Essay Eighteen

Here are a few MultiCultClassics Minutes:

• McDonald’s is seeking more street cred, now offering loot to rappers for Big Mac rhymes. Apparently, the fast food leader was not lovin’ the dope tracks being produced by Leo Burnett, DDB and Burrell. Imagine that. Of course, there’s a catch with this McDeal. For starters, the Mickey DJ’s in Oak Brook, Illinois must approve all lyrics prior to payment. This can only be good news for MC Hammer.

• American Girl continues to stand behind its controversial Latina doll, despite increased protests. Latinos have taken offense to the character’s fictional origin — where Marisol Luna flees her dangerous urban ‘hood for the suburbs. The company refuses to admit any wrongdoing, eagerly revealing the story was actually written by a Latino author. American Girl also sells a Black doll whose tale states she was a former slave. Future dolls will probably include Native American Girl running a casino with her alcoholic father, Asian American Girl working at a dry cleaner, and Italian American Girl with Mafia ties. You go, Girl.

• This week’s edition of Advertising Age features a photo of Tom Burrell with his Hall of Fame award. Burrell is joined by agency successors Fay Ferguson, McGhee Williams and Steve Conner. When Burrell retired last year, the press releases claimed the trio would run the shop as equals. But the Ad Age photo caption only lists Ferguson and Williams as co-CEOs. Did someone decide three’s a crowd?

• The Reverend Jesse Jackson is on a whirlwind tour, hooking up with Michael Jackson and Terri Schiavo. Keep hype alive!

• Speaking of Michael Jackson, it’s sad to see his latest claims of being a victim of racism. Did R. Kelly ever resort to playing the race card? But it’s most pathetic to see the talk-show folks joke that Jackson doesn’t qualify as a victim because he’s no longer Black — why do these closet Klan members consider themselves comedians?