With all of the hoopla about transfats and childhood obesity, McDonald’s seemed intent on positioning themselves as something short of evil. They’d just launched a program enlisting six moms to act as “quality correspondents” for their food, giving them complete access to the company’s operations. The aim, of course, is to have these six moms convince the rest of us that McDonald’s food is wholesome and nutritious.

It’s an uphill battle. They can put all the white meat they want into McNuggets, they can offer apple slices and skim milk on the side, but fried food is fried food, and it’s never going to be healthy.

The very same moms who worry about whether other people will call them “bad parents” for not making their kids wear helmets while bicycling, for letting them stay up too late, for watching too much TV — these are the moms who are now worrying that feeding their kids fast food on a regular basis also qualifies as bad parenting. These are the same moms at whom the McDonald’s Mom Brigage is aimed at winning over right now.

And for the rest of us? Let there be McMovies — self-serve kiosks within McDonald’s stores that let busy parents rent a movie for $1. The catch? You have to return it the next day which means, naturally, that you must return to McDonald’s. Just go ahead and try doing that with kids in tow while refusing to buy them yet another Happy Meal.

Evil, evil McDonald’s. I am so not lovin’ it.
[tags]McDonald’s, Mom Brigade, fast food, childhood obesity, movie rental[/tags]