Since someone has posted in my name I’ll set the record straight: I agree with your thoughts about McDonalds - it’s a good place to see quite interesting people, to a far greater extent than, say, Starbucks, which is filled with middle-class people anxious about their social status in a standard-issue way. There are salt-of-the-earth people in the US, thank goodness. That’s why I enjoyed your book Dignity so much. Keep up the good work!
Let me see. What can I do, on face book, that is easy, cheap, annoying and absurd. Oh yeah, I've got it. I can postpost, pointless, self-promoting photos.
I keep thinking of this piece and various experiences I’ve had with McDonald’s. I worked at a franchise when I was 17 and pregnant. A regular, an older gentleman, gave me a watch and told me it was for me and the baby. I was taking aback by his kindness. I much appreciate the reflections you’ve shared here on what McDonald’s means to a lot of people in the US.
Thank you for your very insightful explanation of the importance of MacDonald’s in American culture, as well as the reason why the gunman decided to hang out in one.
Unfortunately here is another very recent MacDonalds story for you from Fukuoka, Japan:
FUKUOKA
A 15-year-old female junior high school student has died after she and a boy were stabbed Saturday at a McDonald's restaurant in Kitakyushu in Fukuoka Prefecture in southwest Japan, according to local police.
The assailant, a man around 40 years old and about 170 centimeters tall, is on the run after the incident, the police said Sunday.
The injured boy, who is in the same grade at the same school as the girl, said they were "stabbed by a complete stranger." The girl, Saya Nakashima, died late Saturday in hospital. The boy's injury is not life-threatening, police said.
According to the police, the man was wearing a gray top, black pants and what appeared to be yellow footwear. It remains unclear whether he had any connection to the slain girl.
The police said security camera footage showed the man stabbed the two students within a minute of entering the restaurant as they were waiting in line at the cash register at around 8:30 p.m. He remained silent during the attack.
I'd be interested on your thoughts and observations regarding playplaces within McDonalds, and how they may foster community. I recall many McDonalds playplaces from my childhood, but rarely see them today. Are there less now?
There is a Burger King with a large playplace in Springfield, MO where I live. It definitely has a community feel. My kids love it and it's where they want to spend their birthdays. It gets so crowded sometimes that I shared a table with another dad last visit and got to hear about his experiences as a tow truck driver.
Interestingly Starbucks was started to facilitate community and conversation and seems purely transactional to me while McDonalds is the opposite. Nicely written, interesting piece. Thanks.
Hi—Not sure I agree with your assessment of Trump and the good people of McDonalds. The moment Trump heard Kamala Harris mention that she had once worked at McDonalds, his reptilian brain kicked in and told him to appear at McDonalds. And while his followers were fine with this play-acting, their identification with him as a clueless duffer like themselves, is catastrophic. Trump is a psychotic toddler who is now settling in to play with and destroy his newest toy—the United States of America. He will have fun getting his revenge against the world by wrecking his toy and tossing it aside when he loses interest. I am horrified by the sheer meanness that lurks beneath the “niceness” of many of these people. Perhaps you are lonely yourself, and appreciate the camaraderie you find there, and see McDonalds through rose-colored glasses.
This piece perfectly encapsulates why I subscribe to your newsletter. An insightful, thought-provoking, and politically neutral analysis delivered in a conversational style.
I'm wondering about your question "how is it that McDonald’s ... became America’s default community center?" Your writing has repeatedly explained how people seek community in McDonald's. But I'm still surprised that McDonald's as a company encourages this, since it's not a clear benefit from a P&L perspective (and many other large chains seem to actively discourage the downtrodden from their premises). Is there something unique to the McDonald's corporate culture or their employees?
As a counter to Trump's dishing out drive thru fries, I don't think enough was said about Kamala lying about working McDonald's. For millions of us who at one time dished Big Macs and Happy Meals, her false claims of working the Golden Arches was an serious act of cultural appropriation.
Since someone has posted in my name I’ll set the record straight: I agree with your thoughts about McDonalds - it’s a good place to see quite interesting people, to a far greater extent than, say, Starbucks, which is filled with middle-class people anxious about their social status in a standard-issue way. There are salt-of-the-earth people in the US, thank goodness. That’s why I enjoyed your book Dignity so much. Keep up the good work!
Let me see. What can I do, on face book, that is easy, cheap, annoying and absurd. Oh yeah, I've got it. I can postpost, pointless, self-promoting photos.
I keep thinking of this piece and various experiences I’ve had with McDonald’s. I worked at a franchise when I was 17 and pregnant. A regular, an older gentleman, gave me a watch and told me it was for me and the baby. I was taking aback by his kindness. I much appreciate the reflections you’ve shared here on what McDonald’s means to a lot of people in the US.
Thank you for your very insightful explanation of the importance of MacDonald’s in American culture, as well as the reason why the gunman decided to hang out in one.
Unfortunately here is another very recent MacDonalds story for you from Fukuoka, Japan:
FUKUOKA
A 15-year-old female junior high school student has died after she and a boy were stabbed Saturday at a McDonald's restaurant in Kitakyushu in Fukuoka Prefecture in southwest Japan, according to local police.
The assailant, a man around 40 years old and about 170 centimeters tall, is on the run after the incident, the police said Sunday.
The injured boy, who is in the same grade at the same school as the girl, said they were "stabbed by a complete stranger." The girl, Saya Nakashima, died late Saturday in hospital. The boy's injury is not life-threatening, police said.
According to the police, the man was wearing a gray top, black pants and what appeared to be yellow footwear. It remains unclear whether he had any connection to the slain girl.
The police said security camera footage showed the man stabbed the two students within a minute of entering the restaurant as they were waiting in line at the cash register at around 8:30 p.m. He remained silent during the attack.
I'd be interested on your thoughts and observations regarding playplaces within McDonalds, and how they may foster community. I recall many McDonalds playplaces from my childhood, but rarely see them today. Are there less now?
There is a Burger King with a large playplace in Springfield, MO where I live. It definitely has a community feel. My kids love it and it's where they want to spend their birthdays. It gets so crowded sometimes that I shared a table with another dad last visit and got to hear about his experiences as a tow truck driver.
Excellent - thank you!
Interestingly Starbucks was started to facilitate community and conversation and seems purely transactional to me while McDonalds is the opposite. Nicely written, interesting piece. Thanks.
Hi—Not sure I agree with your assessment of Trump and the good people of McDonalds. The moment Trump heard Kamala Harris mention that she had once worked at McDonalds, his reptilian brain kicked in and told him to appear at McDonalds. And while his followers were fine with this play-acting, their identification with him as a clueless duffer like themselves, is catastrophic. Trump is a psychotic toddler who is now settling in to play with and destroy his newest toy—the United States of America. He will have fun getting his revenge against the world by wrecking his toy and tossing it aside when he loses interest. I am horrified by the sheer meanness that lurks beneath the “niceness” of many of these people. Perhaps you are lonely yourself, and appreciate the camaraderie you find there, and see McDonalds through rose-colored glasses.
This piece perfectly encapsulates why I subscribe to your newsletter. An insightful, thought-provoking, and politically neutral analysis delivered in a conversational style.
Great work.
Mark
Thanks for the great piece.
I'm wondering about your question "how is it that McDonald’s ... became America’s default community center?" Your writing has repeatedly explained how people seek community in McDonald's. But I'm still surprised that McDonald's as a company encourages this, since it's not a clear benefit from a P&L perspective (and many other large chains seem to actively discourage the downtrodden from their premises). Is there something unique to the McDonald's corporate culture or their employees?
This is a beautifully written, insightful post, Chris. Thank you so much.
As a counter to Trump's dishing out drive thru fries, I don't think enough was said about Kamala lying about working McDonald's. For millions of us who at one time dished Big Macs and Happy Meals, her false claims of working the Golden Arches was an serious act of cultural appropriation.
Oh FFS.
That you claim, with no evidence that she lied tells us all we need to know about you.
Acutely observed, Chris.
Wondering whether Macdos as they call them in France (where they are hugely popular) serve a similar purpose?
What a brilliant post.
I like Burger King and KFC!
Also In N Out whenever I’m on the west coast…soooo good and wildly popular
I’ve enjoyed several cross country McDonalds visits, always comforting way to feel grounded. Currently seeing Albania through KFCs…