McGlastonbury

[quality_sam]

This week at Glastonbury I got served by a guy in a foam hotdog outfit!

As someone who used to come as kid in the mid-late 70's this certainly got me thinking.

Along with the large number of chicken, burger and chip stalls, this is McDonalds in all but name.

The high street chain Millets has multiple outlets on site.

Mean Fiddler now make a tidy profit from the event.

Headlining acts Jay-Z and Beyonce… Not exactly well known icons in the 'Green' crowd.

And judging by the success of the ‘Love the Farm, Leave No Trace’ campaign I don’t think their fans are either. [1]

[1] http://www.werewolfpromotions.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Festival-Aftermath.jpg

Michael Eavis has been quoted as lamenting the decline in political activity at the festival[2], but this week saw a rare political statement south of the railway track, protesting tax evading U2.

This ended up being busted up by security leaving one protester with a broken finger.

I don’t think this is the way for Glastonbury to get its radical roots back Michael.

[2] http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2011/jun/18/glastonbury-radical-roots-michael-eavis

In fact almost political or 'Green' activity is kept to the Greenfields. Not exactly centre stage.

However some of the political activity in this area does often reference McDonalds despite the huge corporate sell out the rest of the site.

This I saw as an opportunity…

This pretence of being green and anti-corporate is, frankly, embarrassing.

So I propose we drop the pretence, and to that end I have started a petition to get McDonalds on site.

They’re no worse than what a lot of the site has become, and if Glastonbury is going to completely sell out, why pick on McDonalds?

Sign it because it might embarrass the festival to admit what it’s become...

Sign it because you don’t give a crap and just want a cheap and tasty burger...

Either way, it can’t make things any less commercial.

mcglasto.epetitions.net

[hedgepeg]

Can we just split the the festival into two festivals: the green one and the corporate x factor thing. I know which one I'd go to. It's time

[eFestivals]

I get where you're coming from, but maybe help is at hand.

From something I read this morning - I can't remember where, my brain is unexplanably fuzzed today (anyone know what I read?) - Michael has said something about Emily being totally against corporate sponsorship, and that she was responsible for the ending of the deal with Orange (which cost the festival £400k).

So hopefully, as she becomes more responsible for the running of the festival, that her influence will prevail.

[Yesiamaduck]

I will go with this, as long as the only items they sell are McNuggets and milkshakes

[ukslim]

Are they really no worse, though.

I mean, what's wrong with Millets, unless "high street" is now a pejorative?

Whereas, ask what's wrong with McDonalds, and you'll get a laundry list, from non-biodegradable packaging (maybe this bit's been cleaned up?), to encouraging child obesity, to deforestation, to factory farming.

I'd be amused to see what happened to a McDonalds on site.

Have you a source for the bit about the protest being broken up and the finger getting broken? I hadn't heard about this and I'm interested.

[Yesiamaduck]

Are they really no worse, though.

I mean, what's wrong with Millets, unless "high street" is now a pejorative?

Whereas, ask what's wrong with McDonalds, and you'll get a laundry list, from non-biodegradable packaging (maybe this bit's been cleaned up?), to encouraging child obesity, to deforestation, to factory farming.

I'd be amused to see what happened to a McDonalds on site.

Have you a source for the bit about the protest being broken up and the finger getting broken? I hadn't heard about this and I'm interested.

Edited June 28, 2011 by Yesiamaduck

[geebus]

Michael has said something about Emily being totally against corporate sponsorship, and that she was responsible for the ending of the deal with Orange (which cost the festival £400k).

[AnnaGrant]

No, no, no to McDonalds.

I won't go there in the inferior real world so I certainly wouldn't want it in the superior Glasto world.

And I suspect that I am not alone in my opposition.

[Alcatraz]

Have you a source for the bit about the protest being broken up and the finger getting broken? I hadn't heard about this and I'm interested.

[gravejr]

Signed. Though I also seem to be the only one.

Hopefully it'll will go full circle and end up with the food stalls being run be the local schools' P.T.A. groups to raise a bit of money for charity.

[Magma]

Oh, shush, for God's sake. Why do people have to INSTANTLY come online and start trying to bring everyone down?

Oh, it's your first post... you're probably just trolling.

FIND ANOTHER FESTIVAL IF YOU THINK THIS ONE'S SHIT

Easy.

[quality_sam]

Are they really no worse, though.

I mean, what's wrong with Millets, unless "high street" is now a pejorative?

Whereas, ask what's wrong with McDonalds, and you'll get a laundry list, from non-biodegradable packaging (maybe this bit's been cleaned up?), to encouraging child obesity, to deforestation, to factory farming.

I'd be amused to see what happened to a McDonalds on site.

Have you a source for the bit about the protest being broken up and the finger getting broken? I hadn't heard about this and I'm interested.

[Ed209]

I went to one of the "Gourmet" Burger stalls. a fiver I think it was for a rotting piece of cardboard meat, a dried out piece of plastic cheese and a stale bun. Give me a big mac any day of the week.

[budvar]

Some interesting points made here. I certainly get the feeling that losing some/most of the corporate sponsorship is high on Emily's agenda.

It might be that's because times have been fairly good in recent years, while her Dad remembers the lean years of not selling out (which has, ironically, led to him selling out...)

All that said, I think there should be a Krispy Kreme place on site

[budvar]

I believe there was an article in the Observer

[ukslim]

I went to one of the "Gourmet" Burger stalls. a fiver I think it was for a rotting piece of cardboard meat, a dried out piece of plastic cheese and a stale bun.

[quality_sam]

Oh, shush, for God's sake. Why do people have to INSTANTLY come online and start trying to bring everyone down?

Oh, it's your first post... you're probably just trolling.

FIND ANOTHER FESTIVAL IF YOU THINK THIS ONE'S SHIT

Easy.

[Ed209]

Well, why on earth did you do that?

Festival rule 1.1 (1.0 is "use the lockups") - sneak a peek at other people's food. If you can't tell it's good by looking, ask them how it is.

[Phil-itfc]

stick it opposite the left field tent, that'll go down well! while you're at it why not start a campaign for Nestle to have their own stalls?

[Amii]

I'm currently doing my dissertation on festival sponsorship and it's impact. Glastonbury is (by miles) the best for creating a independant festival experiance. You can barely even get a branded ice cream on the site, almost everything is produced and created by independant brands.

Why not the camping shops? Because a small shop cannot cope with the suply and demand created by the festival goers. Plus, Millets also produce items for people to have ecological and enviromentally sound holidays, in opose to flying miles across the world. McDonalds is simply there to make money from food which could cause you health problems.

So to sum up, stop trying to "embarress" the wonderful Mr Eavis, and appreciate all the hard work he puts in to sustain and improve the festival year on year, even if it means some big names being allowed in.

[alframsey]

I get where you're coming from, but maybe help is at hand.

From something I read this morning - I can't remember where, my brain is unexplanably fuzzed today (anyone know what I read?) - Michael has said something about Emily being totally against corporate sponsorship, and that she was responsible for the ending of the deal with Orange (which cost the festival £400k).

So hopefully, as she becomes more responsible for the running of the festival, that her influence will prevail.

[ukslim]

Thats what I'm hoping as well, as long as she doesnt downsize the festival or stop getting the big names I'm happy. Tbh I used to resent her involvement but now I see it as a pleasant bonus!

[markeee]

/index.php?showtopic=164302">http://www.efestival...howtopic=164302

At least you can get a burger, chips and drink for under a tenner from McDonalds! (Not that I'd actually want to, to be fair.)

[markeee]

Everything McDonalds serves comes in paper/card these days... apart from the straws

But yeah I can see the proper lefties going berserk if this was to happen!

[ukslim]

Yep

exactly, cant talk about capitalism and ripoffs, the prices on site are a JOKE..5.50 for a hot dog, 2 quid for a coke haha ok