Eric Schlosser (2002), observe that a generation ago American embassies and oil companies were the usual targets of overseas demonstration against ‘American imperialism’ but these days fast food restaurants particularly McDonalds have assumed that symbolic role.Įven the media portrays McDonalds as the American culture. McDonalds have a central place in popular culture (Fishwick, 1983).Īccording to Smart (1999) brand names like McDonalds represents high profile symbols that are overloaded with variety of complex cultural association and their continual growing presence in almost all nations and its appeal serve as evidence of its deep-rooted existence, power and success of American commercial and cultural imperialism. On the opening of the McDonalds in Moscow a student was observed to exclaim that it was a real peace of America (Ritzer, 1996). The influence of McDonalds on the way we live today is so deep rooted that the Golden Arches are universally more recognised than the Christian cross (Schlosser, 2001). In a survey of school children it was found that 96% of the students could identify Ronald McDonalds in name recognition which is second to Santa Claus (Greenhouse, 1986).īecause of its phenomenal success, there are restaurants throughout the world which copy McDonalds such as the fast food croissanteries in Paris, the chains of fast food restaurants like Nirula’s that sells mutton burgers and the restaurants like Juicy Burger in Beirut (Ritzer, 1996). The influence of McDonalds has reached far beyond confines of the United States and the fast food business (Schlosser, 2002). 6 Billion (McDonalds Annual Report, 2006).Īnd today McDonalds Corporation is running restaurants even in places like Mecca in Saudi Arabia where a product that is associated with modernity and pop culture is difficult to imagine. By the end of 2006 the company had 31,000 restaurants throughout the world that generated the revenue of $ 21. 6 million a year (cited in Ritzer, 1996). The total sale of the average US McDonalds outlet is 1. Rigg (1994) states that McDonald’s total sales in 1993 had reached 23. In 1955 the first franchise of McDonalds was opened, by 1991 the number had reached to 12,000 outlets through out the world (Boje et al, 2006).

McDonalds is one of the crucial developments in America in twentieth-century that has influenced the world (Ritzer, 1996).

Said, 1997 has also emphasised the sense of domination that underlying the modernist production that is represented through global giants like McDonalds (Laura Chrisman, 2003).

Imperialism 2 (1999)