McMona Lisa
3 Comments Published by Cedric Benetti on Wednesday, October 7, 2009 at 10/07/2009 08:47:00 PM.
What all had feared in a long time has finally happened. McDonalds, who's just celebrated a 30-year presence in France revealed its plans for opening another food joint by the end of 2009 inside the underground shopping mall of the Louvre.While McDonalds sees this as nothing special at all, others call it the end of good culture and taste.
Louvre spokesmen apparently claimed they had nothing to do with this decision, since the mall part is managed and operated by another property developer, and yet this is not fully true since the direction of the museum follows the happenings at the mall very closely.
A few years ago, a Starbucks opened up in the mall, and not just in any location, but right behind the security checkpoint gates of the Louvre itself, which reveals quite clearly that the museum must have something to do with the mall's management.
An Apple store was rumored to be in the plans for one of the most prominent spots, facing the inverted glass pyramid where a myriad of Dan Brown-crazy tourists snap themselves each day.
The mall was originally supposed to have been a place of refined cultural and luxury shops, but these plans had soon degraded into what most people call an "airport mall and drugstore" with souvenir shops and bland perfume and clothing outlets.
One does not enter the temple of culture by passing through a rummage bazaar of cheap goods...
And let's not forget that the smell of fast food inside the hallway that leads to the Louvre will certainly not give much refinement to an already overcrowded tourist hub. The Louvre entrance will soon look like any other shopping arcade you have been to.
Would you like fries with that?
Labels: Art, food, Louvre, Nonsensical rambling, Paris street stuff (NOT a TOILET)
Bonjour! Cedric,
Not to pretend to be an "elitist" culture snob, but that is a "terrible" idea...
Yikes!!!!
By the way, I wasn't aware of the fact, that a mall opened so close to the Louvre
Merci, de Partager!
DeeDee ;-D
It's already like a shopping center down there. Big food chains is only the consequence. If there's no trend among the Parisians to hang out in genuine spots next to tourist attractions other ventures will take it's place. Simple market rules.
Hmm, true thing. but there is already a newly renovated McDonalds right outside the front door of the gallery a few steps away, so I think prestige wins over market rules here if this one opens.