Essay Sixty-Six

MultiCultClassics Minutes enjoys a Happy Meal with a Memin Pinguin surprise…

• Mickey D’s is huddling with culture and fashion icons to brainstorm new designs for its uniforms. The brainstormtroopers include Russell Simmons, P. Diddy and Tommy Hilfiger. A Mickey D’s representative said, “We’re looking at how do we make our uniforms more appealing, more desirable.” Here’s a suggestion: Make the job less of a dead end, demeaning, depressing, demoralizing, dogshit duty. Just a thought.

• It seems like only a few months ago Mickey D’s was huddling with rappers to brainstorm new lyrics for its Big Mac jingle. Oh, wait a minute. It was only a few months ago. Looks as if Ronald is a McWannabe.

• Over 1.3 billion offended. That’s the population of China, which Mickey D’s managed to upset with a commercial broadcast on Chinese TV. The ad depicted a man begging on his knees, which is considered a humiliating act. Following complaints, Mickey D’s apologized and pulled the Leo Burnett-created spot. Although most people worldwide are still awaiting an apology for the McGriddles® breakfast sandwich.

• Now a group of Black Mexicans is protesting the release of the infamous Memin Pinguin stamps, arguing the character is stereotypical and racist — plus, they’re demanding an apology from President Vicente Fox. Apparently, the comic book hero is not as widely cherished in Mexico as Fox believed. The group has quite a job to do in order to wrench a mea culpa from the president. There’s no doubt these Black Mexican men and women — full of dignity, willpower and a capacity for work — are doing the work that not even Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton want to do.