A FATHER has been left fuming after McDonald’s management refused to switch television stations when a music video featuring a woman exposing her breasts aired at its Wodonga Homemaker centre store.
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Rod Millichamp said he was dining at the restaurant with his wife and son, 5, on Saturday afternoon when the uncensored version of Alice Cooper’s Poison was broadcast on the Max music channel.
“Through this clip there were a number of appearances of a girl wearing only a G-string, showing her buttocks then turning to openly expose her naked breasts,” Mr Millichamp wrote in an emailed complaint to McDonald’s chief executive Catriona Noble.
He noted the video followed clips showing Nick Cave visiting a brothel and a man fitting himself with rubber breasts.
Mr Millichamp said that he asked a store manager to change channels or turn the television off three times and was told, “we don’t find this program offensive, at McDonald’s we play it all the time”.
The Tallangatta resident told Ms Noble that he left the “family restaurant absolutely dismayed” that “pornographic and distasteful material was being played in a family area”.
McDonald’s spokeswoman Amy McNaughton said the company’s head office did not stipulate broadcast content with each restaurant selecting what it screens.
“As best as possible, our restaurant managers and staff will attempt to select programs suitable for viewing in the restaurant,” Ms McNaughton said.
“We recommend that the content is appropriate for viewing by the general public, including children.”
Ms McNaughton said McDonald’s head office was investigating the incident with the franchise and Mr Millichamp.
Wodonga Homemaker store supervisor Matt Laurence said he was aware of Mr Millichamp’s complaint but could not comment and referred The Border Mail to head office.
Mr Millichamp said he hoped highlighting the issue would ensure McDonald’s acted more responsibly.
“I wasn’t really concerned about any apologies, but would like to see some regulations put in place so that this isn’t shown to families and that children aren’t exposed to this,” Mr Millichamp said.
“I would like them to police themselves a bit better, that’s my biggest desire.”