I just heard this story this morning on NPR. Ever heard of a fast food restaurant suing a dictionary? As Daniele said when she heard about the story, "What is this world coming to?"
Here is a blurb from NPR's website, www.npr.org:
Morning Edition, March 21, 2007 ·
It's one thing to have your brand name go generic: Kleenex for tissues, Xerox for copies. It's another when it's generic for something the company finds derogatory. Which explains McDonald's current fight over [the word] "McJob" and its negative connotations ([ McJob is defined as a] low-paying, dead-end [job]). The fast-food franchise wants the Oxford English Dictionary — the last word on words — to delete "McJob."
*Statements in brackets are mine, and are not original to the website.
Oh my.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
Here's another article with McDonald's confronting yet another dictionary, this time back in 2003. This article is from CNN.com
McDonald's not lovin' 'McJob' dictionary definition
Monday, November 10, 2003 Posted: 1:15 PM EST (1815 GMT)
McJob (mek job') n. a low-paying job that requires little skill and provides little opportunity for advancement
Source: Merriam-Webster Online
CHICAGO, Illinois (AP) -- McDonald's says it deserves a break from the unflattering way the latest Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary depicts its job opportunities.
Among some 10,000 new additions to an updated version released in June was the term "McJob," defined as "low paying and dead-end work."
In an open letter to Merriam-Webster, McDonald's CEO Jim Cantalupo said the term is "an inaccurate description of restaurant employment" and "a slap in the face to the 12 million men and women" who work in the restaurant industry.
The company e-mailed the letter to media organizations Friday, and it also was published in the Nov. 3 edition of an industry trade publication.
Cantalupo also wrote that "more than 1,000 of the men and women who own and operate McDonald's restaurants today got their start by serving customers behind the counter."
McDonald's, the world's largest restaurant chain, has more than 30,000 restaurants and more than 400,000 employees.
Walt Riker, a spokesman for McDonald's, said the Oak Brook, Illinois-based fast-food giant also is concerned that "McJob" closely resembles McJOBS, the company's training program for mentally and physically challenged people.
"McJOBS is trademarked and we've notified them that legally that's an issue for us as well," Riker said.
A message left at Merriam-Webster's headquarters in Springfield, Massachussetts, was not immediately returned Friday evening.
Post a Comment