I Don’t Trust People Who Claim They Don’t Like McDonald’s
Photo by Brett Jordan/Unsplash
I try not to judge people based on superficial traits, viewpoints or ideas. You like Marvel movies? Fine. I’m sure you have plenty of other good qualities that make up for that small flaw. But there are a few that cross the line for me: Not being obsessed with cats. Not preferring train over other forms of transit. And, perhaps most importantly, not liking McDonald’s.
I don’t care if you choose not to eat McDonald’s. In fact, it’s probably better if most of us eat there less—the food is far from healthy, and more importantly, the chain has come under fire for alleged human rights abuses. McDonald’s is the food world’s face of capitalism, its imperialistic golden arches looming over landscapes across the globe. In many ways, McDonald’s stands for everything I’m against, so I don’t judge people who choose not to eat there, whether for health or ideological reasons.
Who I do judge, though, are the people who claim not to like the food the ubiquitous chain is known for. I’m sorry, but I just don’t buy it. The food at McDonald’s has been designed to taste as good as possible; there are scientists whose literal job it is to make sure you want to take another bite of your Big Mac. McDonald’s food is at the height of hyperpalatability: It’s so full of salt, fat and sugar that our bodies struggle to turn it down. To refuse a McChicken because you know it’s going to make you feel awful makes sense, but to turn it down because it doesn’t taste good? I frankly find it hard to believe.