McDonald's withdraws blasphemous Happy Meal

Hamburgers and religion have proven to be a less-than-tasty combination here in France recently although they've certainly been making the news.

After the French fast food chain Quick sparked a row which took on political dimensions following its decision in November last year to take non-halal products and pork off the menu in eight of its 350 branches, McDonald's has found itself the target of criticism.

And at the centre of the controversy has been its Happy Meal for children, which has upset a Catholic priest in the southwestern département of Tarn, led him to call for a local boycott of the fast food giant and brought about a swift reaction and an apology from McDonald's itself.

It's not actually the food as such that has upset Xavier Cormary, the priest in the town of Saint-Suplice, although there are certainly those who would question its nutritional value and place within this country's cuisine. But that's quite another issue.

Instead it was the booklet that accompanied each meal and which contained a number of games and puzzles, one of which he and some of his parishioners found "bordering on the blasphemous".

The game in question shows a design, taken from the popular cartoon series and books for children, Kid Paddle, in which readers have to try to break a code to discover what a bishop is saying as he addresses a couple about to be married.

Harmless enough in the simple description perhaps, except the bishop, who along with the couple is drawn in the form of a misshapen potato, is holding a crucifix depicting Jesus as a frog, and his words, once the code is deciphered read, ""Do you accept to take Suzanne, here present, for dinner?"



Father Comary was incensed when he was made aware of the puzzle at the end of February and, being more than a little Internet-savvy, wrote exactly what he thought about it on his blog.

"Once again, the Christian faith is ridiculed," he wrote. "Marriage is violated, the bishop is mocked, and the crucifix is represented in a form that is offensive to beliefs that are at the heart of our Christian faith."

The 37-year-old didn't stop there though.

He called on parishioners to boycott branches of the fast food chain in the nearby towns of Gaillac and Lavaur, wrote directly to McDonald's France management and the publishers of the game and the original comic books.

And all to good effect it would appear, because according the local newspaper, La Dépêche, not only has he received an apology, but the booklet containing the game that had "caused offence" has been withdrawn.

Nathalie Febvre from McDonald's France customer services reportedly sent an email to the priest earlier this month in which she stressed there had been "no wish in any way to offend the sensibilities of its customers," and that "McDonald's would no longer be distributing Kid Paddle at its restaurants."

McDonald's at the Louvre - quelle horreur!

The Louvre in Paris is about to get a new neighbour, as the US fast food chain, McDonald's, plans to open an outlet in the underground mall (Carousel du Louvre) at the approach to the museum.

And "Quelle horreur" seems to be the response from many according to a report in Britain's Daily Telegraph.

Any trip to France of course means enjoying some of the fine grub for which this country is rightly proud.

France even has an application pending with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) to honour its cuisine.

But if you think the French take a traditionally dim view of US culture and especially its food and drink, think again.

Yes it might well seem to some a little incongruous having such a symbol of modern "culture" right next to a temple of art, but Starbucks is already in the Carrousel du Louvre.

Then there are the facts and figures for McDo's (as it's called here) that speak for themselves.

There are over 1,000 outlets here already. In fact the one opening within waddling distance of the museum will be its 1,142nd as it celebrates 30 years of business in France.

And besides why should the Louvre be spared the same fate that has already "befallen" other prestigious French sites such as the place du Capitole in the heart of Toulouse?

McDonald's, place du Capitole, Toulouse

The French clearly love burgers. McDonald's itself opened 30 new outlets last year and collectively its eateries reportedly pulled in 450 million customers making it the company's biggest market outside of the US.

The country even has its own fast food restaurant chain (although it started life as Belgian) in the shape of Quick, with over 300 restaurants.

And get this.

In last week's episode of the reality television game show Koh Lanta, the French equivalent of Survivor, what did the two contestants who won the reward challenge get as their luxury?

Yep you've guessed it. Burger and chips in the middle of the jungle.

Oh well. Perhaps it's a lost cause and the French shouldn't be too snooty about McDo's setting up shop right next to the Louvre.

Make mine a Mona Lisa burger please - with French fries of course.

When French fries spell a lawsuit

A woman from the northeastern French town of Rheims is seeking €100, 000 in compensation for slipping on a chip - the French fries variety and nothing to do with uneven flooring or a broken paving stone.

On Tuesday Nicole Borgnon had her day in court to tell her side of an incident that has left her disabled and unable to walk properly.

(from wikipedia)

If you thought your were all done with the madness that seems to be the French justice system at the moment - think again.

Here's yet another post on an issue that's costing the French tax payer serious money as it makes its way through the country's courts. It could also result in a hefty bill for the company being sued.

And although it has been treated with a degree of lightheartedness by the French media and seems at first sight rather superficial, there is undoubtedly a lot at stake - not least for Borgnon, for whom the consequences of the incident upon which the case is based, have been life-altering.

It happened late one evening in September 2007 when Borgnon popped into the local branch of Quick - a French-Belgian fast food chain similar to McDonald's.

The 38-year-old left the premises, not with hamburgers for her four children as she had been intending, but with a triple fracture of the knee. She subsequently underwent surgery and as a consequence of that operation, suffered a pulmonary embolism (a blockage of the pulmonary artery).

Borgnon claims she slipped on a French frie that had been lying on the floor of the restaurant, and since the incident her life has never been the same. Today she is unable to work and cannot walk unaided.

"(Since I slipped) My life has been turned upside down," she told French television.

"I no longer have the kind of life I had before. I can't do what I want with my children or my husband. We don't go out and I have to go three times a week for physiotherapy."

Far from being a frivolous affair as the story as has been portrayed in much of the French media, Borgnon's lawyer believes the case highlights the obligation any restaurant has to ensure the safety and security of its clientele.

"Today we're faced with a woman who is incapicitated, who has lost her job because of a fall (caused by a chip)," said Emmanuel Ludot.

"But above all we have the behaviour of the restaurant, which refused to take responsibility because it didn't want to declare an accident having occurred on its premises to its insurance company."

While the management doesn't deny that Borgnon fell on its premises, it disputes her version of the event and insists rather that she tripped over her own feet.

"On the day in question there was no food on the floor. It was clean and dry," said Francis Fossier, the lawyer for the fast food chain, and he maintains there is no evidence to prove otherwise.

"The woman simply slipped herself because of the heels she was wearing," he added.

"A ridiculous case is being made of a simple accident, with a claim for an extraordinary sum of money."

Furthermore he insists that there were four other customers in the restaurant at the time who all testified that there was nothing on the floor. The only person to corroborate Borgnon's claims, he said, was her sister who had accompanied her inside.

Before the claim is settled, Borgnon's lawyer also wants the court to order an independent medical report to ascertain the full extent of her injuries.

A ruling on the case is expected in mid December.