I'll Sell You a Life Experience from the Dollar Menu

This is meant to be read in more of a matter-of-fact tone

than a condescending tone (though the condescension is still intentional)

Advertisement is everywhere you turn. It's unescapable and many people have gotten smarter about what to spend money on after the recent recession. To keep people buying, some business have gone to a technique of implying that buying their product will also give the buyer a life experience. An example from McDonalds would be here (Since this won't open at school, I'll try to my best to describe the video in these brackets. Two different teenagers are hanging out with their own group of friends at a McDonalds. The boy steals glances at the girl in the other group and then they are both glancing at one another. The boy walks over to the girl to talk to her as a voice in the background says, "Where else can you go on your first date without even know it.").

I was raised by my parents with the idea that McDonalds was no place to eat (which I do thank them for). The idea of going to McDonalds could be best represented by a conversation between my sister and father. After being indecisive about what to eat, my father said, "Well, let's go to McDonalds," to which my sister instantly replied, "Eww..."

Back to the commercial. My first reaction was one of disgust and annoyance. "So this ad is saying that people can get a life experience such as going on a first date or having courage in a moment like that or starting anew by eating at McDonalds?" was my first thought. I wanted to speak back and say that that wasn't likely and that they were sending the wrong message to teens (and what about all the concern on the obesity of youth in America?). There was another commercial similar to this one about a group of teenagers hanging out and having fun while eating McDonalds. Needless to say, I had a very similar reaction.

Tvspotstv. "YouTube - McDONALD'S - FIRST DATE." YouTube - Broadcast Yourself. 24 Feb. 2011. Web. 28 Feb. 2011. .