Not outraged about something? Then you must be an apathetic clod. How can you not care about the frail sensibilities of apparently every single person in the general public these days?
Every day I read the news, I read blogs, and I read comments. The comments are seriously the best part. I see people SMH-ing* so much that I’m surprised they haven’t waggled their outraged heads right off.
I get that things are happening in the world today that we should be outraged about. We should be downright angry and causing a ruckus. But there are so many things that are not only benign, but they are none of anyone’s business. Every little thing that happens should not cause a thousand Facebook comments to spring up and express outrage at the situation. It’s no wonder people are so stressed out and angry all the time these days. They somehow manage to take everything personally.
Outrage at McDonald’s Ad
Let’s start with the McDonald’s ad that aired a week or so ago. I saw it again last night. I watched the commercial and read all those signs. I found it touching. Not a single one of those signs said anything offensive. Not a single one said or implied anything close to what the critics were claiming – “People suffered. Buy our food.” None of them claimed to be heroes. Not a single one.
Even McDonalds’ corporate office was baffled by the public outcry, basically stating that they never anticipated backlash over this of all things. A commercial that shows their branded retaurants showing support for what is happening in their areas? Here is just a sampling of what was on the signs, in case you haven’t seen the commercial and don’t feeling like watching it now:
- Boston Strong
- Keep jobs in Toldo
- All of us weep for the Columbia families
Wow…those things…are just outrageous?
“I thought the ad was awesome. It’s clear that all the billboards were real. It was demonstrating that McDonald’s is Americana,” said Steve McKee, president of McKee Wallwork + Company Advertising, an ad agency based in Albuquerque.
A vast majority of McDonald’s restaurants are franchises owned by small business owners. They, and their employees all live nearby. They are local people. Community members. You know…support your local small business and all that? Are they not allowed to show support, solidarity, opinion? Are they not affected personally by disasters, by unrest, or by economic struggles? Our local McDonald’s not only provides employment for folks in my town, but they also donate a lot to our schools and local charities. I know this is not a rarity. McDonald’s may be a global brand, but those little restaurants sprinkled around towns are owned, operated, and staffed by local citizens.
“The McDonalds commercial that wants us to thank them for changing their signs during national tragedies is more tasteless than the McRib…”
Do people not realize that the McDonald’s signs are personalized by each individual store? The corporate office doesn’t send out a memo every day instructing franchise owners as to what their sign should say. There have been complaints that McDonald’s should focus more on paying a living wage instead of on community PR. Individual McDonald’s are also responsible for their own wage structure. Every state has different minimum wage laws; McDonald’s doesn’t get to bypass that. Don’t like the minimum wage in your state? Complain to the legislature and make things change. Hating on this commercial because you’re mad at the corporate beast McDonald’s and the paycheck-discontent of a small but highly publicized group of protesters is really just stupid.
There are things in the world right now that are actually outrageous. Save your stress and energy and head-shaking for those things and quit getting outraged about things that don’t even matter.