A Lynwood, California McDonald's restaurant has flipped its iconic golden arches upside-down to show support for International Women's Day, which occurs tomorrow. The franchisee who owns the restaurant, Patricia Williams, started the trend and McDonald's corporate thinks it's a great idea.
Patricia Williams, the @McDonalds franchisee, flipped her restaurant's sign in honor of International Women's Day o… https://t.co/LhApBKdedH— Kate Good (@Kate Good) 1520455377.0
But flipping the arches from M to W isn't the only step the fast-food giant is taking to honor women. It's probably no coincidence that the upside-down arches also look like breasts.
.@McDonalds flipped their logo in celebration of #InternationalWomensDay. Now it looks like boobs. Best way to cel… https://t.co/95BEkEZb2t— ❣️ Sassy Mouth ❣️ (@❣️ Sassy Mouth ❣️) 1520451923.0
"McDonald's says it will turn its logo upside down on all its digital channels, such as Twitter and Instagram, on Thursday, while 100 restaurants will have special "packaging, crew shirts and hats, and bag stuffers" to celebrate," Yahoo News reported.
.@McDonalds in Lynwood is flipping more than just burgers: The company flipped its iconic golden arches into a W fo… https://t.co/dEYK2MaCaW— ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7 Eyewitness News) 1520455805.0
"In celebration of women everywhere, and for the first time in our brand history, we flipped our iconic arches for International Women's Day in honor of the extraordinary accomplishments of women everywhere and especially in our restaurants," McDonald's global chief diversity officer, Wendy Lewis, said in a statement. "From restaurant crew and management to our C-suite of senior leadership, women play invaluable roles at all levels, and together with our independent franchise owners, we're committed to their success."
Before looking at the image, I really thought McDonalds was turning the arches upside-down to look like a butt to c… https://t.co/onAS7YFNca— Katelyn Caralle (@Katelyn Caralle) 1520447360.0
Some thought the switch was a nod to anime, which underscores the importance of recognizing and raising awareness about International Women's Day.
@ABC7 @McDonalds So just like anime? https://t.co/lbqrhWeb2W— Yami 🥀🐍 (@Yami 🥀🐍) 1520457131.0
What is International Women's Day?
Established in the early 1900's, International Women's Day is a "global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity." Purple is the historical color for women's progress, and supporters often wear purple, green, and white to "symbolize women's equality originated from the Women’s Social and Political Union in the UK in 1908."
Everything you need to know about #InternationalWomensDay on March 8. https://t.co/KYMWqYDT9r— InStyle (@InStyle) 1520427743.0
Women from all over the world will take part in marches and rallies, reminding the world that the fight for gender equality is far from over.
Everything you need to know about #InternationalWomensDay on March 8. https://t.co/KYMWqYDT9r— InStyle (@InStyle) 1520427743.0
Calls to wear black tomorrow to "raise awareness about women who continue to be discriminated, abused and assaulted by men in society" are also trending.
MSNBC's Stephanie Ruhle hosted a panel of influential women Wednesday morning; "one day early in hope of inspiring others to follow suit tomorrow!"
We're celebrating #InternationalWomensDay one day early in hope of inspiring others to follow suit tomorrow! check… https://t.co/F1994kmeon— Stephanie Ruhle (@Stephanie Ruhle) 1520427784.0
Time Out Film put out a list of their "100 Best Feminist Films" to help celebrate International Women's Day.
Tomorrow is #InternationalWomensDay and we've got a killer list of female-led movies to celebrate it with:… https://t.co/UBeyWt2qrw— Time Out Film (@Time Out Film) 1520447829.0
"Whenever you get the opportunity to stand up and make a difference, you do it."
'Whenever you get the opportunity to stand up and make a difference, you do it.' Labour's Shadow Education Secretar… https://t.co/B1WqyTmScW— London Labour (@London Labour) 1520455123.0
Recognizing International Women's Day isn't the only change McDonald's is undergoing.
On Wednesday, the company announced that it would start using only fresh beef in their iconic Quarter Pounders in May. By then, most of the 14,000 U.S. franchises will have made the switch.
.@McDonalds swapping out frozen patties for fresh beef in some burgers. https://t.co/kVml3W4Ko7— AP Business News (@AP Business News) 1520335342.0
“The result is a hotter, juicier, great tasting burger,” said Chris Kempczinski, overseer of McDonald’s Corporation's American restaurants. But there are doubts about how well the meat swap will go.
@APBusiness @AP @McDonalds McDonalds workers are not the creme de la creme of food skills. Stock rotation, fast me… https://t.co/n84uB8LzWm— William T Clark (@William T Clark) 1520385385.0
"McDonald’s said the switch is a major change for the company, and has said the rollout takes time because employees need to be trained to safely handle fresh beef and to cook the patties only when ordered," said the Associated Press.
Left: News reports that McDonalds beef burgers now using fresh beef. Right: Horse meat scare meme from 2015/2016.… https://t.co/HTzJmaH5dr— Annrhefn (@Annrhefn) 1520411739.0
Not everyone has super-sized excitement about the change, though. In fact, many people think that the change doesn't go far enough.
@APBusiness @AP @McDonalds The word here is “Some”. It means that the rest will still have frozen imitation meat.— N. Gauthier (@N. Gauthier) 1520344653.0
Wendy's, McDonald's biggest competitor, pounced on the announcement. Wendy's has always used "fresh, never frozen" beef in all their burgers, and it's one of their most successful marketing methods.
Hey @McDonalds, heard the news. Happy #NationalFrozenFoodDay to you for all the frozen beef that’s sticking around in your cheeseburgers.— Wendy's (@Wendy's) 1520371911.0