This is why we can’t have nice things, internet.
Halfway through writing this article, I started feeling slightly gluttonous since it’s my second consecutive entry that defends a fast food chain. But here we go.
One of my guilty pleasures is reading the featured stories on Yahoo.com. Don’t judge me. By now, I should be an expert on how to cut my cable bill, the top five workout myths, and what Justin Bieber wore to some award shows I’ll never watch.
So I was pleasantly surprised when I saw this story: Racial hoax causes PR headache for McDonald’s. It’s practically the Yahoo! trifecta – overanalysis of an internet rumor, a major brand, and a little race controversy to stir up the commenters. Please and thank you.
The gist of the article is that someone tweeted a (clearly fake) photo of a (phony) McDonald’s flyer that (wrongfully) depicted the restaurant charging African Americans an extra $1.50 per transaction for insurance purposes (it wasn’t). Shockingly, the Twittersphere fell for the gag hook, line, and sinker. Even after Mickey D’s vehemently proclaimed the photo to be a hoax, #SeriouslyMcDonalds became a trending topic on Twitter.
[Insert forehead slap here]
You know your cousin that always whines about being treated like a kid but then eggs the library once a month because he’s bored? Yeah, the internet is the Cousin Travis of the media world. Come on, people, show some common sense. No prominent figure would screw up so royally over social media. Oh, wait. Still, just be cool guys, be cool.
Tagged with internet, McDonald's, rumor, Yahoo!