Tuesday, April 12, 2011

quiz 7 dissent on mcdonalds





This video was created by a sole user and not associated with a corporation. The creator successfully manipulates an actual McDonald's advertisement to oppose its original meaning. The original purpose of the ad was to promote the happy meal, but the user created a sarcastic tone by adding the role of the tired, miserable, and desperate parent. "They love everything you don't" and have "boundless energy" says the narrator. But now to make both parents and children happy, happy meals from McDonald's include "Ritalin" (a medication used to treat ADHD) to calm down children. At the end there is a play on McDonald's logo with "I Think I'm Lovin' It." It is not certain whether McDonald's actually uses Ritalin, but the unhealthiness of their food is certainly implied, and in a very humorous and successful way. I argue that this is an effective example of Kahn and Kellner's definition of dissent. This video dissents on the McDonald's corporation and the entire fast food industry, along with the use of Ritalin. Unlike corporations who use a "dissent" and "rebellion" marketing strategy, this video is created by an individual not promoting or selling anything else, but rather just making an opposing statement on the widespread culture of fast food.

No comments:

Post a Comment