A little birdie traveler confirms the recently reported outrage about a McDonalds franchise in the Louvre. The good news: McDs was not permitted to adjoin the international food court where concessioners serve varieties of real meals. Instead the Happy Meals are consigned to the end of a long hallway, without advantage of a sign, except for the signature yellow arches to show the way. Familiar also will be the width of the fast food estuary, to accommodate the distinctly un-European girths of American patriots jonesing for their poison fix.
I would have bought some McEscargots off the dollar menu myself, Eric. That would hardly have been ‘poison’!
Well, the Louvre does have a history of really tacky art forms, not just with respect to American artists (Whistler’s Mother and “American Gothic”) but the best of Tacky Art from every country.
If the Big Mac is chosen as THE representation of American culinary arts, well…
I was just stricken with a wild tangent, here. In America McDonalds has a ban on Bicycle traffic in the Drive-thru lane, since the mid 70s. They say it’s for “safety” reasons but they allow MOTORcycles through. I wonder if they have a similar setup in France, where bicyclists aren’t considered vermin and potential road-kill.
At least the meat and dairy will be French products, that was the beginning of the Boycott France movement. They take Mad Cow Disease just a tad bit more seriously than the American FDA does. And the FDA’s parent corporations like the Cattle Raisers and Breeders Association.
The real poison is cultural, though. My sister, the Sergeant, reported that when she was shipping back stateside she had an unscheduled layover at Heathrow, and wanted to treat her kids to a Fish ‘n’ Chips meal, like we had when we were kids. (spent a couple years in London because Dad was in the Air Force) and couldn’t find a single shop anywhere near the airport. Lots of American chain restaurants and department stores though.
I can see from that why any nation with a unique culture would be a bit leery about letting the McEnterprises into their countries. Especially a nation where the national pastime is cooking.
Oh, Brave new world, to have such creatures in it, oh Brave, Brave new World!