Jul 2, 2006
McTravel
McDonald’s, refuge for the weary traveler?
Indeed, despite its vaunted reputation as a juggernaut of American culture, McDonald’s has come to function as an ecumenical refuge for travelers of all stripes. This is not because McDonald’s creates an American sense of place and culture, but because it creates a smoothly standardized absence of place and culture — a neutral environment that allows travelers to take a psychic time-out from the din of their real surroundings. This phenomenon is roundly international: I’ve witnessed Japanese taking this psychic breather in the McDonald’s of Santiago de Chile; Chileans seeking refuge in the McDonald’s of Venice; and Italians lolling blissfully in the McDonald’s of Tokyo.
I have to admit, they serve cheap ice cream cones. It’s sort of a habit of mine to see how much they are in whatever country I’m in…great way to gauge the local economy. All in all though, I’d reserve the McDonald’s stops for long trips when you break down and just gotta have something normal. He makes a great point about hip culture and the Marlboro hypocrisy.
That was a good read. I always chuckle when my wife, the li’l super hippy, trashes American culture, and automatically assumes other countries culture’s are quiant and wholesome. I tried once to explain that France has a Redneck, White Trash equivalent, too. She really couldn’t relate.
I have a $10 bill that says Rolf Potts is a gay man…and a coward for not going ahead and mentioning his love of anonymous gay sex in international McD’s restaurant bathrooms.