIC.

pbhjpbhj 10y ago

I wonder if there's an international problem with this story. McDonalds in the UK isn't particularly cheap, you can feed a family on the price of a BigMac meal (burger, fries, drink). BigMacs here are quite a sweet food, sugary bun with sweetened relish; and certainly fatty though the patties tend to be pretty dry. The fries at McDo are saltier tasting than any other food I eat except "salt chicken" [at the chinese buffet] - pretty sure they put more salt on than the nutritional info suggests. You can get a [sweet, concentrated] OJ instead of carbonated "fountain" drinks though. It's not cheap [to me] and I've never seen anyone except teenagers hanging out in any in the UK. The seating is firmly padded benches with upright backs or uncushioned chairs. Tables are usually fixed to the floor. Additionally McDo here tend to be in town centres or adjacent to supermarkets, not really in areas where poor people - other than youths - are hanging around.

coliveira 10y ago
There is a big difference between McDonalds in the US and abroad. I know them from Brazil, and there it is a relatively upscale fast food chain. In the US, they serve very low quality food and most locations are also borderline usable (only clean enough to pass inspections).

pjlegato 10y ago

A little perspective: cheap, unhealthy fast food is not ideal, but it's much better than the previous state of society -- for all of human history until approximately 50 years ago, and still the case in most of the world -- where poor people just went hungry.