Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!

Just who is Chris Arnold?

Chris Arnold writes to the Hornsey Journal about the HoL poll to rid Green Lanes of the McAd;

05 November 2008
So a small number of people ("Fast food ad removal plea", Journal, October 23), hate McDonald's and want to protect their children from McDonald's adverts. Maybe these people should get their facts right first instead of jumping on a propaganda bandwagon created by meat-hating vegans.

I would ask those 286 people who condemn McDonald's if they have ever given their kids sausage rolls, sausages, meat pies, pork pies, pasties, crisps, sweets, chocolates, sugar-coated cereals, fizzy drinks, cakes, biscuits, donuts... the list of food that is worse than a hamburger is a long one. Have they ever taken their kids to a restaurant serving kebabs, curries, Chinese, pizza or fish and chips? By contrast, all these foods are very fatty and calorific. McDonald's is a healthy choice by comparison.

Corporations like McDonald's don't corrupt our kids, but parents, full of anger with extreme views that have no factual basis, do.

Finally, companies have a freedom of speech and a right to advertise, just as Hugh Flouch has a freedom to express his minority views. The ASA monitors ads and takes down lies and illegal claims, that's their role. McDonald's serves 47 million people a day. We live in a democracy and most people like McDonald's. The ad stays.

- Chris Arnold, Rathcoole Gardens, N8.

Tags for Forum Posts: Green Lanes, McDonalds, advertising

0 members like this

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by AnnieH on November 7, 2008 at 13:43

Of course you're absolutely right Anette. We shouldn't be giving this man any more notoriety, but the letter and subsequent responses have just been too much fun to ignore! ;-)

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Hugh on November 7, 2008 at 14:02

But Tom his whole argument is based on the assumption that the protest is anti-McDonalds which for me it never was.

"The ad stays". How long would it stay outside his front door, I wonder?

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Liz on November 7, 2008 at 14:35

No, you are right Tom. Having looked at the slant that was put on it by the paper there is a lot of newsprint given to the fact that it is a MCDO advert and doesn't make it clear that the protest is about putting any form of advert on the bridge. period. Even if the advert had been for any of the other establishments on the Arena, the argument remains that there should not be an advert on both sides of an iconic Harringay structure (whether you think it is nice or not, it is part of this area's identity).

The whole thing has got muddled with the Crouch End protests which did play up the healthy angle (presumably CA objected to those campaigners as well and would have preferred banners all over the Broadway).
The issue of who Haringey takes advertising from is entirely different and should not have been dragged into the debate.

The HJ publishing this letter has muddied the waters further and hopefully we will have a right to reply that will clarify the position and the reason for the poll.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by matt on November 7, 2008 at 14:10

There should be no advertisng on that bridge period. It was put up originally to 'welcome' people to Green Lanes/Harinigey/Harringay, or so the Haringey People told us. It's incredibly cynical for the council to subsequently use the 'welcome' sign for advertising. It's plain wrong.