Mcgod like??

Small, Medium, Large, or Supersized; and do you want a side order of two for a dollar apple pies with that? This is the voice of god, at least for some people, other people call it the cashier at McDonalds; and honestly with all the transfat and hype, the lines become so blurred you cannot tell a difference. I think it is funny how we, as a country sing praises, of “Two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun” and worship Mc-everything, at the entrance to this heaven, otherwise known as the “Golden Arches”. Build it and they will come, from every corner, every crevice, every nook, and every cranny, people from all over, they will come and bow at it’s tables, giving their tithes and offerings, brining sacrifices of health to the alter of Ray Kroc. We’ll offer you toys in exchange for child’s allegiance to be lifelong Mcfollowers who build their every family moment around a yellow, white, and red striped flag. The only question is, when it’s all said and done, did we really enjoy it, or is that what we have been societally preprogrammed to believe?

The “Golden Arches” has its very own functional identity as an ontological being. If we are referring to McDonald’s it has so many different names it is called and often times is thought of to have the very same function as coke; call it McDonald’s even though you are referring to a different place and when you get to the place you are actually trying to go, you will know the difference. Similarly, the name invokes a hegemonic quality on road trips with family and friends. Someone chimes in saying they are hungry and someone else says, “Well we will just stop at the next McDonald’s available.” Society’s preconceived notion of fast food is McDonald’s.

McDonald’s has created for itself a common place usage, based solely off the active ploys of advertising; everything from overly catchy jingles, to team sponsorship. “Put a smile on, put a smile on, everybody come on, and put a smile on” to Ronald McDonald scholars, Mc D’s intention has been to ensure not only do you as the consumer always see there name, but you as the consumer also see their philanthropic endeavors. I would even go as far as to offer the argument that the Arches only give money to make money, not because they want to, but because they believe it works better inside their company’s business model. When you are god of the fast food industry, with 47 million customers served daily (AP press), you can change the rules of the game to suit your needs however you see fit. Giving does not have to follow the cultural expectation of giving for your fellow man because of his need, McDonald’s proves daily; giving can be another form of making money or just plain advertising.

McDonald’s takes the binary created by just being a hamburger joint or not being a hamburger joint and spins it on its head, making it focus on the fact that as a hamburger joint it can sell frappuccinos , espressos, creating an atmosphere of posh and intellect, while still being just as greasy as is expected for McDonald’s or any burger joint to be. This switch undertaken my McDonald’s was again, not driven by the desire to include many different types of people in the McDonald’s eating experience, it was a successful attempt at creating a market, which would be more focused on getting a just-as-good –as-Starbucks caffeine fix, for the cheaper-than-Starbucks price. But again, when you are god, you can change the dynamic of a culture solely by lowering the price.

Being the god type figure in question always begs the question of motivation and being McDonald’s always gives the answer of worship at the foot of the proverbial monetary ark. McDonald’s every movement, their every stride has been money driven sense inception, to the day Ray Kroc bought the McDonalds out of the business, and it’s all been about the almighty dollar. With this in mind, the question of are we really worshiping to the god of the “Golden Arches” or the Lord of the greenbacks, presided over by a plethora of old, dead white guys? Ultimately, this question becomes the only one; McDonald’s has so drastically continued to blur the lines further and further, eventually we might think our money is heading directly to one of the charities. The greatest difference right now, is when we step to the alter often called the cash register, we actually receive a Mc-something, give it a few more years and McDonalds might start being more than just a food fueling place, who knows with the way their business looks they might even launch a consulting group. But all in all when it’s all said and done, are you really, “bah da bah bah baah, loving it?”