Why is McDonalds the focus of so much hateful anti-fast food tirades?

McDonald’s is an icon. Everyone is a Johnny come lately. I haven’t heard of half the guys you mentioned.

You don’t have Sonic or Burger King?

@duchess_III everyone can be manipulated, look at what Savannah is doing to you.

Taco Tico? Wtf?

Because of its size.

Like @drhat77 posted, McDonald’s is the face of fast food.

If mp3 players were under fire in the same way iPods would be taking the brunt of the attack.

http://www.fluther.com/topics/McDonalds/?page=1

I see you have asked at least 4 questions about McDonalds. Why all the focus on this one fast food restaurant @Dutchess_III?

Pick your fast food poison, yep….McDonalds is the biggest steer on the fast food lot although it really is hypocritical considering there are dozens of other FF food establishments that are in the feed lot with them.
My little town sports Carls Jr., McDonalds, In & Out burger, Jack in the box, Burger King one town over, Taco Bell, Jimboys tacos, on and on. It’s in the beef….plenty of beef to beef about and lots of fat to chew too. lol

McDonalds is the biggest restaurant chain. Burger King, is second..

McDonalds revenue
US$ 27.56 billion (2012)

Burger King revenue
US$1.97 billion (FY 2012)

Which makes a graph like this:

McDonalds
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Burger King
$$

@drhat77 Just think out side the bun…..pick any fast food joint.

@jaytkay So, the fact that they make lots and lots of money is why they’re a target, not because their food is any more or less healthy than anyone elses? That is ridiculous.

@Coloma, Actually, McDonalds imports their beef from places like Australia, where the beef is range-fed and they don’t pump anti biotics into them. The other chains use artificially fattened ‘Murkin cattle.

Cuz it tastes like shit.

Wasn’t McDonald’s also “the face that launched a thousand ships”, so to speak? I think it was one of the earliest fast food chains to really take off and inspire other chains to engage in similar business tactics. So that might be another reason why it takes the brunt of the aggression from those against fast food corporations.

I agree with @Symbeline why anyone eats that stuff is beyond me. It has no flavor at all. Probably people like flavorless food and that is why it got so big? Weird.

@Symbeline and @LornaLove apparently it doesn’t taste like crap. Refer to @jaytkay‘s graph.

I like their food. I like Burger King even better, but we don’t have one here.

@muppetish Good answer. It’s the biggest of the big boys, so he’s going to get hit by the Cowardly Bullies.

McDonald’s is the industry leader. If you want to change something about an industry, you focus on the industry leader because other businesses tend to follow their lead. This is how successful strikes and boycotts of the past have worked, for instance. You focus on the industry leader, and they start losing business. Similar companies might also lose business, but not as much as the one being focused on. When done well, this sort of pressure causes the industry leader to change. Then everyone else changes lest they become the new target.

@Dutchess_III Does it have taste to you?

@Dutchess_III . . . Cowardly Bullies? I guess if you could show me some research that touts the nutritional benefits of the McDonald’s menu I could get behind that but I’m gonna say that these “bullies” actually have people’s best interests, health wise, at heart.

McDonald’s only has their bottom line at heart.

I haven’t heard of either of them also, but I’m guessing it is because McDonalds is the most popular. Easy target.

People have to like McDick’s, as they make money, and there are probably more of those than any other fast food joint. There is obviously a demand here.
However put a Whopper from BK besides a BigMac from McDick’s, I’d eat the Whopper anytime. Or the burgers from Wendy’s.
Also, KFC also tastes like supreme ass. I know this question isn’t about taste, but I sincerely don’t understand how people eat at some of those places. And McDick’s sodas tend to be really odd. Any time I’ve had some, the drinks make me feel all bloated and weird.

Yes @LornaLove, it does. It’s hamburger and potatoes. What’s not to taste? I like their breakfast food too.

Also, apparently McDonalds has the highest standard for their beef in the industry, but you won’t hear about that!

@Blondesjon No doubt McD’s only has their bottom line at heart, but so does every fast food joint, every lawyer, every business around. If McD’s makes their menu healthier (Which they have in the past few years) it’s not because they care about people, it’s because that’s what helps their bottom line. People need to take care of themselves.

The question is, @Blondesjon, why pick on McDonalds? @SavoirFaire has given the best answer, IMO.

@Symbeline Yes! The soda at McDonald’s sucks ass. How strange that that’s true even in another country.

Their fries on the other hand, if you get them when they’re freshly made, are my favorite.

@Dutchess_III McDick’s is also actually really clean. It used to have a bad reputation about filth and health hazard, but you go into one of those kitchens, it’s very clean, and the rules are strict. Doesn’t make the food taste any decent though.

@Symbeline Hey….KFC’c cole slaw is amazing! The greasy chicken no. lol
I often swing by for the cole slaw as a side dish at dinner when I am to lazy to make my own.
Poor abused cabbage heads! lol

I admit that there is a locally owned ” Toms Frosty” just down the road from me and I bought fried zucchini there yesterday. Oh man….deeeliciously baaad!

@FutureMemory I was told they put anti vomit in the soda. That’s probably bullshit though. Still, their drinks are bizarre.

KFC’s cole slaw is the only coleslaw I like. But, since it’s fast food, I’m sure it’s chalk full of preservatives and has NO nutritional value whatsoever, and in fact, causes eye cancer.

@Dutchess_III To me it’s pretty flavorless although I am caving it now :/ strange. I am putting it down to PMS madness!!

@Dutchess_III . . . I just thought that “Cowardly Bullies” was a little over the top when describing a group that didn’t have their bottom line at heart.

I love beer but I don’t describe the folks that tell me it’s bad for me in such a manner.

Re the soda’s…I found something interesting out a few years ago. Any restaurant or convenience store that uses fountains for their drinks also uses local water which all have their own unique taste. Some can be nasty! I refuse to buy a diet coke at a convenience store in Derby Kansas unless they have a sign that states the water is filtered.

Other than that, the syrups used are identical everywhere you go, so if it tastes “funny” it might just be your imagination.

Maybe the soda sucks because the ice is dirtier than the toilet water?

d00d, gross

@jonsblond, Well, again, that could be said of any store anywhere who doesn’t clean their ice machines correctly, not just McD’s. And that blog is hardly hard, scientific fact.

clowns

Okay…let’s just drop the fast food puritanical dogma okay? lol
I shall be the FIRST to admit…I LOVE Junk in the Boxes greasy little soymeal tacos. Probably stuffed with Alpo but hey….nothing like a couple of those little puppies on occasion.
Anyone else brave enough to admit to this? haha

I admit it @Coloma! I still say, people are responsible for themselves and what they eat. If you don’t like the sodas at McD’s DON’T BUY ANY!!!

So, the fact that they make lots and lots of money is why they’re a target, not because their food is any more or less healthy than anyone elses? That is ridiculous.

No , they’re just a bigger target. More customers, more attention, more complainers.

And who says McDonalds is under “blistering attack” more than their share? Methinks this is a case of confirmation bias.

@Dutchess_III . . . Couldn’t one say, in the same vein, if you don’t like the criticism leveled McDonald’s just ignore it and STILL KEEP EATING THERE?!?

@Dutchess_III I never said it was only McD’s, and it is a fact that E.coli bacteria has been found in some fast food ice machines.

(Chock full and not chalk full. See Chock full o’ nuts.)

I do keep eating there @Blondesjon. I was just wondering why McDonalds is such a target when it’s no worse than any other fast food joint.

@jonsblond I’m not disputing that ecoli can be found in any ice machine if it isn’t cleaned regularly, not just fast food.

@jaytkay actually, what prompted this question was a protest post on fb. It showed various children strapped, like sacrifices, on to the back of a Catholic priest, and a tourist (over seas child prostitution,) etc., and one was strapped to the back of Ronald McDonald. No words necessary.

Also, if you type in “McDonalds” into the Snopes search engine it comes up with 90 entries. You type in “Wendy’s” it comes up with 1. Burger King, 22. Sonic, 5. Further proof that McDonalds is attacked much more often than other fast food joints. I just wondered why, and the answer is because they’re the biggest. They’re no worse than the others, they’re just bigger.

I don’t like McDonalds food at all, but I will get an OJ there and fries on occasion. I always get orange juice instead of sodas, or water. I do drink a couple diet pepsis every so often.

I don’t drink pop at McD’s. Not cost efficient. For what you pay for one medium, you could buy two 32 oz refills. Their OJ is good, though.

@gailcalled . . . chock that one up to onomatopoeia

onomatopoeia?? What? Chalk or chock doesn’t SOUND like anything! Not like “buzzzzz” or whatever.

I don’t mind McDonalds getting more negative attention because it’s the biggest player, but it does sort of annoy me when people go on and on about how unhealthy McDonalds is and then go eat at In-n-Out or something. In-n-Out is still fast food like the rest; it’s all crap.

chalk is the sound chalk makes when it hits the blackboard.

I will say that the wasabi mayo that McDonalds serves in their asian chains is to die for! Fries and green wasabi mayo…amazing! haha

@Blondesjon No it isn’t. It’s SOUNDS like “scritch scritch EEEEEEKKKKKK!!!

McD has by far and away the largest market share of the fast food industry, so it makes sense strategically to target them. Focusing on the small players is a relative waste of energy and resources. Nothing to do with being manipulated or anything like that.

Fast food, the sort marketed and sold by McD, is partly behind the obesity and diabetes epidemic. There’s also the pitiful wages they pay their workers.

You are most welcome for having your question answered. I’m pleased that you now know why McD is hated and why they’re targeted ahead of other smaller companies. My work here is done.

Sure it has to do with manipulation @Kropotkin. Either by the Need To Be Outraged Everyday folks, or by the It’s Someone Else’s Fault folks or by other chains,. The majority of the accusations are false or vastly over exaggerated.

No one is responsibly for the “obesity and diabetics epidemic” except for the people themselves.

@Dutchess_III . . . no. that’s the sound a rat makes when it gets caught in a trap.

it could be that fast food uses chalk as filler. If it works for coke dealers…

caulk makes a good filler

@Dutchess_III I’ll point out the amusing contradiction in your narrative. You think people can be “manipulated” to hate McDonald’s, and, in your mind at least, target them unfairly and without justification. Yet, you cannot imagine that people are manipulated to eat in ways which result in obesity and diabetes, then it is purely free choice! Hilarious. Thank you for giving me a chuckle!

@DominicX B-But in-n-out has a secret menu! And I’m sure the name is a reference to “A Clockwork Orange”

McDonalds was the first of the genre and set the standard way back in the 50’s. It’s been very popular and very successful. But because it’s a franchise, each shop has a different owner. There can be differences in the the standards and cooking in individual shops. Some are better than others to the individual’s taste.
So that’s why they take so much flak.

Yes, it is purely free choice. That’s why I don’t hold the fast food industry responsible for the obesity problems.

Let them eat caulk!

I think like big tobacco, fast food and other junk food companies have very carefully tailored the formulations of their recipes to induce addiction. Its just good for business. Look how similar the adds that tobacco used to target children with adds food companies that target children.

Speaking of free will, I went through McD’s drive thru the other day, ordered a cheeseburger.
“We have our Quarter Pounders on special!” she chirped
Me, “No thanks. I just want a cheese burger.”
“That’s all?”
“Yes.”
“What size fried do you want with that?”
“I don’t want any fries.”
“No fries??!! You just want a cheeseburger, and that’s it?”
“Yes.”
She could hardly believe her ears. I must have been a highly unusual (and not overweight) customer.

I know the ads target kids and even specific groups. That doesn’t strip us of our free will, unless you have no brain of your own.

Do we blame the good people in Hershey, PA for making all that yummy, fattening chocolate?
What about the Little Debbies Corp. for making those yummy cakes and cupcakes?
Does someone follow you around and force you to pick up a bag of candy, or a box of cakes? No. You choose to do so, just like you choose to eat a double Quarter Pounder with an extra large fry and a big dose of sugar in your drink.

@Dutchess_III I might buy a sandwich once or twice a month and I never order fries. I’m also not a soda drinker, so I just order the sandwich and they are never surprised by my order. Interesting.

It was interesting. It wasn’t the first time I’d just ordered a burger, but it was the first time anyone expressed surprise.

@Dutchess_III We evolved to crave sugar in a very different food environment to the one we have now. Our current food environment is a market driven one, with different food corporations competing for market share and trying to maximise profits, they do this largely by getting as many people to eat as much of their food as possible. Question: How exactly do you think they do that?

I love McDonald’s. I don’t eat it very often, however.
I also love BK, Wendy’s, Arby’s, and Taco Bell.
My favorite though, is White Castle.

McDonalds is a fast food icon. Regardless of this I’m still not sure why McDonalds receives so much negative attention by itself when compared to the others, and on such a high level when most fast food chains do the same things.

LOL. I know the mechanics behind making a profit @Kropotkin. They do it by advertising It works—unless a person consciously refuses to be sucked in.

When I owned the mower shop I put a sign under the front desk where only the employees could see it. It said, “Want fries with that?” In other words, tell the customer that since he or she went to all the work bringing his unit in, ask if he wants us to tune it up as long as we’re at it. 90% of the time they said “Yes.” My profits increased pretty good after that.

I’ve never had White Castle @Katniss. I’ve heard they’re really good, though.

We were “The Best Little Mower House in Kansas.” :D

@Dutchess_III No, that’s not what I was getting at. The answer is: they put lots of sugar in their foods.

And advertising works. so it manipulates people also, right? Except those amazingly strong-willed individuals as yourself, apparently.

Yep. Guess that’s what I am. Amazingly strong-willed and smart.

What’s with you and McDonalds, @Dutchess_III?

Nothing really @livelaughlove21 except It’s one of those mindless band wagon things that everyone jumps on and It’s illogical and hysterical and it drives me crazy!
What brought it to mind to me again today was this.

I didn’t read everyone’s answer, so I might be saying what someone else did.

Basically, it is the cost of fame. McDonald’s is basically synonomous with fast food. It’s like saing Vaseline, Kleenex, and Q-tips, instead of petroleum jelly, tissue, and cottons swabs respectively. McDonald’s has huge market share, as people mentioned above, everyone recognizes it. I saw you asked if people know Sonic? Many people around the country have no idea Sonic exists. Same with places like Jack in the Box, Church’s, and Krystal. Not all fast food is nationally recognized.

I’ve never heard of Taco Tico or Krystal. I’m wondering how many of you have heard of Hardee’s? I never heard of it until I moved to the Midwest.

Hardees and carls Jr have the same logo, I think its a case of potayto/ potahto.

I forgot about Hardee’s. They all closed in Michigan about 25 years ago.
Does anybody remember Burger Chef?

I kinda, sorta remember Burger Chef but,,,it’s vague and I may be confusing it with Burger King here on the west coast. Was Hardys the east coast twin of Bob’s Big Boy out west here I wonder.?
NOW THAT was a great burger!

Carl’s Jr and Hardee’s are basically the same exact thing. It just depends on your location. We have Hardee’s in South Carolina.

@jonsblond Krystal is like White Castle. I always thought the name was Krystal Burger (we don’t have them here), but nope, it’s just Krystal.

@Coloma Bob’s Big Boy is not fast food.

@JLeslie Oh. lol
Well…I guess I was in nostalgic burger land.
Yes they were a chain but not fast food exactly, true.

They’re big, well known, everywhere, and rich. Easy target.

What is Bob’s Big Boy food?

Bobs Big Boy was a burger/restaurant chain that started in the L.A. area of California back in the 30’s-40’s. They made great burgers but there are only a few around these days still.
www.bigboy.com

Bob’s Big Boy restaurants had this big guy outside its restaurants greeting customers. The one I went to in Las Vegas when I was growing up was much larger. You couldn’t miss the guy!

I remember that guy @jonsblond! But I don’t think we ever ate there.

We had Bob’s Big Boy in the DC metro area also. The food was a lot like Denny’s to me, maybe a little better.

We have those in MI. We don’t call them Bobs Big Boy. Just Big Boy. The creepy little man is the same.
Their food is decent, not fabulous. I do love their broccoli soup though. I could eat the by the gallon.

I agree with @JLeslie. It’s better than Denny’s. It’s not so damn greasy.

@Katniss I thought they are Frisch’s Big Boy up your way.

@JLeslie Hmmmmmm…. I’ve never heard them called anything but Big Boy.
I just Googled. It looks like Frisch’s Big Boy is what they’re called in Ohio.
Odd how they’re all the same but have different names.

Does the food at all of the Big Boys franchises taste exactly the same, which ever restaurant you go to?

I’ve never been to one outside my state. They’re all the same here. I would think they’d be pretty similar everywhere.

Then that means the food is processed at a central processing site, and all the same spices, “preservatives” and msg’s are added so that they will all taste the same, and then shipped out to the various locations.

We have a Mexican place here called El Maguays, and their shrimp quesadillas are to die for. They are SO good. Well, we stopped at another Mexican restaurant, under a completely different name, Azure-Something, in a completely different town. Decided to give their quesadillas a try. To my…not so delighted surprise, they tasted exactly like the one the restaurant in our own town served. This told me they used the same processing place as our local restaurant.

@Dutchess_III That makes me feel grossed out for some reason! lol

Well, that’s because of all the screaming about McDonalds, and how “evil” that very practice is. McDonald’s does it, but so does every single chain restaurant in the world.

@Katniss Actually, my girlfriend who worked at one did work in a Toledo Big Boy I think. When I lived in MI I never saw a Big Boy. I guess they weren’t in my area. The person who owns your territory must not have lent his name to his franchise locations.

@Dutchess_III I would assume they all have similar menus. I guess you can check online if you are curious, each region probably posts their menu.

If they’re a franchise they would all have similar menus, but my point is, the food would all taste the same because it’s not prepared from scratch at each individual restaurant.

If you go to Red Lobster in Wichita, and Red Lobster in Michigan, the food will taste the same. If you go to Red Lobster in Seattle, though, U R Crazy. They have fresh seafood all over the place down there, right on the docks.

When I traveled in asia in 2010 the ONLY franchise that had REAL chocolate chinese chocolate is a bizarre, watered down concoction of something was Hooters in Taipei city. lol
Their mud pie was the treat of the trip after drooling over chocolate items in bakeries all over the city that looked great but tasted nasty.
The chinese Hooters was a great place! haha

@JLeslie What city were you in?

East Lansing, I went to State. My friends are in Royal Oak, Gross Pointe, Bedford (outside of Toledo) Saginaw, and a couple other cities around the state. I’ll be there in a couple weeks. Can’t wait!

Just the other day I got a letter from a former student of mine from Lansing. He isn’t there voluntarily. :( And they don’t have AC. That just seems brutal to me.

What do you mean not there voluntarily? A lot of places have no air cnditioning in MI, and it does suck part of the summer, but most of this summer has been mild.

Lansing Maybe it’s just in Kansas that that name rings a big bell.

I’m halfway between Lansing and Detroit.
This summer has been really nice. 70’s in August. Can’t beat that!!

The Lansing I’m referring to is Lansing, Kansas, not Michigan, which is substantially further north.
Yes, it’s been beautiful here in Kansas, too. It’s only been in the upper 80’s rather than the upper 90’s and 100’s. My friend said he was grateful for the weather. It’s starting to warm up again now, but fall is just around the corner. He said a lot of fights break out when it’s hot.
(And why would “grateful” be spelled “grate full” rather than “great full,” according to spell check?? “Grate” is what you do to cheese. “Great” means something is good.”)

Deleted.

@Dutchess_III I’ve always wondered about that same thing!

@Katniss I remember Burger Chef! I always wanted to go there when we went through a drive-through, but my mom hated their kids’ meals because they served them in trays with slots for the fries, drink and burger. Something fell out every single time I had one.

I live too far south for White Castle now and, oh my god, how I miss it! Not to mention they sell (or used to) Big Red soda. Krystal is not the same thing. Blech.

Here is a good reason.

Yeah. Everything looks disgusting under a microscope!

Here is a grilled hamburger under a microscope. Not a McDonald’s burger, just a regular burger.

Here are some other random microscope pictures…there is even one of chalk, ya’ll. :)

Yeah, but I didn’t see any hairs or dead parasites in the burger.

And I’m sorry, but chalk tastes nasty no matter what it looks like.

I’m sure there were, though. That was just one still picture. It didn’t have all the added drama of the panning in and out and the kaleidoscope effect and whatever.
LOL! I never suggested any one eat chalk!

@Supacase Yes!!!!! The tray! That is what I remember most about Burger Chef. For some reason I just loved that little tray. lol
The White Castles near me don’t carry Big Red Soda. I wonder if that was something available regionally rather than nationally?