The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #64270 Message #1051214
Posted By: JenEllen
10-Nov-03 - 03:29 PM
Thread Name: BS: NPR: You want fries with that pledge?
Subject: RE: BS: NPR: You want fries with that pledge?
The whole thing is ridiculous.
I absolutely despise McDonalds, simply because of the poor quality of food and business
and their promotion of 'immediate gratification'. I think they have consciously made it not
only plausible and probable, but they have made it entirely acceptable. That and the
advent of the chicken nugget will most likely be the death knell for American society, but
only time will tell. However, that is not what I find so repulsive about this particular
situation.
I love NPR. I know that it is biased--how many employees who work at McDonalds
actually know where their local NPR station IS on the dial?--but it fits a niche. I also
know that the generous donation will not shave a nanosecond off of "PledgeWeek Hell",
and that the friends I have that work for public radio will still cling to their shaky jobs. I
enjoy the programming and will continue to support it financially.
The thing that I find ridiculous about the situation is that for ME to support public radio, it
is a conscious decision made that doesn't affect the welfare of my family. I don't endanger
anyone by doing so. Mrs Kroc's generous donation comes at great expense to the
McDonalds "Family" (for a real treat, try watching one of their 'training videos'). Money
that could have been used to better the 'family' (health insurance, benefits, living wages)
was given to something they will most likely never get benefit from. It leaves me with the
same sort of head-shaking disregard that I get when I hear about crazy old ladies leaving
enormous fortunes to their cats. It's theirs to do with as they will, but I certainly don't
have to applaud the action.