But back here in the US, the Advocate reports,
The National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce has severed its relationship with McDonald’s in light of a top executive’s suggestion that a gay-friendly commercial, which aired in France, would never be played in the United States.I'm not sure why you would boycott the guy for telling the truth.
According to The Huffington Post, the organization, the largest LGBT business group in the country, representing 1.4 million businesses, issued a letter in response to Don Thompson, McDonald’s chief of operations. Earlier this month he told the Chicago Tribune that different “cultural norms” would prevent a commercial like the French ad featuring a gay teenager and his father from airing in the United States.
3 comments:
Well, for starters, because the executive in question went further than commenting on "cultural norms." He also acknowledged personal bias on the subject, which left many to wonder if the reason such a commercial wouldn't run here went beyond problems with "cultural norms."
Then there's also the fact -- as one blogger (I'm trying to find the links) pointed out -- that large corporations like McDonald's don't treat the U.S. like one single market anyway and often run specific ads in specific regions of the country. A commercial like this one would receive an overwhelmingly positive response in some of those regions, so a blanket comment that such a commercial would "never work" over here is dubious at best and downright disingenuous at worst.
I think the cultural norm is that corporations in the US are cravenly afraid of vocal anti-gay right-wingers.
That's a fact.
I don't expect to see any gay-affirming ads in any marker any time soon.
Argh, that's MARKET not MARKER.
Post a Comment