Compulsive Theft Spending & Hoarding Newsletter March 2018

McDonald’s Recent “Dollar Menu Klepto Deal” Ad

by

Terry Shulman

I have a sense of humor and I’m don’t consider myself to be too politically correct, but please take a moment to click on this recent 1-minute McDonald’s commercial (if you haven’t already seen it or even if you have):

McDonald’s Recent “Dollar Menu Klepto Deal” Ad

Did you laugh? It’s okay if you did. I understand. I did not laugh the first time I saw it but I understand that I’m coming from a different place. No, I didn’t laugh. I actually felt shocked. I honestly couldn’t believe how the oldest, largest, most popular and, likely, most profitable fast food giant could actually green-light an ad poking fun at any mental health condition and use the short-hand, often derogatory, term “klepto” right there front and center.
What’s wrong with this picture? While kleptomania is a relatively rare condition-it affects between 1/2 to 1 percent of the population, it has been recognized as a legitimate disorder for nearly a century. Whether we call it kleptomania or “theft addiction/addictive-compulsive stealing” (an evolving diagnosis distinct from and far more common than kleptomania), I can tell you from personal and professional experience that for people who suffer from these conditions, it’s no laughing matter. And commercials such as McDonakd’s do nothing to help this; actually, it’s likely they minimize, mock, and further stigmatize and shame individuals and also impact their loved ones.

Now, again, before you call me a “kill-joy” or say I can’t take a joke, we’re not living in the 1950s where political incorrectness was the norm. We’re not talking about a bit in a stand-up comic’s routine which, often, are designed to be provocative. Consider that just two years ago, McDonald’s was struggling to keep up with the progressive trend in the fast-food industry to offer healthier food options, recycling efforts to help the environment, increased wages and benefits, and more diversity and cultural trainings. They even hired a new CEO, Steve Easterbrook to replace Don Thompson. Online business writer Gary Silverman penned a January 1, 2016 article titled “Politically Correct McDonald’s Is On a Roll: The Burger Chain Is Adjusting to More Modem Marketing Methods.” See: Article

I’ve racked my brain to recall recent “controversially offensive’ commercials and it didn’t take too long to remember a few that others, at least found offensive even if I didn’t. There’s the infamous Carl’s burger commercial with the scantily clad model sensuously devouring her burger (sex sells, yes, but I wonder if the #MeToo movement will have a tempering (and lasting) effect on advertising. And then there was PepsiCo’s 2013 Mountain Dew Ad (which I never saw but found online) that has been called “The Most Racist Ad Ever” (and which was created by an African-American man!) See: Most Racist Ad Ever?

I guess I was naive to think that mental illness was a sacred cow, not to be made fun of. You’d think McDonald’s would have learned this lesson in 2013 when it was called to task for using depression to sell Big Macs. Here’s a short online article from that year…. See also: Sorry Ad

Think mental illness is funny? McDonald’s doesn’t. The fast food giant is distancing itself from an ad that is said to trivialize depression.

The ad, which appeared on Boston’s mass transit this month, shows a woman with her head in her hand, and a headline that reads: “You’re Not Alone.” In smaller print are the words: “Millions of people love the Big Mac,” and included is an 800 number that is the line for McDonald’s.

Nicole DiNoia, a McDonald’s rep for the Boston area, said in a statement to Time magazine that the ad was “not approved by McDonald’s and that we asked that it be taken down immediately.” She adds: “We have an approval process in place with our marketing and advertising agencies to ensure that all advertising content is consistent with our brand values. Regrettably, in this incident, that process was not followed. We sincerely apologize for this error.

“The Boston Herald reported that the agency behind the ad stepped forward and apologized yesterday to McDonald’s and to anyone who was offended.

Pam Hamlin, president of Boston-based Amold Worldwide, said: “McDonald’s did not approve the ad, and its release was our unintended error,” Hamlin said in a statement. “We’ve addressed the issue and have improved our approval process to ensure this does not happen in the future.”

Mental health advocates yesterday blasted the McDonald’s.

“It’s really too bad because it trivializes the whole issue of depression,” said Julie Totten, executive director of Waltham-based Families for Depression Awareness told the Herald. “We’re trying to say when you need help, it’s not a laughing matter. We don’t want people to feel stigmatized or made fun of.”

I get that we can all be tone-deaf at times. Think the recent H&M Ad showing a young African-American kid in the H&M sweater with the bold words emblazoned on its front: “Coolest Monkey in The Jungle”. I remember getting an ad in my mailbox about ten years ago during the holiday season imploring people to visit the nearby tony town of Birmingham, Michigan with these words: “O Come All Ye Shopaholics!” Can you imagine a casino putting out an ad that said “Pathological Gamblers Welcomed!” or, around St. Patrick’s Day, local bars touting “Alcoholics Drink Free!”?

Back to the McDonald’s “Klepto” ad, I’m trying to imagine an ad where they thought it was a good idea to poke fun of obsessive-compulsive disorder, Tourette’s Syndrome, trichotillomania (obsessive hair-plucking or skin picking), hoarding disorder, or even stuttering. It’s hard to do so but no longer impossible if the “Dollar Menu Klepto Deal” is any indication.

But, in closing, the thing that has riled me most over the last month is that I’ve emailed, tweeted, and posted to McDonald’s through YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter to politely but firmly express my concen about the “Klepto Ad,” and haven’t heard back from anyone. I even researched and found the advertising firm and the actual individual who created the ad and wrote them, too. Here’s what I wrote:

I have a sense of humor but I feel like I must write to help educate in response to McDonald’s new TV commercial touting its “Dollar Menu Klepto Meal. I just wish to share that I feel McDonald’s is using the word “klepto” in an insensitive and derogatory manner. For persons who actually suffer from kleptomania or similar theft disorders, life with these conditions is no laughing matter and they fave enough stigma and shame as it is. See: www.kleptomaniacsanonymous.org

Crickets. Radio silence. No reply at all.

Now, it’s conceivable nobody ever received my communications. I wonder if anyone else ever tried to contact McDonald’s to express their concern about the ad? The only thing I’m certain of is that whether or bot McDonald’s received my letter or anyone else’s or even if they had some second thoughts of their own in the month or so since the ad started running, I just saw the ad again two days ago on TV.

The Olympics Were Olympic!
by

Terry Shulman

The XXXII (32nd) Winter Olympics are over. Two and a half weeks of humanity coming together in Pyeong Chang, South Korea-50 miles from the DMZ that separates it from North Korea. What a great display of the best we have to offer: incredible opening and closing ceremonies. Gripping stories about athletes and their families. A gorgeous display of mother nature-the snow, the mountains, the sky, the sun, the moon and men and women negotiating it! And no deaths or injuries, no terrorist disruptions. The U.S. walked away in 4th place in the medal count behind Norway, Germany and The Netherlands. What a joy to watch. Get ready for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo!

17 St. Patrick’s Day Superstitions!
by

Terry Shulman

Gaining the Luck of the Irish is not as easy as it sounds. The Irish have a lengthy list of good luck charms and bad omens and it’s hard to keep them straight! Here are 17 superstitions to keep in mind on St. Patrick’s Day so you can hopefully find some good luck, and more importantly, avoid the bad!

1. Got an unstoppable itch on your left hand? That may mean a pot of gold is about to come your way. And if the itch is in your right hand, well you won’t be getting any money, but you may be making a new friend.
2. Leprechauns are one friend you don’t want to make. They have a reputation for being deceitful tricksters. However, catch a leprechaun and he’ll probably tell you where his treasure is in exchange for his freedom. Take your eyes off that little guy for even a split second and he will vanish.
3. Cleaning up your March 17 mess? Don’t drop the dishtowel, unless you’re ready for some company. Dropping it almost certainly means an unexpected visitor is on their way, according to the Irish.
4. Listen for a cuckoo on your right and you could be in for a whole year of good luck. Was the Cuckoo on your left? Yikes! Sorry to say, that’s bad luck.
5. Never accept a lock of hair from your lover or you are in for some bad luck.
6. If you honestly just need a haircut (no romantic lock-giving gestures here), by all means, do it under the moonlight so you can squeeze some good luck out of the ordeal.
7. Treat robin redbreasts with the utmost care, for killing one means a lifetime of bad luck.
8. Never ask a man where he is going fishing. Just don’t. Never change a boat’s name and don’t bring a banana on board (not necessarily an Irish superstition, but very good to know nonetheless). Fishermen are an especially superstitious lot and some may go so far as to turn the boat around and drop you and your contraband fruit off on the dock.
9. We all know it’s bad luck when a black cat crosses your path. But fortunately, the Irish have found a way to ward it off. Make a triangle with your thumbs and pointer fingers and spit (in the general direction) of the cat. FYI we don’t condone spitting at cats.
10. If a hen and her chicks want to enter your house, by all means let them in! They bring good luck. If it’s a rooster, set the table, company is on its way.
11. Never gift a knife, it will sever your friendship. In fact, don’t even hand someone a knife (not even to cut your corned beef), it will bring bad luck. Instead if someone asks for a knife, place it on the table near them and let them pick it up.
12. Feeling sick from all that corned beef and cabbage? Well the Irish say tie a bunch of mint sprigs around your wrist to cure an upset stomach.
13. If you come across a horseshoe, nail it to the door. And don’t even think about buying one or using a gifted horseshoe, it must be found spontaneously!
14. Lucky enough to find a four-leaf clover? Congratulations! You’re in for some good luck gambling and racing. Furthermore, witchcraft has no power for you! But keep it to yourself. The luck only lasts so long as you don’t show anyone your clover.
15. A four-leaf clover is hard to come by. But there’s another way to aid your gambling luck. A crooked pin in your coat is said to bring good luck at cards.
16. Want to know who you will marry? Put a snail on a plate of flour, cover it and leave overnight. In the moming the snail’s path will have carved out the initials of your future mate.
17. See some shoes wrapped around telephone wires on March 18th? No, that’s not just a St. Patrick’s Day reveler getting rowdy. The Irish say throwing your shoes on the way home from a party brings good luck.