Grotesque McDonald's ad and the decayed economy

I really don't know what to say about this jaw-dropper. I just have to hang my head in shame.

Meet "the new kid." Same as the old kid. The REALLY old kid. The future is now.

"First day of work...wanna be on time..."

i dont see anything wrong with that. It was actually kind of cute. Don't you get it, he was suppose to be a young boy starting a new job, but he was actually old as dirt.

He was the previous manager or something.

Thats how he knew exactly how the job worked.

He "went back to work" because "retirement" is no longer an option in this nation.

Work till you die!

Sounds like a awesome planet we live on huh.

I am glad we evolved beyond that retirement crap, I mean who would want to spend the last years of their life fishing?

It's absurd I know...

Originally posted by BeastMaster2012
i dont see anything wrong with that. It was actually kind of cute. Don't you get it, he was suppose to be a young boy starting a new job, but he was actually old as dirt.

Yeah, I'm sure you'll find it real "cute" when your choices at age 75 are manning a cash register at Mickey-Dees or eating catfood and living in a motorless Camero.

You shouldn't be forced to do slave labor when you're that old. At that point you've paid your dues, and should be able to retire. The message is, the economy is so bad, we're expected to be slaves up into our 80s.

McDonald's aren't like they're portrayed in the commercial. They are filled with overweight, overworked, dual-income, on-the-verge-of-filing-for-divorce families, who treat workers like dirt, and cause stress, and unhappiness.

Funny as hell. Sad to think that this will be the only alternative to homelessness and starvation for so many old folks when social security is dead and gone.



Better run out and get a McJob grandpa, we pissed away your retirement!!

There is "talk" or push to raise retirement ages - it won't be long before this becomes a reality for a lot of people. In UK the push is to raise to age 70 and in US the push is to age 67... Read this some time ago, not sure how much of a reality it is, but with the economy the way it is, and the near broke social security system, would not surprise me if this debate is re-ignited.

For all the empty calories and unhealthy food McDonald's serves, (and it should be noted that their own efforts to segue into healthier items on the menu has not been a stellar success), they are who they are because people spend their money on that Organization. McDonald's has been so unfairly maligned in the career opportunities they offer, that they had to lobby Webster's in a failed attempt to have the term "McJob" defined to mean something other than a dead end job with no room for advancement.

McDonald's has taken many of its employees, who had started all the way at the bottom, and moved them up into management level positions, regional and national. More importantly, McDonald's works with employees who want to buy their own franchise and helps them do this. Imagine that! Starting out as a fry cook and twenty years later owning your own McDonald's...or two or three. Sounds like the American Dream to me.

When I was in college, my sisters boyfriend worked at McDonald's, one day I went in for a meal and saw him at a table studying. I asked him why he was studying there at McDonald's and he told me he was being paid by the company to study. Studying subjects non related to McDonald's! He stayed with that company for several years until he finally graduated from college and took a job in his chosen career.

McDonald's has a long history of saccharine sweet commercials that gloss over the dark side of the problems their food products provide, but as stated earlier, people can still order more healthful foods at McDonald's, its just most would rater eat the crap. If more wanted healthful products, you can bet that McDonald's would be serving it.

I worked at McDonald's for a few years. It was one of the best jobs I ever had.

Hope his their mortgage is payed off on that nice wee house they have, I doubt mcdonalds salary would keep them above water.

Originally posted by Jean Paul Zodeaux
they are who they are because people spend their money on that Organization.

Money from people who are addicted to the slew of chemicals, grease, and other "goodies" they include in their ingredients.

As for their "career paths," that's just what I want to do. Own a chain of McDonald's.

And for the 75 year old in that commercial, if it takes 20+ years to receive franchise opportunities, he's going to be nearly 100 before he can own his own McDonald's. So...yeah.

This commercial is likely from the 80s to early 90s judging from the image quality and uniforms.

[edit on 4/21/2010 by eNumbra]

reply to post by silent thunder


They worst part of that ad was the acting.

reply to post by DocEmrick

Money from people who are addicted to the slew of chemicals, grease, and other "goodies" they include in their ingredients.

This, of course, is nothing more than a vitriolic restatement of what I said.

As for their "career paths," that's just what I want to do. Own a chain of McDonald's.

I am not offering any career guidance, I am defending one of the few corporations around that actually promote from within. No one is forcing anyone to work at McDonald's.

And for the 75 year old in that commercial, if it takes 20+ years to receive franchise opportunities, he's going to be nearly 100 before he can own his own McDonald's. So...yeah.

What makes you think that old guy wants to own a McDonald's? Maybe he just wanted to get the hell away from his wife and doddering fishing buddies for a few hours each day. Youth can be contagious, and working at McDonald's at 75 years old will certainly place one in an environment filled with young people.

[edit on 21-4-2010 by Jean Paul Zodeaux]

I remember that commercial from around 1986....I used to think it was so sad...I was like "Where does that poor old man live?...I want to send him a check He shouldn't have to work at McDonalds!!"

reply to post by silent thunder


haha, that's terrible.

but...this is from 1987, no real need to bring it up now. this is more of something a documentary maker would use to recreate the reason behind the commercial...if their ever was a reason behind the commercial.

Originally posted by eNumbra
This commercial is likely from the 80s to early 90s judging from the image quality and uniforms.

[edit on 4/21/2010 by eNumbra]

I'm 38 and I remember that comercial,
mid eighties, maybe.

McDonalds does have good career opportunities for those that stick with it. I have a friend i knew a few years ago in his late 20's early 30's was an area manager and he was on bout $70k per year +car and phone and he started on $5 an hour flipping burgers. I also have a cousin who works in I.T for Mcdonalds he is on a 6 figures per year and he says its the best company he has ever worked for they really look after their staff (keep in mind i am talking about MacDonalds Corporate not the stores)
But as for a 75 year old being pushed into working at MacDonalds thats a no no, unless he wants to.

Originally posted by DocEmrick

As for their "career paths," that's just what I want to do. Own a chain of McDonald's.
.

Owning a McDonalds is about as close to printing money as it gets. Properly run they crank out money.

Hay wait a minute, isn't that Lou Holtz! He should go back to Notre Dame and make a billion dollars instead of a billion hamburgers (kidding)

[edit on 21-4-2010 by Violater1]

[edit on 21-4-2010 by Violater1]