Just forget the words and sing along

Friday, June 18, 2004

Wow! I've got some interesting news about the film Super Size Me. You know, that's the documentary about the guy who eats nothing but McDonald's food for a month and what it does to him. I'm dying to see it. It's been playing at Edmonton's Garneau Theatre for about three weeks now, and I can't believe I haven't gone yet!

Anyway, it's been playing in Australia for about two weeks now, and McDonald's of Australia has decided to take a very active stance in fighting back. In a new ad campaign that started back on Wednesday, the CEO of McDonald's Australia is starring in 30-second spots in which he refutes the film. He tells the people of Australia that it's not a documentary about McDonald's, but rather "a documentary about a guy who chooses to overeat." The CEO also says, "In this film, he eats nothing but hamburgers for a month and discovers it's bad for him. Well, gee, I could've told him that!" McDonald's Australia says they're doing this because their polls showed that customers were wondering why McDonald's wasn't answering the allegations made in the film.

McDonald's Australia is going to start showing these spots in movie theatres right before Super Size Me on Monday. Movie theatres, however, shut down McDonald's proposal to have McDonald's employees give away free apples to people coming out of the theatre.

Speaking of other controversial documentaries, here's the latest on Farenheight 9/11. Seems that, while the White House is saying nothing about the film, a few pro-Bush groups are starting to go on the offensive. They've begun letter writing campaigns to movie theatres trying to get the film pulled, and they're starting work on TV spots that'll slam Michael Moore and some of the points the film has raised. I'll look up who these groups are and tell you more later.

Anywho, back to that thing about Super Size Me. That comes at a perfect time in my life. I find I'm eating at McDonald's more, again, thanks to this new job. I find that, after my shift, if I have the munchies there's nothing quicker than running through a fast food drive through and getting some nibblies. And, in Drayton Valley, my drvie through choice is limited to A&W and McDonald's. Oh, and the new Dairy Queen that just opened! Can't forget them.

But, my topic if I can stay on it, is this thing McDonald's has called "Make it Bacon!" For another 69 cents, McDonald's will slap bacon on any of their hamburgers for you. So, I often looked at that, looked at the McDonald's menu, and wondered, "What's the weirdest thing I can ask them to slap bacon on?" My answer was always the Fillet-o-Fish. But now, a new option has arisen. As we all know, McDonald's has their new "healthy choices menu" to promote healthier lifestyles. On that menu, they now offer a vegetarian hamburger: the McVeggie.

So, next time I go to McDonald's, that's what I'm going to say. "I'll have a McVeggie, please. Oh, and I'd like to make it bacon!"

Next Issue...Let's Try DQ

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