A gay-themed McDonald's television advertisement is whipping up controversy around the world.
The 47-second clip, running only in France under the slogan "come as you are", shows a teenage boy and his father dining together in a McDonald's restaurant.
The boy takes a call from his lover while his father goes to order their food.
He fingers their class photograph and says affectionately "I miss you too", but gets off the phone quickly when his father returns to the table.
The boy's father then looks over the photograph and reminisces about his youth.
"You look just like me at your age,” he says.
“I was quite the ladies' man."
He then tells his son: “Too bad your class is all boys. You could get all the girls.”
The boy smiles to himself as the words "come as you are" appear on the screen.
A McDonald's Australia spokeswoman said the advertisement was one in a series of clips produced under the "come as you are" banner, which aims to "recognise the diversity of McDonald's customers in France".
The company's Australian campaigns are produced in Australia and there are no plans to run a similar line here, the spokeswoman said.
Website Planet Homo questioned the value of depicting a "closeted boy who has not told his father about his sexuality", but added: "We do love his voice and accent."
Australian Coalition for Equality spokesman Rodney Croome welcomed the ad's lack of judgment and stereotypes.
"This is a refreshingly realistic depiction of a young man who's in a same-sex relationship, who isn't angst-ridden and who is in control of his life even as he faces the question all young gay people face: 'When do I tell my dad?'" Mr Croome said.
"What makes this even more ground-breaking is that it places gay people in the context of one of the world's most mainstream institutions, McDonald's."
"The irony about this ad receiving so much attention is its message is that being gay is just another part of life."
http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/gay-mcd ... -x1o3.html
Gay burger
Gay burger
“If you trust in yourself, and believe in your dreams, and follow your star. . . you'll still get beaten by people who spent their time working hard and learning things and weren't so lazy.”
Re: Gay burger
I always wondered about Ronald McDonald...........is he gay or a pediphile......... 
I expect to go straight to hell...........at least I won't have to spend time making new friends.
Re: Gay burger
Mmm'kay, dope, dope...
...but we're expected to believe Mickey 'D's is a really cool place to hang out and eat really bad food?
I can't believe the French are buying that!
...but we're expected to believe Mickey 'D's is a really cool place to hang out and eat really bad food?
I can't believe the French are buying that!
Re: Gay burger
Funny you should ask!Miles wrote:I always wondered about Ronald McDonald...........is he gay or a pediphile.........
The original Ronald MacDonald was gay and that caused an embarrassment and a clown’s job.
Unfortunately, gays have had to try to distance themselves from pedophiles. There is a very big difference that too few people seem to grasp.
Ironic isn’t it though? A spokesperson (the clown) is seen to be in real life gay and therefore expendable, and now this attempt to reach out.
Changing times indeed.
A sufficiently copious dose of bombast drenched in verbose writing is lethal to the truth.
Re: Gay burger
Like all clowns just plain creepy.Miles wrote:I always wondered about Ronald McDonald...........is he gay or a pediphile.........
Okay... There's all kinds of things wrong with what you just said.
Re: Gay burger
Yeah I know the difference I was trying to make a funny.tyro wrote:Funny you should ask!Miles wrote:I always wondered about Ronald McDonald...........is he gay or a pediphile.........
The original Ronald MacDonald was gay and that caused an embarrassment and a clown’s job.
Unfortunately, gays have had to try to distance themselves from pedophiles. There is a very big difference that too few people seem to grasp.
Ironic isn’t it though? A spokesperson (the clown) is seen to be in real life gay and therefore expendable, and now this attempt to reach out.
Changing times indeed.
I expect to go straight to hell...........at least I won't have to spend time making new friends.
A little song a little dance a little seltzer in your pants
Ah!
Never try to be funny about clowns.
As Crackpot has pointed out, they are creepy and you shouldn’t drop your guard with a creep.
It isn’t just that they look and act creepy, it’s the whole question as to why someone would want to be a clown.
They are like mimes with seltzer bottles and an appalling wardrobe.
And no one likes mimes either.
Never try to be funny about clowns.
As Crackpot has pointed out, they are creepy and you shouldn’t drop your guard with a creep.
It isn’t just that they look and act creepy, it’s the whole question as to why someone would want to be a clown.
They are like mimes with seltzer bottles and an appalling wardrobe.
And no one likes mimes either.
A sufficiently copious dose of bombast drenched in verbose writing is lethal to the truth.
Re: Gay burger
Has anyone, besides me, watched the movie "Killer Klowns from Outer Space"? If that doesn't put a serious doubt about clowns in your head it should. 
I expect to go straight to hell...........at least I won't have to spend time making new friends.
Re: Gay burger
I bought it a few months ago when I saw it at CVS for 3.99. At that price it was worth it just so I could expose my wife to it's sheer crappyness.
If you want to see a good Clown Movie that combines a serious message with "that's just wrong" humor I recommend Shakes the Clown
If you want to see a good Clown Movie that combines a serious message with "that's just wrong" humor I recommend Shakes the Clown
Okay... There's all kinds of things wrong with what you just said.
Re: Gay burger
I thought he was a vegetarian and quit out of guilt?tyro wrote:Funny you should ask!Miles wrote:I always wondered about Ronald McDonald...........is he gay or a pediphile.........
The original Ronald MacDonald was gay and that caused an embarrassment and a clown’s job.