"Controversy" news and stories

To many, Ronald McDonald is seen as international symbol of fun and good cheer. But lately he's not so popular among a group of Swedish parents who don't want him or the McDonald's corporation in their children's classrooms.

Reports in Swedish newspapers this week are saying that several schools have been using McDonald's (for possibly as long as four years) branded worksheets to teach fifth grade students English. Apparently, the worksheets contain passages that read like thinly veiled "advertising copy" according to one parent. The passage includes a brief history of the first McDonald's established in London.

The text also reportedly advises students to substitute carrots for French fries to eat with their burgers, and encourages them to snack on Big Macs while watching football.

Hindu goddess Lakshmi. Photo: Meanest Indian, Flickr

For the second time this year, Burger King has apologized for a sandwich ad. The burger chain has pulled an ad showing the Hindu goddess Lakshmi's image over a sandwich after complaints that it implied the deity ate beef; Hindus believe the cow is sacred.

The Hindu American Foundation, via its website, called for an immediate cease to the campaign calling it, "highly disrespectful and offensive to Hindus worldwide."

The ad, which ran only in Spain, showed Lakshmi over a trio of foods (including a doughnut) with the phrase "la merienda es sagrada" -- the snack is sacred, the Telegraph reports.

"We are apologizing because it wasn't our intent to offend anyone," spokeswoman Denise T. Wilson said to the Telegraph. "Burger King Corporation values and respects all of its guests as well as the communities we serve. This in-store advertisement was running to support only local promotion for three restaurants in Spain and was not intended to offend anyone -- out of respect for the Hindu community, the limited-time advertisement has been removed from the restaurants."

In April, a Burger King ad for the "Texican" burger that showing a small wrestler with a Mexican-flag-like cape angered Mexican officials, prompting the chain to apologize.

[Via Telegraph]

Dunkin' Donuts TV ads featuring goonishly smiley Food Network personality Rachel Ray have been pulled after a right wing commenter claimed Ray's scarf looks like Palestinian garment. Seriously?

Noted Fox News wingnut Michelle Malkin proclaimed that the black and white scarf resembled the checkered kiffiyah traditionally worn by Palestinians. And therefore must somehow be associated with terrorism. And Dunkin' Donuts, as you know, is into supporting Islamic terrorism. Not just, you know, making Boston Cremes.

The scarf, as you can see, is a tasseled number probably purchased at Saks. Dunkin' Donuts: I love your chocolate glazed, but you should be ashamed of yourself for capitulating to such nonsense.

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Meat and milk from cloned animals have been deemed safe by the FDA and won't make it to market for some time yet, which is a relief to many consumers because the USDA has also determined that there needs to be no label distinguishing between cloned meat and naturally-bred meat and some would like to see that policy change before the products are on store shelves. Another issue that needs definition is whether or not clones can be organic. Many feel that as long as the clones are "raised organically," living the same lifestyle and receiving the same food as conventionally organic animals, they should receive the designation.

Others, all supporters of the organic movement, range from strongly against the issue to rabidly against it. The terms "organic" and "cloned" just don't belong together, they say. The current guidelines state that genetically modified foods cannot be consider organic. By implication, an animal made in a lab - even if it isn't "genetically modified" - should also be excluded. "Surely, these opponents conclude, no animal is more engineered than a clone."

For the moment, it seems that the current organic rules would apply and that it would not be difficult for cloned foods to qualify as such, but ultimately, the decision lies in the hands of the USDA, which could be considered by an advisory panel as early as spring. After this decision, we may see a revision of the definition of "organic" itself.

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A Texas-based pizza chain, Pizza Patron, is now accepting pesos at all of their 59 nationwide locations. Many of the stores, particularly those in Texas (others are in California, Nevada, Arizona and Colorado) are located in primarily Latino neighborhoods and, according to the director of restaurant operations for the company, "many of [the] customers travel back and forth to Mexico regularly, and sometimes they end up with pesos left over... [so] now we also welcome the currency of our homeland. We want to make Pizza Patron a better choice for our customers than any of our competitors." The program is a trial one that will last from now until at least the end of February, although it could be extended if it is met with a positive reaction from the customer base.

Even though it has only been in place for a week, the plan has not met with a warm reception. The company has received "hundreds of e-mails," most of them critical. The fact that 10% of sales this week in the chain's five primary stores were in pesos, however, is probably enough to keep the plan in action for another few weeks.