Spanish McDonald's ad prompts talk of a boycott; Bergen town's mayor calls billboard 'divisive'

STAR LEDGER ^ | Saturday, July 08, 2006 | ANA M. ALAYA Star-Ledger Staff

[Liz]

The mayor of a small Bergen County, New Jersey town is calling for a McDonald's boycott if the fast-food chain does not take down a Spanish-language billboard.... Bogota Mayor Steve Lonegan said the advertisement is "offensive" and "divisive"......"The true things that bind us together as neighbors and community is our belief in the American flag and our common language," Lonegan said. "And when McDonald's sends a different message, that we're going to be different now, that causes resentment."

Representatives for McDonald's and CBS Outdoor in New York, the company that owns the billboard on River Road in Bogota, defended the advertisement....said Jodi Senese, executive vice president for marketing for CBS Outdoor.

Jennifer Nagy, a marketing manager of McDonald's NY Metro Region, stood by the advertisement.

Lonegan was dismissive of the statement yesterday. "I think that their boilerplate press release is totally meaningless," Lonegan said. "It shows their utter disregard for this community."

Martin Perez, president of the Latino Leadership Alliance of New Jersey, an umbrella group of 250 Hispanic organizations, said there is an "anti-Latino" sentiment behind the opposition to the advertisement.

Deborah Jacobs, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey, said McDonald's has a first amendment right to advertise in Spanish.

[TommyDale]

"Must be nice for you to live in a total vacuum."

Have you ever been to Porterville?

It IS a vacuum!!! LOL!

[LowOiL]

"The men who do not become Americans and nothing else are hyphenated Americans; and there ought to be no room for them in this country. The man who calls himself an American citizen and who yet shows by his actions that he is primarily the citizen of a foreign land, plays a thoroughly mischievous part in the life of our body politic. He has no place here; and the sooner he returns to the land to which he feels his real heart-allegiance, the better it will be for every good American. There is no such thing as a hyphenated American who is a good American. The only man who is a good American is the man who is an American and nothing else...." - Theodore Roosevelt

I made my call.. MickyD's has placed a simular billboard here in our town I noticed yesterday while doing errands.. Unlike most posters, I have 3 small children (ages 1-7) and we have in the past used them to host Birthday parties and I was rather fond of buying McDonnalds gift cards as gifts to other kids for their birthday. They have drawn the line in the sand, so have I.

I will probable lift the Theodore Roosevelt quote and place it on my FR page...

[Porterville]

I can't stand communist. Your communist attitudes are so restrictive and anti-American. Communism is dead okay? It died 16 years ago. Capitalism is the only thing left; hell, Trotsky died like 60-70 years ago... aren't you getting it? The workers rebellion failed.. 1917 is over.... Czar Nickolas is avenged. Their are no more communist nations other than North Korea. Even China knows this.

Another thing, John. You shouldn't come on this board and insult people with profanity. Use your communist capacity to realize that communist do not divide with insult but brings every one together under an ideal Utopia of equal distribution and centralized rule.

Better dead than red... commie.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

So those McDonald's commercials that featured Michael Jordan contributed to balkanization? A commerical featuring Hispanics means that McDonald's support illegal immigration?

[Porterville]

The man who calls himself an American citizen and who yet shows by his actions that he is primarily the citizen of a foreign land, plays a thoroughly mischievous part in the life of our body politic. "

Like the Irish, Scottish, German, Swedish, Chinese and Portuguese?

Get a grip. You have no idea about American history, the railroads, the Civil War, or any war for that matter. Knowledge is key kid.. read a book or something and stop with the channel surfing.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

Just how is McDonald's "balkanizing" our nation? McDonald's is an international, global corporation. Should all American businesses just advertise in English and feature commercials showing Americans draped in the flag?

[TommyDale]

Hey, moonbat! Where do you see anything referring to communism? McDonald's has the right to their own opinions and practices, and the public has the right to their own choice of where to buy junk food. That's free enterprise and freedom of speech, Bozo!

[Porterville]

I see that you dislike communist too.... I never knew so many folks on the FR were so pro-centeralized government, where there are absolutely no room for differences... and that businesses must obey political will. Amazing.

[TommyDale]

Tell us your viewpoint on the Civil War, Porterville! Something tells me you received your education in public schools...

[Porterville]

moonbat? You must agree that McDonald's must be stopped to equalize our fair utopia comrade... mustn't we? Trapped in your own web comrade? See through the cobwebs.

[LowOiL]

Buddy, you have burnt out a fuse or something... the only point I agree with is the use of profanity.. otherwise you are just barking at the moon.

[TommyDale]

This is America, and our language is English. Businesses should advertise and conduct their business in English. If they choose to do otherwise, they deserve the response they get from consumers. If legal immigrants want to succeed in this country, they need to speak our language. My ancestors certainly did that.

[Porterville]

Oh, gee tommy.... what do you mean... Do you think that everyone originated from the same little plot of land in England who fought in the Civil War? You must b/c you are clearly a genius of insult and sublime logic. Okay, relaxed well meditated one, what plot of land in England did everyone's family originate who fought in the Civil War? Salisbury? London? New Castle?.... where?

[TommyDale]

Go back to school and get a basic education.

[Balding_Eagle]

Nice try. Change the subject when you can't answer the question.

Whether you and I agree on my Balkanization assertion isn't on the table.

I was asking how to protest this sign without 'making an ass out of myself'.

[gondramB]

>>Tell us your viewpoint on the Civil War, Porterville! Something tells me you received your education in public schools...<<

Civil war? We didn't learn about any civil war - just the war of Northern Agression.

[TommyDale]

LOL!

[Porterville]

Well I guess you agree with the mayor. Heavens forbid that a business in America realizes that 1.3 billion people in the world speak Chinese, 1 .1 speak some form of Hindi, 1.5 billion + English speakers, and 1.5 billion Spanish speakers...

I guess you hate China town? We better to tear down all the Asian script in front of Man's Theater and get rid of all them damn Japanese fish places.

[Ready4Freddy]

Did no one note the irony of the name of the town...? ;>)

[Riverman94610]

True,demographics is destiny and there is no way that can be averted.Yet so many people are in denial about that fact of life.
As for Mc Donalds,I wouldn't eat that garbage if I was starving in an alley and ,after seeing so many overweight Mexican kids in the schools I frequent,I certainly would discourage them from eating there too.
Yet we live in a capitalist system and if a private company like Mc Donald's want to advertise in Spanish or Farsi or Klingon,then that is their right in America.