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Tuesday, August 29, 2006

Ronald and his 7 deadly clowns


I hate Ronald, here’s another reason, this from Scoop

McDonald's® NZ Invites Closer Inspection
McDonald's® New Zealand is going on the front foot with a concerted campaign inviting the public to take a closer look at its business.
Launching on Saturday (August 26 2006), the multi-level national campaign aims to address key questions Kiwis have about the Golden Arches®.
Gráinne Troute, McDonald's Restaurants (NZ) Ltd's Managing Director, says the company has decided "it's time to address some popular myths about McDonald's, the quality of our food, our impact on New Zealand and the way we do things."
The campaign comprises four months of television and print messages with ongoing evolution into 2007, a comprehensive 'Take a Closer Look' website, 'Open Door Days' at selected restaurants around the country and a number of 'Question and Answer' forums.
So confident is the company of its practices that it has set up cameras in its Queen St restaurant kitchen over two lunchtimes (Friday 1 and Saturday 2 September) and is relaying the action to a screen outside for all to see.
"We have nothing to hide and we're happy to invite people to have a look at our practices, see where our ingredients come from and how we make our food," Ms Troute says.
"We understand the importance of evolving and, through listening to New Zealanders, we have made and will continue to make changes to our menu which reflect demand. We haven't always promoted these changes so this is our opportunity to tell the McDonald's New Zealand story and invite Kiwis to take a closer look at our business."
The campaign addresses food quality facts around items such as beef for hamburger patties, thickshakes and fresh produce, as well as looking at the company's role and contribution in NZ.
Ms Troute acknowledges that the business will always have its detractors: "We believe that McDonald's can be enjoyed as part of a balanced lifestyle. We offer menu choices which are comparable to other restaurants - and we openly display the nutritional content of our options."


How kind of Ronald and his 7 clowns (Obesity, Diabetes, Heart Attack, Pimples, Bowel Cancer, Non-nutritional and Stroke) to help us out with some new information on how lovely their heavily processed, high sugar, high fat, non-nutritious junk food is. As the link between low quality junk food and obesity become clearer and clearer (the obese now outnumber the starving!), the fast food companies are acting more and more like the desperate Cigarette companies did as evidence of the dangers of smoking became apparent. But why is Ronald freaking out now? Is it because they want to be open and loving? Bullshit, after the brilliant Supersize Me movie, Ronald has been feeling the heat, and to make matters worse a new movie from Eric Sclosser’s Fast Food Nation is coming out soon, which is an even more damning indictment of Ronald and his 7 deadly clowns, this has nothing to do with being more open and everything to do with fear that even more inconvenient truths regarding Ronald and his death food will be exposed.

And I wonder at the ‘quality’ of this information, remember when ‘Supersize Me’ played in NZ? Ronald hired advert time during the doco and tried to downplay the damning evidence of their death food, the fact they have that power is creepy enough but it is also the insidious message they try and convey in their adverts. The latest one has a child ‘choosing’ a ‘healthy’ option of apple slices from their menu. ‘Choice’ is only valid when you understand the options, and children are the least equipped to make those decisions. The fact Ronald has thrown in some apples and salad doesn’t in any way defend how they sell and continue to sell to children.

23 Comments:

At 29/8/06 9:51 am, Anonymous Anonymous said...

The Cafe actually seems to be quite healthy, and lets face it, no one forces you to go there. Its cheaper in fact to go to a supermarket and buy your own food if you wish, but if you're insistent on getting another "healthy" brand of "Fast Food" then there is always Subway or similar...

What next, we going to campaign for the banning of icecream...

Would be good to see a bit of trust in peoples intelligence to be able to decided for themselves for once...

 
At 29/8/06 10:31 am, Blogger Bomber said...

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Anon - come on man, I've got no probs with people selling shitty quality food - but the way Ronald targets kids to sell to (who are the toys and playgrounds for?) is wrong and part of the obesity problem

 
At 29/8/06 12:10 pm, Blogger Bomber said...

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Oh and Anon are you really telling me that Ronald is 'opening up' with this new advertising campaign just cause he loves us, and it has nothing to do with another damning film about to come out?

 
At 29/8/06 3:01 pm, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Japan Mcdonalds is quite delicious

 
At 29/8/06 3:36 pm, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Did your parents take you there when you were a little tyke Bomber? Is that why you are a tubster and also hate McD's?

 
At 29/8/06 5:28 pm, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Just what I was thinking Anon 2. Ronald's targetting of kiddies must have worked on Bomber back in the 70s.

 
At 29/8/06 7:19 pm, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Although I agree that Mcdonalds definitely aim their advertising at little kids in NZ. Maybe fast food ads should be banned during hours of those cartoons that little kids like to watch

 
At 29/8/06 7:40 pm, Anonymous Anonymous said...

rangi - you are right, we should reduce the amount of advertising by these fast food companies to children - that way we can reduce their influence

 
At 29/8/06 9:49 pm, Anonymous Anonymous said...

What about Tip Top, Cadbury etc? We going to ban then also? What about special taxes on tvs, dvds and playstations and other facilitators of sedentary behaviour...obviously such a regime has the potential to be a regulatory nightmare. Why don't we credit people with a bit of free will for a change? At the other end of the spectrum why the hell don't we encourage more kids to play sport, encourage playing sport in school and in the community...

 
At 30/8/06 3:09 am, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Yo Anon, if you've ever had a little kid you know that they're influenced by the advertising they see on TV. IE it's not free will.

Free will is being able to make an informed decision...and little kids don't give a FUCK about how much sugar or fat or whatever the fuck else is in McShit food...so they can't make that decision for themselves you know.

More sports=good. NZ people are so lazy lol

 
At 30/8/06 8:39 am, Blogger John said...

demo against Mc Donalds crap conditions, youth wages and factory farmed pork and chicken. 11 - 2 queen st mc donalds this sat

 
At 30/8/06 9:53 am, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Yes Sarah, Anon 2 and I are "working for the Macdonalds PR spin machine" after saying that Bomber is fat. We're really assisting McDonalds with spin like that. Idiot.

 
At 30/8/06 12:27 pm, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'm sorry anon, you're not working for the spin machine, to attack bomber for bringing those issues up simply makes you an arsehole - try sticking to the debate perhaps?

 
At 30/8/06 3:54 pm, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Agree with Deano, and John, hey if you don't like working for McDonalds and their "Crap Conditions" Fuck off and go work somewhere else...once again, its a free country and supposedly we have some of the lowest unemployment in the OECD in NZ, that should make it easy to find a well paid job somewhere else...if you have the skills and/or practicality

 
At 30/8/06 3:59 pm, Blogger Bomber said...

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Yeah but (deano and Tim) - the point is that Ronald targets kids specifically - why not regulate that advertising spend? Why allow Ronald and his chums direct access through Childrens Television to brainwash kids?

 
At 30/8/06 4:08 pm, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Parents should supervise what kids view Martyn.

When I knock out some sprogs, you can bet they aren't going to be watching shit on TV, or eating McD's either.

 
At 30/8/06 4:10 pm, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I again say, why not? Do we actually have any statistics linking the consumption of McDonalds with specific obesity? Who is to say that the obesity is not the result of the eating habits of the whole family for example? Or simply the result of more sedentary (Lazy) lifestyles followed in today's society?

What next, do we ban the sale of sweets to persons under the age of 18, or ban them altogether because children, or even people in general "Can't be trusted"

 
At 30/8/06 4:19 pm, Blogger Bomber said...

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And Deano - I respect your calls for when you become a parent - but not everyone has that ability - a solo mum who has to hold down a couple of part time jobs who isn't there to supervise her kids viewing habits - did you know Macdonalds actually hold forums learning how to use the 'nagging' technique by children as a way to get the kids to nag mum and dad for junk food? And Tim as for the links, the processed food we now eat is unlike any of the food we have eaten as a species over 10 000 years, your arguement is like the smoking industry's towards the link with lung cancer - we do have an obesity epidemic that can be linked directly to the rise of junk food like this.

 
At 30/8/06 6:03 pm, Anonymous Anonymous said...

so mcdonalds targets kids, parents or caregivers look after kids and go to town with them un til they are of a satisfactory age...so ultimately its up to the adults to ensure they dont allow their kids to eat the junk too often and teach them about nutrition. a little maccas now and then is all good. as for adult obesity - hit the gym people and have some pride in your appearance! (granted some obesity is generic though).

 
At 30/8/06 7:11 pm, Anonymous Anonymous said...

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Anon - of course we hope that would occur, but the proof shows otherwise - obesity is through the roof - fast food is a major factor - why allow them open access to kids - and if they don't target kids - who are the toys and playgrounds for?

 
At 30/8/06 9:16 pm, Anonymous Anonymous said...

You employ a clown for fucks sake to promote your product? I know, as an adult, that clowns dont appeal to me, so obviously they must be going after children. Hardly rocket science

I agree with bomber, once again. Must be that weird water from the Waikato...haha

 
At 31/8/06 3:05 am, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Ok, two things, first has no one here ever noticed how clowns FREAK childen out? Quite often kids (and some adults) are terrified of clowns. Second Nicotine is a known appetite surpressor. Any one else noticed how the decline in smoking has given way to a rise in obesity?
Want to loose weight? Start smoking. I smoke and have a diet consisting largly of "junk food" and not only am I under weight I find it very hard to put weight on (I also don't own a car so walking everywhere may have something to do with it).

 
At 31/8/06 11:03 am, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Should we get rid of Ronald McDonald House also? Who picks up the tab then? Long suffering taxpayer, or do we just get rid of it just for the sake of making a point?

 

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