The most purely exploitative ploy I've seen in quite some time

So I was watching TV one day when a Burger King commercial came on. It proposed a taste-test by people from remote areas of the world, who'd never tried a Whopper or a Big Mac before. I was immediately a bit horrified. But not nearly as much as I am now that I've checked out the website, which is the whole point of the commercial. There's about a 7 minute video there, showing the process. They claim there are no actors involved, so I'll take their word for it.

The good folks at Burger King decided that it would be a brilliant idea to travel to remote villages in various places of the world, round up some people, and transport them to some place where there are a Burger King and McDonald's nearby, so they can conduct a "pure" taste-test of the competing burgers.

What?!? I can barely find words to describe why I find this so terrifyingly exploitative. It is pretty much the definition of exploitation. So hopefully, I shouldn't have to do much explaining.

The second thing that disturbed me (beside the entire concept, I mean) was how the people speaking in the short film spoke about the "Whopper Virgins." Which is to say, very condescendingly. They made it sound just so quaintly precious, how the people didn't even know how to hold a hamburger, and how grateful they were to the Burger King folks for bringing them Whoppers.

The third thing that disturbed me is that Burger King decided to make a bunch of BK broilers portable and schlep them out to the remote villages from whence they'd harvested their taste-testers, to bring the joy of cheap, poor-quality American fast food to even more "Whopper Virgins." And what wonderful ambassadors of American culture. I believe it when they say that the locals were eager to try new things from other cultures, but... seriously? Is this really what we want as perhaps these folks' first encounter with American culture?

BK, you won't be seeing me anytime soon. But hey, you've discovered a whole new customer base of adorably quaint villagers worldwide. So you'll probably be all right. Except for that whole soul thing, you know. But, hey. At least you won the taste test.

Ok, so that's 'nuff said about that.

FYI:
Burger King Consumer Relations department
305-378-3535
Monday - Friday from 9 am to 5 pm EST

Bailouts? What bailouts?

Just thought I'd share these two articles that I've come across at random points in the last few days. Neither is stunningly eloquent, but raise good points about where in our society bailouts are really needed.

Where's the bailout for nonprofits?

Where's the "Bailout" for the Millions of Women and Children Falling Deeper Into Poverty?

On an unrelated bailout-related note, here is yet a third article, this one by a man with the worst hair ever (there's a pic on the article) regarding the automaker bailouts and the Detroit Lions:

Help, Congress: Bail out Lions fans from Ford