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In poor neighborhoods, McDonald’s have become de-facto community centers

theguardian.com

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Re: In poor neighborhoods, McDonald’s have become de-facto community centers

#91

Post by DanielBMarkham »

stcredzero wrote: post #76
smokey_the_bear wrote: post #6

McDonalds is the only restaurant I enjoy eating at with my 2 and 3 year olds. Every other restaurant is a slog to get through the meal. Honestly I'd eat there more often if it weren't for the social stigma of it. (I live in Berkeley). I am pretty sure the cheeseburger, apple slices, and chocolate milk are not much worse, and probably better, than the typical fare on a slapped together kids meal. When I was a kid, my…

People finding community of some form is not just a good thing, it's an essential thing to human life. It should always be lauded. However, there is a lot of socioeconomic and sub-cultural in-group/out-group judgement in US society, all of which feels absolutely justified by those doing the judging. http://www.vox.com/2016/4/21/11451378/smug-american-liberali... In reality, it's all exactly the same sort of crap that…

I agree.

I have noticed a strange flip-flop over the last 30 years or so. While the most prominent in and out groups have changed, the folks who used to talk the most trash about outsiders are now much more reticent. Now many of the folks who used to complain about getting put down are now the ones (mostly in private, but many times in public) with all the trash talk, i.e., acting like they always thought all the other guys did. (This was never actually the case, though.)

I hear friends talking about their neighbors and community in terms I know for a fact are not reciprocated -- and it goes far beyond just condescending. It's a bitter, desolate, and spiteful thing. You'd think they were marooned living in a cave with Stone Age man, waiting for the next human sacrifice to occur.

Very strange. I wonder if they know how they sound to others? We need a name for these guys. "Redneck Liberals" comes to mind. Perhaps "Faux Progressives"

Re: In poor neighborhoods, McDonald’s have become de-facto community centers

#92

Post by blastrat »

smokey_the_bear wrote: post #6

McDonalds is the only restaurant I enjoy eating at with my 2 and 3 year olds. Every other restaurant is a slog to get through the meal. Honestly I'd eat there more often if it weren't for the social stigma of it. (I live in Berkeley). I am pretty sure the cheeseburger, apple slices, and chocolate milk are not much worse, and probably better, than the typical fare on a slapped together kids meal. When I was a kid, my…

In terms of dining with small children, do you mean fast food or do you specifically mean McDonalds, compared to Burger King, etc.? just curious.

Re: In poor neighborhoods, McDonald’s have become de-facto community centers

#93

Post by 97s »

alex_sf wrote: post #60
grecy wrote: post #30

> I am pretty sure the cheeseburger, apple slices, and chocolate milk are not much worse, and probably better, than the typical fare on a slapped together kids meal. Wow. It saddens me to see that statement. I thought it was commonly knowledge that McDonalds isn't actually "food" in the nutrition and health sense of the word any more than cotton candy and pure salt are.

That's awfully ignorant. Hating on McDonalds and the like is the trendy thing to do now, but to say that there is no nutritional or health value in their food is ridiculous. I just looked up the nutrition facts for a kid's happy meal with a cheeseburger, apples slices and chocolate milk. In total, you've got: 450 calories 12g total fat 6g saturated fat (not that it matters) 61g Carbs 32g Sugars (22 of which come from…

Exactly. I take my son there all the time to eat the chicken nuggets, apples, and choc milk. He plays on the playground and has a blast being social with other kids there. People just speak with the mobs instead of thinking, its absurd.

Re: In poor neighborhoods, McDonald’s have become de-facto community centers

#94

Post by kgreene2 »

CiPHPerCoder wrote: post #17

I personally avoid Chic-Fil-A because of their anti-LGBT and pro-religion values, but I'm glad to hear they're pleasant for children.

For what it's worth, at a corporate level they have stopped that nearly entirely four years ago. [1]

The only group they still fund that is anti-LGBT is the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. [2]

[1] - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chick-fil-A#Report_of_policy_c...

[2] - http://goqnotes.com/27860/new-chick-fil-a-filings-show-decre...

Re: In poor neighborhoods, McDonald’s have become de-facto community centers

#95

Post by zem »

notliketherest wrote: post #59
smokey_the_bear wrote: post #6

McDonalds is the only restaurant I enjoy eating at with my 2 and 3 year olds. Every other restaurant is a slog to get through the meal. Honestly I'd eat there more often if it weren't for the social stigma of it. (I live in Berkeley). I am pretty sure the cheeseburger, apple slices, and chocolate milk are not much worse, and probably better, than the typical fare on a slapped together kids meal. When I was a kid, my…

Social stigma? Why do you care what other people think?

why do you not? it's a very strongly ingrained part of human nature, and a lot of civilisation depends on it. in particular, the whole notion of a social contract would likely collapse if no one cared what other people thought; neither empathy nor game-theory-style rationality are strong enough as universal motivating factors.

Re: In poor neighborhoods, McDonald’s have become de-facto community centers

#96

Post by emp_zealoth »

topspin wrote: post #68
niftich wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In some parts of Europe, McDonald's is actually a somewhat upmarket option, and fulfills a purpose similar to Starbucks in the US. Some downtown ones are in historic buildings with elegant furniture. This is a bit atypical, but here's a nice one in Budapest: https://mic.com/articles/85625/this-is-the-world-s-fanciest-...

When McDonald's opened in Moscow in the 1980's one of the things people frequently mentioned after standing in line for hours was the high quality of the food. It was normal McDonald's fair tailored to the local market. We're pretty spoiled people in the US. Some large fraction of the species can only dream of eating food as good as what McDonald's sells.

Hate to break it to you, but from what I've been told by anyone that went to US: Non-US McDonald's food is way way WAY better than what you get in US McDonald's... Also, this comment really rubbed me the wrong way. I'd say extreme superiority complex with a side of slight ignorance To russians first McDonald's in Moscow was like Berlin wall falling to germans. It was complete antithesis of the Soviet Union.

Re: In poor neighborhoods, McDonald’s have become de-facto community centers

#97

Post by niftich »

distances wrote: post #77
niftich wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In some parts of Europe, McDonald's is actually a somewhat upmarket option, and fulfills a purpose similar to Starbucks in the US. Some downtown ones are in historic buildings with elegant furniture. This is a bit atypical, but here's a nice one in Budapest: https://mic.com/articles/85625/this-is-the-world-s-fanciest-...

Which parts? Where I currently am I would not admit going to a McDonald's (or Burger King for that matter). There are lots of grubby independent places such as cheap, greasy kebab joints here, and even they seem to place above the chain fastfood restaurants in social acceptableness. Not trying to be snobby, just curious what's below McDonald's if it can be considered "upmarket".

In terms of social standing, below McDonald's is not going out to eat at all. You avoid going out unless you're with friends, and instead pack your own lunch.

In Budapest, Hungary, many of the kebab vendors have little seating room, so McDonald's becomes the cheapest place to sit like you would in a Starbucks (which also exists, and is considerably more of a luxury). I've seen the same phenomenon in Slovakia, Czech Republic, Romania, and Russia as well.

Re: In poor neighborhoods, McDonald’s have become de-facto community centers

#98

Post by Erik816 »

tetromino_ wrote: post #49
smokey_the_bear wrote: post #6

McDonalds is the only restaurant I enjoy eating at with my 2 and 3 year olds. Every other restaurant is a slog to get through the meal. Honestly I'd eat there more often if it weren't for the social stigma of it. (I live in Berkeley). I am pretty sure the cheeseburger, apple slices, and chocolate milk are not much worse, and probably better, than the typical fare on a slapped together kids meal. When I was a kid, my…

Your kids are your kids and it's your choice how to raise them given your financial and time constraints, but teaching a 3-year-old to associate comfort and happiness with unhealthy food doesn't strike me as the wisest decision. When they are old enough and responsible enough for their bodies, they might decide on their own that they enjoy nicotine, corn syrup, salt, starch, and fry oil - but why bias them towards su…

You are pretty much describing the liberal guilt trip that is keeping him from occasionally taking his kids to McDonalds. It's pretty clear it's not the healthiest thing you can eat. It's also probably true that you should teach your kids that if, once in a while, they eat something that is not optimally nutritious (say, on a road trip or as a special treat) they are not going to die.

Re: In poor neighborhoods, McDonald’s have become de-facto community centers

#100

Post by tobltobs »

jonknee wrote: post #52
tetromino_ wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Your kids are your kids and it's your choice how to raise them given your financial and time constraints, but teaching a 3-year-old to associate comfort and happiness with unhealthy food doesn't strike me as the wisest decision. When they are old enough and responsible enough for their bodies, they might decide on their own that they enjoy nicotine, corn syrup, salt, starch, and fry oil - but why bias them towards su…

> the cheeseburger, apple slices, and chocolate milk You could do much worse.

> You could do much worse.

How?

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