NEWS FLASH: MCDONALD'S IS PROUD TO LET GAYS EAT ITS CRAPPY FOOD

There's a media/Internet swirl going on about the new McDonald's commercial in France that has a gay theme.

I'm for complete and unequivocal acceptance of all nationalities, creeds, faiths, genders, sexual orientations etc. But I am very leery when corporations start making a buck off of it.

First it was green washing, now it is "gay washing."

If the ads help promote acceptance then I am happy for that as an unintended outcome. But it wasn't McDonald's goal. The company where I work, Harrah's Entertainment, is on the same bandwagon. There's something unashamedly cynical about it all, if you ask me.

Of course, a certain Fox talking head (I hate using his name) couldn't wait to jump all over this. More ratings for him. Better chance of getting a fatter contract next time for spewing his bilious nonsense.

He wondered on air, to millions or people who have nothing better to do than watch his personality disorders on the tube every evening, whether McDonald's might go one step further and air an Al Qaeda commercial. I posted the following response on a Care2 message board (see URL below). It sums up my thoughts on the TV "commentator" in question and the McDonald's ad.

By the way, although I am more than happy to denigrate the right wing hatemongers who clog the airwaves, we should always regard them as dangerous. Until our society is more broadly skeptical and analytical, we cannot dismiss these jerks lightly. These snakes know how to slither into any cracks.

Here's what I wrote:

"O'Reilly is such a spotlight pig he is usually best ignored. An undercurrent here that worries me is that corporations are 'gay washing.' They care about money, not people. Everybody should feel comfortable everywhere. But if McDonald's ran a cost-benefit analysis and found that homophobic commercials brought in more cash, they'd be looking for a 'tasteful' way to do that. I want acceptance of everyone. But we shouldn't take it on any terms."

We're all in this world together. The things we have in common are what matter. Our differences just make things more interesting.

Take care,
Adrian Zupp

*Care2 URL for McDonald's advert:
http://www.care2.com/causes/civil-rights/blog/bill-oreilly-gay-mcdonalds-ads-whats-next-ads-for-al-qaeda/