French angry over McDonald's at Louvre

First published at washingtontimes.com

French lovers of fine dining and fine art are upset over plans to open a McDonald's restaurant at the Louvre museum next month, the Telegraph is reporting.

The fast-food franchise plans to open its 1,142 restaurant in France -- just a few yards from the entrance of the world's most visited art museum. The opening will celebrate McDonald's 30th year in France.

Louvre staffers already have expressed outrage over McDonald's plans.

Maybe the French would prefer Burger King? After all, Burger King did turn the French croissant into the Croissan'Wich. Mmm, tasty.

I wonder if the servers in French McDonald's are as rude as servers in other French restaurants. That would be a tough act to pull off. "Do you want pomme frites with that?"

If I went to the McDonald's at the Louvre, I'd ask the server what French wine goes best with a Big Mac. Probably a red burgnundy -- or whichever one looks like root beer.

But, of course, it's all about culture, and the French will tell you that they're just dripping in it. So along comes the unwashed, uncouth Americans too sully all they value most highly -- language, cuisine, hauteur. Guess we Americans are too focused on liberte, egalite, fraternite.

 

 

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Comments

[AddyGmom]

The French were outraged by the Tour Eiffel. And the Pyramid at the Louvre. I imagine they will survive the trials of a McDonald's which in France does serve 1664 beer. Makes the Quarter-Pounder a lot more user friendly.

Don't be surprised if they serve a Burgundy. And BTW ---There is a food court at the Louvre.

[UnePetiteParisienne]

So many tired clichés I don't even know where to start ...
Rude servers, the alleged arrogance / superiority complex of French people regarding culture...

Why don't you just save time and use a random French-bashing generating column ? Very easy you see : just take any anti-French rant from the likes of Bill O'Reilly, Rush Limbaugh or Glenn Beck (you should find ample material by going back to the run-up to the Iraq war), add a dollop of attacks on John Kerry for (OMG !) speaking French, mix'em up : VOILA ! Then, with all the time thus saved, you can go back to eating your freedom fries ....

PS : for your information, there already IS a Mac Donalds not 50 yards away form the Louvre entrance (it's on the rue de Rivoli).... and NO the French people did not protest its opening.

[cktirumalai]

A McDonald's close to the Louvre would probably strike most of the French as the equivalent of serving a burger to the Mona Lisa. Different cultures are outraged by different things. Attacking the barbarity of bull-fighting in Pamplona would provoke violent rage, and perhaps something beyond it. Americans would not be revolted by a McDonald's near one of their own august museums, though not all would approve of it. Henry Ford captured one side of America when he declared history bunk.