i touched upon something earlier that i think will require much greater discussion.  

this idea that the pop-culture definition of irony has to do with measuring reality against expectation.  it seems to me that younger people call “irony” when they feel victimized by circumstances, but this is becoming less and less a phase to mature past and more the m.o. of the adult world.    so yes, an interesting topic, but i’m not looking to indict an entire generation in my first post.  i’ll get to it later.  

mcdonald’s ad campaign featuring olympic athletes.  ahhh, something topical!

let me say that i love the olympics.  i’m not a very sporty person, but i’m always intrigued when everything’s on the line.  besides that, the olympics manage to well up within me this good natured belief in human achievements, blah blah blah.  also, all that stuff about the rise of china is terribly interesting and well timed.

but let’s face it, the olympics are basically an extended audition process for sponsorship.  …let me also say this: i have nothing bad to say about corporate sponsorship, athletic scholarships, or basically any form of cashing in on talents.  i would if i could.  and hell, the ads are effective.  if shannon miller can still do tumbling passes on the balance beam while taking claritin, then maybe i should live claritin clear, too. (btw, congrats on puberty, shannon).

but in some situations, namely when mcdonald’s teams with olympic athletes, there’s a huge disconnect between what’s being sold and who’s selling it.  in this case we have human machines running at peak performance selling what amounts to sugar in the gas tank.  (that’s not to say the athletes would never go near it.  after all, they may have no other choice.)  though i must point out, mcdonald’s isn’t advertising a gimmick menu.  here they are selling their brand more than their product.  and it’s a yummy brand.  the ads lure us in with a comfortable feeling in a global community, all this diversity and yet something familiar.   and oh yes, human achievement, blah blah blah.  the unfortunate part is, mcdonald’s has every right to take some credit for helping the games.  not through nutrition, just a generous serving of $$$.  just like the athletes themselves, i don’t feel you can fault them for their success.  maybe that’s just me- i subscribe to the ‘vote with your wallet’ way of thinking.  mcdonald’s has the coffers, and they give up some pittance to charities and do-gooders for a little image boost.  it’s win-win!

the funny part is, if they were selling phelps-macs and injured-gymnast-fries, we could call them on their bullshit.  instead, they confuse the situation to the point where i’m sitting here, typing, trying to remember how a big mac tastes, and for some reason, a super-size #1 sounds really good right now.  damn it. 

bottom line:  mcdonalds + olympians, ironic?  well YES, if this ad has any effect on you, you can call it irony, but as an observer, i prefer to call it capitalism.  suck on that red china.

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