How the Big Mac won France

pettyfog · Jul 1, 2009

Slate: The fast-food chain's most surprising success.

On a bright, mild Sunday afternoon in March 2007, at a convention center in Paris, the annual Salon International de l'Agriculture was winding down. The Salon was a week-long trade show that literally brought the farm to the city. Hundreds of farmers and truckloads of farm animals came to Paris to give urbanites a taste of la France Profonde. It was an opportunity for city kids to pet horses, chase chickens, and be flabbergasted by the amount of waste matter that poured out of cows. It was also an occasion to showcase the meats, cheeses, and wines that made the French countryside such a cherished source of sustenance. No less than that, the event was a way for Parisians to express their support of French agriculture—in a sense, to reaffirm their own Frenchness. The patriotic overtones were catnip for politicians: President Jacques Chirac had kicked off the Salon the previous Sunday, and the floor traffic throughout the week included a steady flow of ministers and members of parliament.

Encouraged by the nice weather, an enormous crowd had turned out for the Salon's closing day. Most of the visitors were families with young children. They formed a striking portrait of the new, multicultural France: Many of them were white, but many others were of African, Caribbean, and Middle Eastern descent. Hijabs were nearly as ubiquitous as baseball caps and sneakers. By now, a full week into this jamboree, animal droppings and strands of hay were everywhere and the place reeked of the barnyard; judging by your nose and the bottom of your shoes, you really might have thought you were down on the farm—that is, until the big, splashy McDonald's exhibit, located toward the back of the livestock hall, came into view. What the hell was that doing here, and why was it crawling with people?
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HatterDon · Jul 1, 2009

Okay, I thought this was about a different Big Mac.

The thing about France is that you need a break from French food. All those sauces and layers of taste are fine once a month or so -- or at our age once every three months or so -- but you need something a bit more ... basic. Whenever we visited there, we spent more time eating Italian and Chinese than French. And the eating establishments most crowded with French people were their burger joints.

It's just like here. In the middle of the best Mexican food on the planet, Taco Bell thrives. It was a mystery to me why, until my wife pointed out the obvious: "It's 59 cent food, Don!"

WhitesBhoy · Jul 1, 2009

When you can pay for a meal with change in the console, it suddenly all makes cents.

dave2d2 · Jul 12, 2009

In France, you don't even have to pay:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27NX_MMI ... re=channel

Very Funny, check out his soccer videos too!

IanHux · Jul 13, 2009

HatterDon said:

It's just like here. In the middle of the best Mexican food on the planet, Taco Bell thrives. It was a mystery to me why, until my wife pointed out the obvious: "It's 59 cent food, Don!"
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How I long to try some Mexican food from SA..... but I can't really complain about that because there are about 5 Mexican restaurants locally, and most of them are extremely delicious.

FulhamAg · Jul 13, 2009

ianhux5 said:

How I long to try some Mexican food from SA..... but I can't really complain about that because there are about 5 Mexican restaurants locally, and most of them are extremely delicious.
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Not the same thing. If you were to eat it here, it would ruin those places for you. Trust me, I spent five years in Seattle and went to any halfway reputable Mexican joint in the state I could in search of a taste of home.

It's like getting good halibut or salmon down here. It pales by comparison after eating it in the PNW.

Forum	Title	Date
Miscellaneous	France 2: Others chime in...	Nov 9, 2005
Miscellaneous	What the hell is going on in France?	Nov 7, 2005

How the Big Mac won France

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