Madness In The Middle Kingdom

Well .. I have to say it .. my first job was working at McDonald’s. Yes - I had a McJob. In 1984 Van Halen was hitting their climax and mom decided that I was too old (16) to be laying around the house for yet another summer so when I became old enough to drive it was time to start earning some gas money. I was interviewed by head manager Rob (last name?) and his girlfriend Janet W. who left the store not long after my arrival but I believe there was no connection to the two events. They did ask me why I wanted the job and I wish I could remember what I answered. I would lay 50:50 odds on either “I don’t know” or “My mom wants me to get a job.” Somehow they sensed that despite my awkwardness I was a budding McDonald’s team member. I rose quickly through the ranks earning the titles of crew chief and then breakfast manager but further career ambitions within the corporation were put on the back burner so that I could attend UBC. Although people mock the job I have to say that it was one of the best professional development experiences of my life. For a kid that didn’t play sports it was also a great way to make new friends and I, like everyone, always wanted to wear a set of navy blue polyester pants with matching shirt. I am sure that back home some photos of me in the uni exist but fortunately I have none to post here. So here is my tribute to that great corporation the gave me my first big break.

McDonald’s Trivia

1) Nearly one in eight workers in the US has at some time been employed by McDonald’s.
2) Since its founding in 1955, McDonald’s has sold well over 100 billion hamburgers.
3) Sarah Michelle Gellar was sued by McDonalds at the age of four. She appeared in a Burger King advert where she said, “Do I look 20 per cent smaller to you? I must have at McDonalds because their hamburgers are 20 per cent smaller than Burger King’s.” It was the first time a company used another company’s name in an advert so McDonald’s sued Burger King, the advertising agency, and Sarah herself.
4) Montpelier, Vermont is the only U.S. state capital without a McDonald’s.
5) There are an average of 178 sesame seeds on a McDonald’s Big Mac bun.
6) On average, McDonald’s opens a new restaurant every three hours
7) The largest McDonald’s restaurant internationally measures more than 28,000 square feet and is located in Beijing, in the People’s Republic of China.

McDonald’s Vids

Here are the 3 lamest videos I could find on YouTube

1) Jason Alexander aka George Costanza does a McDLT commercial in the 80’s

2) Willard Scott debuts as the first Ronald McDonald

3) “You deserve a break today” commercial from the 70’s

Damn did I get hungry writing this post!