TresSugar

Lovin' It? Thai Students Happily Work at McDonald's in US

LibertySugar — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 07:30:22 -0800

Every Summer thousands of Thai college students come to the US and change into McDonald's uniforms. They not only do it with a smile, they pay money for it.

The reward? Slapping foreign work experience - American work experience - on their resumes. Thai employers value foreign work experience, seeing it as initiative, in the country's ultracompetitive postcollege job market.

Agents (seems like the polite term) set up work visas, secure job placements, and, maybe, include plane tickets for $3,000 plus - a large sum when converted into Thai bahts. Students typically earn about half the money back; however, most consider the work experience and language skills worth it.

One student, who wound up in Mobile, AL, because she heard it was cheap, found the small town to be far from her image of America. Yet, she doesn't regret it. "Honestly," she said, “If I had money, I’d go back.”

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Ronald McDonald Is a Perv

GiggleSugar — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 14:00:00 -0800

Also, what's with the weird overplucked brows? I never noticed them until now.

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McMuffin Top

GiggleSugar — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 07:00:00 -0700

I've heard of ass-vertising, but gut-vertising? I don't think Micky D's would be pleased.

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You Will Get a Medal if You Watch This to the End

GiggleSugar — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 09:00:00 -0700

Sadly, it will be given to you by a person who is also holding a straitjacket.

Morning News Anchors Drink McDonald's Coffee (For Cash)

LibertySugar — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 12:15:00 -0700

Each morning news anchors on Fox's Las Vegas affiliate sit in front of very visible McDonald's iced coffee cups, part of a product-placement deal. The fast-food chain sponsors the two-hour morning news-and-lifestyle segment, but instead of commercial breaks, the advertisement happens during the news.

Since advertisement dollars already influence networks, I think the product-placement deal raises some old conflict of interest concerns. The producers say they would pull the cups if they had to report a negative story about McDonald's, just as they would pull a regular commercial. Still, the covertness of the promotion could deceive some viewers not aware that McDonald's paid for the cups' placement.

To find out how political parties are incorporating product placement, and how the industry sees it, read more.

Product integration happens a ton in scripted television, so much so that the Writers Guild of America wants it blatantly disclosed. The WGA says: "the hope is that consumers, not expecting to find a commercial within their program, will fail to realize they are actually being advertised to. This practice exploits the emotional connection viewers have with shows." Perhaps this expectation of neutrality increases significantly when dealing with news, as opposed to entertainment.

Going the overt-sponsorship road, the Democrats will be handing out AT&T logo-plastered bags at the Democratic National Convention. It's almost impossible not to see a conflict of interest here (telecom cough cough immunity) but, the Democrats assure that sponsorship does not equal access to politicians.

How should news stations and political parties reconcile high costs with integrity?

WTF Is Sweden On?!

GiggleSugar — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 16:15:00 -0700

A few weeks ago, I stumbled across a nonsensical Swedish McDonald's commercial. Today, I stumbled across six nonsensical Swedish McDonald's commercials. They're all part of the same funked-up ad campaign. And they're all pretty damn effective, if you ask me.

WTF?!

GiggleSugar — Mon, 26 May 2008 01:00:00 -0700

I'm not sure what this this surreal television ad for McDonald's in Sweden is getting at. Are those moaning blobules a creative reenactment of what happens to your stomach after eating one of their dirt sandwiches? Cuz if so, I'm lovin' it.

Public Service Graffiti

GiggleSugar — Wed, 21 May 2008 00:02:00 -0700

I'm lovin' it.

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My Hero!

GiggleSugar — Mon, 05 May 2008 15:00:00 -0700

Two things I love in a man: a British accent, and the ability to stuff an entire Big Mac in his mouth and swallow it in one bite. (The ~~sad~~ awesome thing is, I could totally do this, too!)

Olympic Sponsors Responsible for Human Rights Violations?

LibertySugar — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 10:00:00 -0700

Pro-Tibet groups are joining together to call out the corporate sponsors of the Beijing Olympics. The groups say that unless the companies use their influence to pressure China, they are complicit in a humanitarian disaster.

Twelve global sponsors, including Coca Cola, General Electric, McDonald's, Visa, Johnson & Johnson and Omega have paid a combined $80 million for the four year exclusive sponsorship deal. Activists explain that together these companies have a GDP equal to Canada's, the world's eighth largest economy. Thus, they can wield a lot of influence.

Do you expect sponsors to get involved in global politics, considering they work with governments, employ lobbying firms, and maintain international presences?

Are human rights more than politics, therefore giving everyone an obligation to pressure China, including corporations and consumers? Or, should the sponsors be commended for supporting the Olympic movement, which would be impossible without them?

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