Claiming "complete rip-off" of their iconic image and sound, Devo are suing McDonald's over the "New Wave Nigel" included with the American Idol Happy Meal. See the video of Nigel in action. "They didn't ask us anything," Gerard Casale told Australian Associated Press. "Plus, we don't like McDonald's, and we don't like American Idol, so we're doubly offended."
posted on Jun 26, 2008 - View this thread

In 1963 Willard Scott pulled on a pair of striped yellow pants, put a food tray on his head, and became one of the world's most recognizable clowns.
posted on Apr 29, 2008 - View this thread

Hungry? Arteries not quite plugged enough? Behold, the Big MacChicken.
posted on Feb 29, 2008 - View this thread

You got your Happy Meal in my pizza!
posted on Oct 27, 2007 - View this thread

Think those salads at McDonald's, Wendy's, Burger King, and Taco Bell are a good idea if you want something lighter? Turns out you're actually better off getting a double cheeseburger instead. For more info on nutritional facts about fast food, CalorieKing has a good database.
posted on Jun 1, 2007 - View this thread

Anyone ever win McDonalds Monopoly? Mmmm.... It's McDonald's Monopoly season again! Looking for Boardwalk? Good luck. Where are the winners(pdf) now? Or is it all just a fraudulant scam? Mmm... I'm scoffing it!
posted on Oct 11, 2006 - View this thread

Coffee, anyone? PDF found here Everyone needs that nice pick-me-up in the morning, after all. Don't worry - have a nice espesso!
posted on Sep 14, 2006 - View this thread

In protest. As performance art. Arrested. Molested. Exposed. "Waying". Snowboarding. Picking. Pickling. Disturbing. Caring. And not. No doubt though, always an icon. _{Please add more in comments.}
posted on Sep 9, 2006 - View this thread

The International Networks Archive is an effort by a group of sociologists to understand 2,000 years of globalization through mapping the network of transactions that link the world, rather than geography. The project is still ongoing, but you can see some of the results: an interactive map that uses travel time to visualize the world; a graphic of the growth of Starbucks and McDonalds; the distribution of government jobs (apparently the 3,412 postal inspectors can carry firearms); the cashflows of movies and tobacco; and, of course, the world at night. There is also access to a lot of detailed data, as well as more maps and information at the Mapping Globalization wiki.
posted on Aug 22, 2006 - View this thread

Ronald McHummer. "This month McDonald's is giving away toy Hummers — 42 million of them, in eight models and colors — with every Happy Meal or Mighty Kids Meal. That's right: The fast-food chain that helped make our kids the fattest on Earth is now selling future car buyers on the fun of driving a supersized, smog-spewing, gas-guzzling SUV.."
posted on Aug 18, 2006 - View this thread

When McDonald's Interactive recently gave a presentation at the International Serious Games 2006 conference, they made a startling announcement: "we can no longer stand by while McDonald's corporate policies help lead the planet to ruin. [...] So our team has decided to break away from McDonald's and do something about it." (more inside)
posted on Jun 9, 2006 - View this thread

The McPassion Get your free crown of thorns with every meal!

We're all going to hell but hey, with a vinegar sponge drink to keep us going and a handy game of Pin the Noose on Judas, the trip's gonna be a lot more fun..

A short comedy from Benjamin Hershleder and Rik Swartzwelder, but get it quick cause it won't be around forever!
posted on Mar 1, 2006 - View this thread

The Freaky Universe of McDonald's Advertising
posted on Feb 21, 2006 - View this thread

McDonald's: The Videogame. A scathing critique of lousy corporate and environmental practices, or an entertainingly complex little game about the fast food industry? A little from column A, a little from column B. Torch diseased cows with the flamethrower, corrupt politicians and environmentalists, plant genetically modified soy in what used to be the rain forests of South America, force your employees to smile all the livelong day, and try not to bankrupt the company. Be sure to read the tutorial first. (Flash.)
posted on Feb 10, 2006 - View this thread

Horrible acts of human behavior. Via: First Rule.
posted on Nov 21, 2005 - View this thread

McDonald's plans to hire top designers to remake its uniforms. McD's recently hired music mogul Steve Stoute, a marketer with ties to the hip-hop community, and is contemplating deals with fashion figures ranging from Sean "P. Diddy" Combs to Tommy Hilfiger, in a move that could cost as much as $80 mil.
posted on Jul 11, 2005 - View this thread

McDonald's has apparently offered to pay rappers for promoting its food, specifically the Big Mac. The rap world has responded.
posted on Apr 1, 2005 - View this thread

McDonald's Bathroom Attendant. From the folks who brought you The MP3 Experiment, but this is funnier.
posted on Feb 18, 2005 - View this thread

You may have heard of the "McLibel Two", the pair of Brits who, as part of a group called London Greenpeace (not affiliated with Greenpeace International, by the by), published a flier decrying the nutritional and corporate values of McDonalds, and who subsequently lost a libel action brought against them by the corporation. It took a few years, but The European Court of Human Rights has overturned the decision, based on the fact that the two did not receive legal aid assistance during the trial (where they represented themselves).
posted on Feb 15, 2005 - View this thread

Would You Like Fries With That? Fourteen McDonalds in Oregon and southeastern Washington have been linked to the call center operated by SEI-CCS Inc.,(link works in IE only...) a Fargo, N.D.-based company that works closely with McDonald's. The call taker in Grand Forks enters your order into a computer and relays it back to the home restaurant, where it pops up on a screen in the kitchen. Meanwhile, a digital camera photographs your car as you drive through. The photo pops up on a separate screen next to the order at the drive-through cashier's window to match the order with the car. A total of 50 McDonald's are expected to be on line within a few months, including seven more of Adams' restaurants and five in the Portland area, he said.
posted on Jan 23, 2005 - View this thread

McDonalds CEO "Flipping Burgers at 15" Quits Due To Colorectal Cancer You know, losing one CEO to coronary heart disease is unfortunate. However, losing another to colorectal cancer just seems careless. An increased occurrence of both diseases is linked with the consumption of red meat, especially processed red meat cooked or seared at high temperatures. Not exactly a good advertisement for McDonalds. Maybe it's time to recruit some people who haven't been enjoying the free employee meals quite so much?
posted on Nov 23, 2004 - View this thread

The Japanese have a somewhat different conception of Ronald McDonald from what we have here in the states. (safe for work, Windows Media required)
posted on Nov 10, 2004 - View this thread

McOpoly. Let the games begin. Now we have a reason to eat at McDonalds every day. However, it is funny how so many million dollar winners have been convicted of fraud in the past. Imagine winning the ultimate prize.
posted on Oct 21, 2004 - View this thread

Jason Alexander thinks the McDLT is the best tasting lettuce and tomato hamburger ever. [link to 10mb MPEG file]
posted on Aug 24, 2004 - View this thread

This turns into one of those cases where researching a story gets weirder. The documentary Super Size Me centers on a documentary filmmaker's 30 day experience eating nothing but McDonalds. The film is doing amazingly well as a limited release documentary grossing more per screen than high-budget Troy. Here is the weird part, Reuters has picked up on a distributor press release claiming that MTV is refusing to air advertising for Super Size Me because the film is "disparaging to fast-food restaurants". The Reuters short seems to have quite a bit of legs. However a Hollywood Reporter article details MTVs side of the story placing the blame on the film's distributor. Is this really a case of a network getting cold feet? Or is it a case of distributor trying to pull the "too edgy for MTV" moneymaking ploy? And what is with the continually morphing Reuters clip that is just now being tossed onto doorsteps and stuffed into newsboxes across North America? (The film was previously discussed on metafilter back in January.
posted on May 27, 2004 - View this thread

"We're Asian and Pacific Islander Americans 'living on the rim,' where our diverse cultures and the everyday American lifestyle become one...Whether we're sipping green tea or enjoying a Big Mac® sandwich, we're helping make the magic mix called America become even richer. And McDonald's is right there with us, everyday!" Learn more at i-am-asian.com
posted on May 7, 2004 - View this thread

McDonald's to start hawking kid's clothes. Will they make super sizes? (Don't miss the classic file photo of "children in a McDonald's restaurant.")
posted on Mar 26, 2004 - View this thread

McDdonald's gives away $15,000,000 after previous giveaways found fixed. Better get 'em while they're hot!
posted on Mar 5, 2004 - View this thread

Morgan Spurlock sets about to document what happens when he switches to an all-McDonald's diet for thirty days. Very scary stuff, indeed.
"It was really crazy - my body basically fell apart over the course of 30 days."
posted on Jan 24, 2004 - View this thread

His mission: To eat three meals a day for 30 days at McDonald's and document the impact on his health. "It was really crazy - my body basically fell apart". Spurlock charted his journey from fit to flab in a tongue-in-cheek documentary which he has taken to the Sundance Film Festival.
posted on Jan 23, 2004 - View this thread

Create-a-meal [note: flash] ... comes in mcdonalds, subway, barbeque, and pizza hut flavors.
posted on Nov 22, 2003 - View this thread

McDonalds CEO Puts McJob in Mainstream. By taking Merriam-Webster to task for including McJob ("low paying and dead-end work") in its latest Collegiate Dictionary, McDonald's CEO Jim Cantalupo has ensured that yet another disparaging fast-food web-fed meme joins the venerable "You want fries with that?" If this had been Fox, I would have said it was intentional.
posted on Nov 8, 2003 - View this thread

McNewsFilter... National Public Radio is announcing today the largest donation in its history, a cash bequest from the will of the late philanthropist Joan Kroc of McDonalds of well over $200 million.
posted on Nov 6, 2003 - View this thread

Guantanamo Bay inmates willing to talk in exchange for McDonald's burgers. "Guantanamo's basic message is clear: If you never talk, you might never get out, even if you're never charged with a crime."
posted on Sep 8, 2003 - View this thread

McDonald's launches global campaign featuring Justin Timberlake in an attempt to target kids and teens. Forget the "Smile" campaign, it's "I'm lovin' it" now. (NYT account required)
posted on Sep 2, 2003 - View this thread

Free Wireless through the end of August in Cometa's wireless installations in McDonald's stores in and around New York. Supposedly there's a list of the installations here, but not for the Flash-less. Anyone care to post a review of the service?
posted on Jul 30, 2003 - View this thread

McD Wireless Beginning today, many McDonald’s restaurants around the Bay area will provide Wi-Fi with a side of fries... Previously discussed in March.
posted on Jul 9, 2003 - View this thread

There's more than one Ronald McDonald. Gasp!
posted on Jun 2, 2003 - View this thread

McDonald's gets bad review, sues critic. "McDonald's has labelled as "defamatory and offensive" an influential Italian food critic, who poured scorn on the quality of the fast-food giant's cuisine. The corporation has sued Edoardo Raspelli, a critic and commentator for the Italian newspaper La Stampa, after he compared its burgers to rubber and its fries to cardboard, in an article last year. McDonald's is seeking undisclosed damages, possibly as much as the 21m euros (£15m; $25m) it spent on advertising in Italy last year. " Is it really defamation if it's true? What if every restaurant that got a bad review decided to sue?
posted on May 31, 2003 - View this thread

McDonald's restaurants in three U.S. cities will offer one hour of free high-speed access to anyone who buys a combination meal. Bookstores, Hotels and Airports are also planning to offer Wireless access to customers.
posted on Mar 11, 2003 - View this thread

Happy Meals No Longer Bringing Smiles To McDonalds. Best news I've heard since December. And to bring Mom ("very important to us") back into the fold, McD may begin including Mom-toys with the HMs. No, no. More like...lip gloss, or sweepstakes entries for spa visits. Stuff that would tip any conscientious mother over into the crap-for-food camp.Other ideas? Fact is, EVERY McDonalds customer should be eating the happy meal. (last link possibly NSFW)
posted on Jan 31, 2003 - View this thread

Obesity Suit Against McDonald's Dismissed... well there goes my plans for a new house.
posted on Jan 22, 2003 - View this thread

Thesis - Antithesis - Synthesis. The "You got your ______ in my ______!" concept is taken to new heights, or at least to McDonald's, at Fast Food Fever.
posted on Dec 10, 2002 - View this thread

Culture jamming The Sims. As discussed here a couple of months ago, the much loved McDonald's Corporation has a major deal with Electronic Arts. But with hundreds of virtual burger restaurants in Simsville - what's to stop gamers turning into virtual anti-globalisation vigilantes?
posted on Nov 20, 2002 - View this thread

Ray Kroc, the founder of McDonald's was born one hundred years ago today. Regardless of how you feel about their burgers, you have to agree that McDonald's has certainly changed the world, for better or for worse.
posted on Oct 5, 2002 - View this thread

McDonalds will be a franchise in The Sims Online computer game. Will my Sim character get fat if he eats at a Sim McDonalds? I guess we'll need Sim lawyers to help us out on that one.
posted on Sep 17, 2002 - View this thread

I was walking past a McDonald's on my way to work this morning, and I noticed a remarkable advertisement in the window. It was a poster of a tiny baby's hand grasping a much larger adult hand, with text at the bottom that asked: "When will she have her first french fry?" (Sorry, I can't find it duplicated online.) I'm not necessarily anti-McDonald's, or even anti-fastfood--although I am pro-slowfood--but this poster turned my stomach. Advertisements have a long history of backfiring, including pop-up ads, pharmaceutical ads, online political ads, automobile ads, and even a recently discussed computer ad. Have you seen any ads recently that didn't exactly have the intended effect? What were the ad people thinking?
posted on Jul 18, 2002 - View this thread

It's national vegetarian week, apparently. After reading this article on chicken nuggets, I might be converting, not that I have ever eaten a chicken nugget, of course. It's not just junk food that leaves one feeling green about the gills though. I identified all of the vegetables in this quiz, I don't know that I would want to eat all of them though.
posted on Jul 8, 2002 - View this thread

McDonald's to donate $10 mil over fry mislabeling ...to vegetarian and Hindu groups over the fact that the "natural ingredients" in the supposedly vegetarian fries included some beef. They have also posted an apology on the corporate website, and created a Vegetarian Advisory Panel. Can the McVeggie going national be far behind?
posted on Jun 5, 2002 - View this thread

Suicide by McDonalds -- Frank Nastasi was depressed and wanted to kill himself May 15 when he accelerated his Cadillac DeVille to 95 to 100 mph and aimed for the McDonalds at the end of the road. Nastasi survived the crash, but killed three overnight workers at the 24-hour fast food restaurant. Why did he target a McDonalds? "Because his father ate breakfast there every morning," investigators said.
posted on May 30, 2002 - View this thread