Jesse Blanca English 96 Athena Kashyap Essay 1 February 23rd Revision

Bless my Fries
Standing underneath a glowing amber plastic double arch, I suddenly had the strange urge for French fries. Just moments before I came to this intersection of 24th and Mission my mind was busy with thoughts of bills, what I drank the night before, and the more immediate if that guy does not hurry up hell get hit by the 14 mission! For every inhalation the urge intensify, brainlessly I turn to the source and found myself gazing on the gilded walls of a McDonalds Restaurant. Sets of families line the steps, greeting one another, some embrace to say hello, some say goodbyes as one leave and they enter. An angelic moment that should fit right underneath the gable of Saint Mary, yet bizarre in how generic an occurrence this was. The Americanization of the world owes much to the successes in Marketing and advertising. More design than chance, more campaign than free will, operating on level of coercion rivaled only by religion. Ads are systemic quazi-scientific method of subordinating the masses by removing choice, and asserting convenient answers. Of course this is nothing new, the waning days of the Dark Ages ushered the era of Christian expansion, which feed the need for towering Cathedrals, that catapulted pilgrimage all across Europe. Which in turn fed the coffers, that supported the town

church, a growing church meant a growing population, and a growing population meant increase economic growth. The church as an archetype for franchises seem disturbingly appropriate, what makes a village after all, a couple of Families, a market, a public hall, a jail, and a church! Today any-town USA would be, a grocery store, a gas station, a flower shop, a bakery, City Hall, a Library, a Police Station, Schools, a Firehouse, a Church and a McDonalds! You can sell grounded beef sandwich on a bun anywhere and on any structure so what made McDonalds unique? Was it the paint on wall, or is it the mascots? No it was a radical way of selling where the whole meant more than the individual product. McDonalds is more than just any run of the mill restaurant, more than just another chain. Ray A. Kroc was not just a successful businessman; it was not his skills in operations that skyrocketed his company into a legendary icon of capitalism. It was his keen sociological sense that placed the proverbial dots to line up. He knew that kids in his restaurants meant adults into restaurant, and there is no stronger biological imperative than the need to nurture your young. Thus he made a surreal box painted in orange, red, yellow making them more appealing to children. Created a very simple menu not only to better expedite the ordering process but simple enough for young clients. In sheer numbers alone, its such a generic part of the American landscape in any town USA that affiliations is a defacto part of growing up American. We all have eaten under the golden arches at least once in our lives, and its so ingrained in our psyche that we dont even realize the need for affiliation. Its

a safe place where anyone can escape to, and the tasty food at a good price insures that anyone can afford to self medicate. Eating is a mindless chore, its such an integral part of surviving that enterprising men have honed in on it. Targeting children is a stroke of genius, the developing stages is such a fragile, and open state that inserting products early assure product loyalty in adulthood. Exposing them to sight and taste in the comfort of their guardians guidance provides a framework to build, on which they carry for life. Eating at McDonalds can trigger nostalgia, or that warm fuzzy feeling. I confess to treating myself to an order of fries when I feel down from time to time, and yes that tactile sensation when I grip a fry in between my finger evoke a strange sense of mild euphoria as it travel in the air to my mouth. The memory of which is re-triggered whenever circumstances place me in a particular mood to medicate with salty, starchy food. Fortunately its not habitual, and even if I do feel the urge Im adept to diverting. In contrast to that of children whos appetite for junk food seem insatiable, and most parents dote willingly. Feeding in it self is a fundamental heuristic building block, a bad or good eating habit have dire consequences later on. But the feel, the smell as you walk pass that McDonalds lures you in, instant memory emersion evokes stored aesthetic value that for an instant can make you salivate. As would any other person, I dabble in pointless musings of just about anything. One such reflection was the consistent use of three basic colors in most fast food chains Red, Yellow (or goldish) and Blue. McDonalds, Wendys, Burger King, Carls Jr., Subway, Jack in the Box, In and Out Burger, KFC, Taco Bell, Krystal and the list go on. From McDonalds yellow bosoms as one psychologist said about the symbolic

meaning of the big M, to the lunch box architecture, and the condiment shaped playpens. The big yellow M is what the big red S is to Superman, coincidentally superman religion revealing outfit is also colored Red, Yellow and Blue! More than just a place to fill physiological need to eat, the color continuity of each advert mimic the interior of every McDonalds. Insuring the experience in the real world reflect that of the advertising motif; each franchise appears more like a kindergartner school, and with many branches having installed playgrounds its sends a strong subtle message. Life can be hectic, not all of us live the rich and famous lifestyle. Our mode for coping is fantasy, the world of make believe helps us reset; Disneyland provides acres of fantasy every inch is detailed to maintain that illusion. Theme parks fill that niche; marketing fairytales to adults is a common language that they can relate to offsprings. The McDonald franchise out number Disneyland, but both parallel one another as they are after the same market. The only difference is you go to Disneyland to plan an entire vacation that could last a week, whereas McDonalds provide you a local venue to escape a little one fries at a time. The two establishments have fuzzy lovable creatures, they sell toys, and they have early morning cartoons. Outside the united states eating at McDonalds is a form of social achievement, people would wait for hours to have a chance to bite into a piece of America. All this pageantry is meant to do only one thing, to remove you from your money. I cant say that I feel sexy when I eat nor do I feel a sense of prominence when I bite down on a two-dollar order of fries. Although I do dominate over my McNugget,

and for every one that I devour, I aggress my inner Godzilla. Its a fun place to eat, clich as it may, I fell under the spell many, many moons ago. The Big M, the Clown, the Hamburgler, the talking McNuggets, all drew me in as a child. Never did I even think of how macabre it is to shakes hands with a giant McNugget one minute and being directed to eat one the next. Come to think of it, I dont think McDonalds market to adult anymore; the absence of sex in their ads makes me think thats true.

There is no bigger, more blatantly obvious advertising appeal than having a McDonalds restaurant in your neighborhood. Children are drawn to the structure; its like a spaceship calling back its minions, tracking noses in with the smell of fried food. Its marking are universal, generations after generations, have been inducted to the church of the golden arches, its an American institution. We baptize our kids within the tacky golden walls, we congregate among the plastic bench seat next to the bus yourself trash kiosk, then initiate them on the finer points of cueing up. We gaze up to study the scriptures in plastic semi transparent laminated tablet, backlit by its florescent aura. Grabbing our chins, scratching our heads, we are lost, confused we scan the tablet deeper, parishioners glare at you waiting for you to make a decision, tension rises you beckoning for a sign, wishing for a cathartic moment and it comes, you recite the words as if the spirit had just entered your body, A number 3 with Coke, and can you super size that ah a slight relief, you train your eyes on the young man wearing the purple polo. For here or to go? he ask, clinching your fist and in exhalation you cry out TO GO, I WANT IT TOGO! There is probably more McDonalds restaurant in America than playgrounds, which

make it hard to argue against the installation of one in the restaurant. Definitely more than churches which in the past provided a common hall for the community, urban environment have been synthesize to the extent that we have become all to eager to look for the easy and common. The lack of sufficient public foresight only provide an opportunity for exploitation, children often become unforeseen collateral. The building festooned in comical ketchup red, mustard yellow, the parade of child proof seats, the cafeteria like atmosphere, installed as a free standing structure toped by its double arches that stand like cathedral spires. Or as a whole in the wall in an airport terminal, in any mall USA, any school USA, and I think I've seen one on wheels! The whole package is a surreal juxtaposition part nursery, part tacky cafeteria. A world-renowned phenomenon, a product of industrialized

Americana, iconized for soft minds, and galvanized into the modern psyche. Its a well crafted, heavily refined machines designed to capture patrons both the drooling and none drooling kind.