Subway restaurants in Germany pull controversial promotion--on fat America

Subway franchise holders in Germany have killed a promotional tie-in to the documentary “Super Size Me” after conservative interest groups in the United States accused the campaign of fomenting “anti-American” sentiments.

Conservative groups began an Internet and letter-writing campaign late last week aimed at top Pentagon and Congressional leaders to protest tray liners that appeared in German Subway restaurants to promote the July 15 German premiere of the documentary “Super Size Me.”

In the film, which bills itself as “an irreverent look at obesity in America and one of its sources — fast food corporations,” independent filmmaker Morgan Spurlock gains 24 pounds after 30 days eating nothing but McDonald’s fast food, three times a day.

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The most offensive element of the campaign, the letter to DeLuca said, is the tray liner’s cartoon depiction of a plump Statue of Liberty holding fries and a hamburger, which makes “mockery of our national symbol.”

But the notion of an ever-expanding Statue of Liberty “is a major theme in the film,” Winograd said, not something that was created specifically for the tray liners.

The groups also objected to the promotion’s “derogatory” use of the word “Ami,” as shorthand for “American,” Boehm said.

“It’s a little like calling someone from Japan a ‘Jap’,” Boehm said. “No other major U.S. corporation markets their product by making ethnic, religious, or prejudicial” references to their customers.


http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=23614

This cross the pond censorship will only drive more to see it. And there is no "expanding Statue of Liberty" in the film so not sure where that comes from.

but the Subway chain has been pushing "health food" so I guess this all ties in.

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The tray liners “were in bad taste and not the way to behave in the global community,” Boehm said in a Monday telephone interview. “You don’t want to politicize fast food, for crying out loud.”
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Seems to me these assholes with no sense of humor are the ones politicizing it.

And, there are some of us who DO want to politicize fast food.

jesus lighten up & face facts - america is a big tub of lard.

Is that a reference to the Latin word for friend? Or the acronym for acute myocardial infarction?

I think 'Ami' would give most Europeans an impression of 'friend'.

BULLSHIT.

I was flipping thru the cable channels when I first
woke up ....:puke:

It is just a tiny "Supersize Me" ad hanging in some of the restaurants. I had to look for it; without the (American) media reaction I would have never even noticed the ad.

As to the term "Ami"; it started as a slur, but is not really considered that way any more. I have to admit that "Diese verrückten Amis" (those wacky Amis) is a somewhat common expression, but "Ami" is used with positive meaning as well. (in contrast, "yank" is usually used as slur-word for Americans).

I'd say the ad was an attack against McDonald's, the biggest Fast Food Chain in Germany, not America in general (It tries to show Subway as a better US company).

There ya' go. :prosit: :toast:

Sometimes I just wonder what the American public would think, should the German Government go against car ads displaying Germans as speeders. Or shows featuring Germans as fat, Lederhosen-clad Polka players.

So now instead of a tiny (10 Restaurants or so) campaign of Letter-sized ads, now there is the media (the American media, mind you, not the European) reporting about humorless, prima-donna-like, censoring, ... Americans. A huge improvement, if you ask me :eyes:


On a lighter note :-):
Long time, no see :yourock:

Naaaa, Du, sie sind sehr SEHR emfindlich! (Über sich selbst. Paß auf!) ;-) :hi: :loveya: :hi: