EvenReasonmagazine has jumped into theRonald McDonald–must-vanish-for-the-health-of-kids-everywherefray. But if they have anything to do with it, Ronnie will continue his fry-peddling antics unfettered. After all, he’s just giving people the food they love! But clearly the editors atReasonhave never seen him love cheeseburgers just a littletoomuch. What do we mean by that?
他们反复嘲笑“保姆国家好管闲事”,基于“增大化现实”技术e too focused on blaming hapless mascots for our country’s profusion of pint-size butterballs than actually dealing with the problem itself. To that end, it’s holier-than-thou food police officers like Mark Bittman (he is to “sanctimony what Saudi Arabia is to oil”) who deserve to becarted off to Leisure Village. (Alternative-healing “huckster” Andrew Weil, also part of the retire-Ronnie movement, should also wobble toward a lounge chair.)
Equally culpable are parents who actually have the capacity to saynowhen their tots demand Happy Meals, but don’t. After all, malleable kids rarely visit McDonald’s unattended, right?
But wait: These parents were raised on commercials like this rather grainy one from 1984, in which Ronnie and pals showcase acreepy compulsion to caress cheeseburgers… and touch flowers to make them turnintocheeseburgers. It’s hypnotic and disturbing. And really makes us want to rush toward the nearest drive-through.
The food moralists like Bittman imagine that “McDonald’s marketing magic renders its targets helpless to resist.” After watching that ad, we thinkReasongives the human race far too much credit when it comes to self-discipline. We actually need to side with the moralists here.
Moralizing Against McDonald’s[Reason]
1984 McDonald’s Grimace Commercial[YouTube]
Related:Doctors Prescribe Retirement for Ronald McDonald
