McDonald’s will Open Inside the Louvre
File this news under things that should never, ever happen. Does anyone recall when we went to war in Iraq and France did not approve and we changed the name of our fried potato creations to Freedom Fries? Because that was the way to get them back. But apparently pure American egoism has now found a better way, by installing a cookie-cutter example of our greatest fast food super chain in the shopping area under France’s, and possibly the world’s, greatest cultural institution.
By November, a McDonald’s will indeed open in the Carrousel du Louvre, right next to a new ticket booth. Possibly the best line that has come out of this atrocity was published in the NY Daily News article on the matter:
The first sight the Louvre’s 8 million annual visitors will encounter won’t be the “Winged Victory of Samothrace” but the Golden Arches of Oak Brook, Ill.”
What I don’t understand about this story is it seems common, decent sense, something I thought the French had, would immediately cause one to reject this idea. So how the hell did McDonald’s get approval to build so close to the building that houses the world’s greatest art? The Louvre itself issued a bland statement, akin to we don’t really care about this that much. From the New York Times:
In a statement, the Louvre said it welcomed the fact that its visitors, ‘French or foreign,’ would be able to enjoy ‘a rich and varied’ selection of restaurants.”
According to the same article, last year Louvre employees and art patrons petitioned the opening of a Starbucks near the museum. But the Starbucks opened despite the clamoring. So maybe this is the beginning of the low-brow Louvre?
via McDonald’s invades Mona Lisa’s lair, will open eatery inside Louvre.
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The Americans overly stressed hatred of France comes from them making a rational decision about not entering a bullshit war.
Desperate times call for desperate measures.this seems more about the Louvre not making enough money and trying to appeal to more customers.
Its been a while since I’ve last been there but I’m sure the Louvre already has some other chain fast food restaurant like a Croc cafe or something. If people don’t like the concept- don’t eat there, it will not make money and at some point the rent will become too much and it should fail.
i really hope its next the DaVinci code book store!
[...] Mucho se ha hablado de la próxima apertura de un McDonald’s en el Louvre. Una vergüenza, un escándalo, el hundimiento de Occidente, bla, bla,bla. Dios me libre de [...]