McDonald's CEO Upset Over 'McJob' Word

AP ^ | 11/7/03 | AP- Strange News

[Jaded]

McDonald's CEO Upset Over 'McJob' Word

CHICAGO - McDonald's says it deserves a break from the unflattering way the latest Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary depicts its job opportunities.

Among some 10,000 new additions to an updated version released in June was the term "McJob," defined as "low paying and dead-end work."

In an open letter to Merriam-Webster, McDonald's CEO Jim Cantalupo said the term is "an inaccurate description of restaurant employment" and "a slap in the face to the 12 million men and women" who work in the restaurant industry.

The company e-mailed the letter to media organizations Friday, and it also was published in the Nov. 3 edition of an industry trade publication.

Cantalupo also wrote that "more than 1,000 of the men and women who own and operate McDonald's restaurants today got their start by serving customers behind the counter."

McDonald's, the world's largest restaurant chain, has more than 30,000 restaurants and more than 400,000 employees.

Walt Riker, a spokesman for McDonald's, said the Oak Brook, Ill.-based fast-food giant also is concerned that "McJob" closely resembles McJOBS, the company's training program for mentally and physically challenged people.

"McJOBS is trademarked and we've notified them that legally that's an issue for us as well," Riker said.

A message left at Merriam-Webster's headquarters in Springfield, Mass., was not immediately returned Friday evening.

[RedBloodedAmerican]

McSox

[GeronL]

McStupid McDictionary McOffends McMe!!

[Keith in Iowa]

They should spend more time fixing their oxymoronic approach to customer service, and improving their menu.

The place McSucks. Big time.

[dighton]

"McJOBS is trademarked and we've notified them that legally that's an issue for us as well," Riker said.

So McTypical, to threaten a McLawsuit.

[RedBloodedAmerican]

McMac

[Calvin Locke]

How about McNPR? Or McNational Putrid Radio?

I've decided to totally eliminate McDonalds from my gastronomic experiences. I actually cut back over 18 months ago, out of boredom and an attempt to reduce calories.
The impact from my lack of patronage will be minimal.

Funny, I always considered "McJob" as a stepping stone for a lot of people, although I never worked in the food service industry.

[RedBloodedAmerican]

*McNOT* as *McMUCH* as *IT* McCould!

[RedBloodedAmerican]

I have heard McD's managers actually make a good average wage ($40k/yr?) and get a company paid vehicle for personal use. But I am not certain of it.

[Hawkeye's Girl]

McDonald's food is so bland. I gave them another try after their latest revamp, and I'm not loving it.

[Jaded]

McMe thinks Riker needs to get a McLife and quit taking hisself so McSeriously.

I haven't eaten Mickey D's in years. I think it's disgusting.

[HamiltonJay]

Well that's what the word means when used, like it or not...

[GeronL]

Lawsuit?? Thats even worse than what the dictionary did.

McMorons

[GeronL]

IF I do go there, rarely. I will only eat the Sausage McMuffin and the McChicken

[jraven]

McD's is really into PR. Here in San Diego about 18 years ago a guy went into a McD's and massacred a ton of people. This was initially referred to as the McDonald's massacre. But then the McD's people got on it and shifted so it became forever known as the San Ysidro massacre, named for the border community where this took place. McD's also tore down the massacre site, donated it, and built a new restaurant down the street. Image is very important to them.

[Arkinsaw]

They are going to sue the dictionary for including a word that is in common use? Any lawyer that tells them they can win that is just lying and hoping for a lot of billable hours.

Now if McDonalds wanted to sue the people who originally came up with, and popularized, the word and made it worthy of notice by the dictionary folks then they might have a shot. But who are those specific people and where do you send the subpoena?

[Deep_6]

McJob?

Isn't that what clinton got from that intern?

 

[BJungNan]

Among some 10,000 new additions to an updated version released in June was the term "McJob," defined as "low paying and dead-end work."

I would have to agree with McDonalds on this one. McDonalds seems to me a place where young people can learn a good work ethic that will lead to a better job.

In China, many people get hired out of McDonalds to go to work for foreign factories. Assistant Managers and Managers of a McDonalds in China can especially be assured a good job offer from many companies.

[lelio]

and get a company paid vehicle for personal use.

Yeah but take a look at it:

[GeronL]

PR is everything to a lot of companies

[WackyKat]

Wouldn't the CEO's time be better spent developing a burger that is actually edible?
To a human being, I mean?

[BJungNan]

This is a little off subject but here is what I consider McStupid.

The best item on the menu is the Egg McMuffin and variations of it. And just how many hours a day does McDonals offer this best sandwhich. Just 4 hours out of an 18 hour day.

I'm sorry, it is 10:30 and 1 second. Breakfast is over! Would you like a Big Mack? No, I want and Egg McMuffin. I'm sorry sir, McBreakfast is like so McOver.

[paulklenk]

I recently discovered how to get a really great Big Mac:

By accident, the Big Macs I ordered recently came on fresh, soft, untoasted buns. I don't know if the cooks were too busy, or just forgot to run the buns through the toaster, but they tasted twice as good for some reason. (Ordering a Big Mac is a rarity for me, but that night I wanted a couple.)

Next time you get a hankering for a Big Mac, ask for untoasted buns.

[carlson]

Was this a McJoke?
I expected to see the socialist website as a source~

[GeronL]

M

[paulklenk]

I LOVE my Egg McMuffin. Ever try one on a biscuit instead of an english muffin? They're great, plus, when you order it that way, they have to make it fresh.

Another little-known secret to enjoying McDonald's food, instead of just tolerating it: Well-salted french fries. If there's too little salt, they're awful. Lots of salt -- ooh, baby, yum!

[general_re]

We need an IP McLawyer to render an opinion on McSuing dictionaries over McTrademarked terms...

[scan58]

Wouldn't the CEO's time be better spent developing a burger that is actually edible?

Like eating soggy ketchup sponges. blech!

[GeronL]

Only a massive dose of Mcketchup......

[Gideon7]

Owner-managers of a McD's can do quite well for themselves. When I bought my house at the final signing I noticed that the homeowner and his wife had gold diamond rings with the the "M" embossed on them. I asked them about it. He told me they owned a McD restaurant (some McDs are company owned but most are franchised). They were trading up to a new house that I estimated had to be worth at least $600,000.

[general_re]

Hey, waitaminute, isn't xshub an IP McLawyer? Personally, I would guess that McD's is McToast when it comes to McSuing, but what's his McTake on this? Is a McLawsuit against the McDictionary people over trademarked McTerms likely to get anywhere?

[dighton]

McBump.

[Husker24]

Next time you get a hankering for a Big Mac, ask for untoasted buns

They'll make you pull over and wait.

[paulklenk]

I don't mind the wait. Hey, I even got a manager at the Times Square McDonald's to scramble some fresh eggs for me (I'm on Atkins) so I wouldn't break my diet. The place is a huge MdDonald's and this guy didn't mind a bit. They didn't even use those disgusting powdered eggs, but fresh ones.

[dighton]

By the way, did you ever see Ronald McDonald and Daniel Smith in the same room?

[GeronL]

The Workers McWorld?

[Paleo Conservative]

Image is very important to them.

But their "food" which inditinguishable from cardboard is not.

[Keyes2000mt]

McDonalds is truly a dead end. I worked three fast food restaurants and McDonalds was the worst as an employer. Arby's was decent and Taco Bell was okay, but McDonalds was bizarre. They hired me and gave me a one month probationary period, they had me spend almost all my time cleaning the lobby and doing little things around the restaurant and then my final week of probation they didn't give me hours. They ended up firing me because they thought I just "couldn't do burgers". Maybe if they'd given me more than 1 hour of experience doing something other than cleaning up and taking out the trash, it'd have been different.

The worst part is that they messed up several jobs down the line for me by giving anyone who called them a negative reference, even though in firing me, my manager admitted I was "a great guy". The three weeks I worked at McDonald deadended me for a long time.

[general_re]

I understand David-Wynn: Miller has left the country, perhaps destined for McDonaldLand?

[dighton]

... for the McUninitiated ...

[banjo joe]

the world's largest restaurant chain

Huh?
I'm sure their Dilbert-style mission statement is more like "... muti-national multi-unit food service vendor..."

[banjo joe]

Yes, stepping stone. My first "real" job at 16. I already knew about hard work and self-discipline and schedules even at that age. McD's taught me that if I were going to be abused by management, I'd at least go to college, get a career going and be well paid while being abused by mgt.

[Wilhelm Tell]

"FOR THIS EDUCATIONAL-CORRECTION OF ALL LANGUAGES IS WITH THE TRUTHFUL-LANGUAGE OF THESE UNITY-STATESOF OUR WORLD. FOR THESE SOVEREIGN-CHARTER-VESSEL-CITIZENS WITH THIS KNOWLEDGE ARE WITH THESE OUTLINES BY THESE TERMS OF THIS TRUTH-LANAGUAGE-CLAIM-STUDY-GUIDE ON THIS WEB-SITE."

Okay, I'll admit it. I'm confused. I speak English, German, do okay in Russian, and have a fair reading comprehension in several other languages (including languages as diverse as Church Slavonic and Classical Chinese). However, I have never heard about this "EDUCATIONAL-CORRECTION OF ALL LANGUAGES" (whatever that means), that has something to do with the "TRUTHFUL-LANGUAGE OF THESE UNITY-STATESOF OUR WORLD" (whatever that is), that evidently will somehow help "THESE SOVEREIGN-CHARTER-VESSEL-CITIZENS" (whoever they are). I gather that the nifty "TRUTH-LANAGUAGE-CLAIM-STUDY-GUIDE" they generously offer on their website will explain this mystery.

Perhaps I am missing something, but I would think that this "EDUCATIONAL-CORRECTION OF ALL LANGUAGES" (whatever that means), would involve the proper use of capitalization and punctuation, and that it would aviod run-on sentences. Then again, perhaps these "SOVEREIGN-CHARTER-VESSEL-CITIZENS" (whoever they are) have their own special language. Perhaps they themselves are overdue for a little "EDUCATIONAL-CORRECTION."

[Bonaparte]

The sausage mcmuffin is great. Two of those (chased down with a thermos of my "special" coffee) and I'm good to go.

[clee1]

I haven't eaten McD's food in almost 20 years.... except a recently filched McFrenchFry. They have even ruined those.

McDonalds McSucks.

McDonalds is your kinda place,
We spit right in your face.
Stick french fries up your nose,
Put pickles between your toes.
And don't forget our chocolate shakes,
They're made out of polluted lakes,
McDonalds is your kinda place!

[bluefish]

Weird. Personally, I think all contracts should be written in Zoom's "Ubber Dubber" language.

Hmm.. There has to be a website somewhere that explains that mysterious and bewildering language from that childhood show. I was always too lazy to send in my request for the instructions, along with my "SASE." I guess I'm too lazy to look it up too.

[ItsForTheChildren]

They should start catering more to adults. It'd be nice to be able to get a McScrewdriver or maybe pick up a carton of Grimace Lites.

< nod to Gary McNamara at WBAP>

[zeugma]

I just must not be very hip. I've never heard the term before, but I like it, as it is incredibly descriptive. I knew exactly what it meant at first glance without reading their description. That's what language is for. Unlike the french, we english-speaking people love to beg, borrow, or even just make up words if we feel the need. This makes english incredibly weird at times, but because of our willingness to glob on to a word if we feel it is useful, there is little you can say in any other language that can't be adequitely described in english. That's not really quite as true from the other direction in most cases.

Language is a powerful tool. Anything that sharpens the tool is a welcome addition IMO.

Note: Zeugma has a specific meaning.

[RedBloodedAmerican]

LOL! Hey, it gets great mileage!

[Colonel Jim]

The food is Mc Nasty!