Is McDonalds Racist?

So I saw this story a few weeks ago on yahoo news and I thought it was interesting.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,190380,00.html

(I know the link is for Satan’s news service but I ran a search and this was the first one to come up with this article.)

The results of the study in a nutshell:

Over a few weeks in the summer 1,100 ads were monitored to see if they were fast food or soft drinks ads on the following three stations: BET, The WB, and the Disney Channel.

66 percent of the fast food ads appeared on BET.
34 percent of the fast food ads appeared on the WB
0 percent of the fast food ads appeared on the Disney Channel

The researchers said that this proves that fast food and soft drink companies go after African American children.

At first I was kind of pissed because this study made a lot of awfully large assumptions about which races watch which channels. Also I think it is rather presumptuous to state this is purely based on race, considering there are so many things that go into purchasing an ad. But most of all what pissed me off was that this is one of the most slanted studies I have ever seen:

1) This was supposed to highlight how advertisers go after minority children with their ads. The monitored these channels between 3 and 9 pm. Last I checked BET didn’t offer pure children’s programs and the WB had mostly talk shows and syndicated TV shows on in the afternoon. How is this marketing to children? I guess black kids only watch BET and not cartoons.
2) I find the Disney number very laughable since Disney doesn’t run commercials from outside advertisers, so of course Disney is not going to have fast food ads.

While this study is kind of bullshit I am not going to deny that McDonalds and other fast food companies aren’t marketing more towards Blacks and Hispanics but I wouldn’t go as so far as to say that their marketing is racist. In fact one of my loyal readers has sent me a tape of a high level McDonalds marketing meeting.

Start Transcript:

John W. Whitewash: Ok men there is a new study out today that announces that African American and Hispanic children have higher obesity rates than white kids. I think we need to change our marketing strategy.

Dave Whiteman: Well, we should up our advertising on BET and drop it off CMT. Since white people aren’t fat anymore why should we market to them? Also I think we need to bring back the McRib immediately.

Mark Q. Racist: All of our new commercials need to have Blacks or Hispanics in them. Even the ones that we show on NFL games…

John: But won’t we lose the southern white people? They won’t want to eat at McDonalds if they think blacks are the only ones that eat there.

Dave: Sponsor a NASCAR team.

Mark: Pure genius Dave! I like where you are going with this.

Dave: What about Asians?

John: They only eat cats.

Mark: Well do you know what Quarter Pounders are really made of?

John: We can’t release that to the public.

Dave: What about our possible show sponsorship on the Disney Channel?

Mark: Isn’t that a pay channel? Minorities don’t pay for upper tier channels.

Dave: Ok scratch that.

John: We have most hot segments covered; Hispanics, Blacks, NASCAR dads…

Mark: What about soccer moms?

Dave: How could we forget them? We need to come out with something health conscious but addictive. How about salad with croutons, breaded chicken, and dressing that equals the fat content of a burger?

John: Get the labs on that right away.

Dave: Anything else?

John: Let’s see if we can sign up that guy that writes “The Boondocks”. We can do a happy meal tie in, god knows only black people like that comic.

End Transcript

Well I take it all back McDonalds is a very racist company… I guess the study was dead on….

Tomorrow: Donkey Sosa vs. Kevin’s “Freaking” Sexy- who had the worst Saturday trip?