Yep, it's that time of year again, when our attention turns to the harvest, family, and... McDonald's!? That's right, McD's was the official sponsor of the Chicago Thanksgiving Day parade. This must have something to do with their attempts at forging their new "Forever Young" image. Someone must have forgotten to point out the contradiction between this image and the brutal reality in which thousands of young workers harvest McDonald's tomatoes... |
...or did they? Could it be... it is! Rolando the clown, current Chicago resident and long-lost half-brother of Ronald, was sighted prowling the parade route, handing out flyers, sparking conversation (and plenty of laughter), and, of course, building consciousness. |
But Rolando was not alone. Here, some of his friends unfurl this banner, to be viewed by thousands of parade participants and onlookers...
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...many of whom went home from the parade that day with a new understanding and awareness thanks to Rolando and his band of student and community activists, who distributed thousands of flyers to the good people of Chicago.
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It's a bird... it's a plane... actually, it appears to be a giant, smiling tomato.
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This young lady will never look at tomatoes the same way again, whether they're floating by in a parade or in the next meal she eats.
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That's right, kids, a typical farmworker in Florida would have to pick 8 32-pound buckets of tomatoes to be able to afford a happy meal for their kid. That's 32 pounds, under the Florida sun, with no benefits, overtime, or other basic legal protections. Makes you think, doesn't it?
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"Toast," indeed. Precisely what became of the much-hyped, well-funded, and ultimately failed McDonald's "SAFE" initiative and "study" on farmworker conditions. The parade might have been bought, err, sponsored by the fast-food giant, but plenty of people lining the route weren't buying it. In the end, consumers are a lot more savvy than McDonald's may think...
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...and no matter how much hot air it's able to muster from its well-oiled PR machinery, young people are going to understand the reality of exploitation in the fields. On this day, Rolando was present to make sure this oftentimes obscured reality was planted in countless minds...
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...and still had the energy to pose and smile as the parade drew to a close. And so we bid Rolando a fond farewell, realizing that this isn't the last we have heard from him and his band of fair food friends... Until next time, Rolando, keep warm!
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