Day 045 - 03 Nov 94 - Page 10

     
     1
     2   Q.   Those paragraphs are not specifically talking about Ronald,
     3        are they?
     4        A.  No, they are not.  I believe -- I am sure this is the
     5        same section that was, in effect, during the commercials
     6        that you saw the other day.  I know there is a 1990 code,
     7        but it is probably similar, if not the same.  Again, it is
     8        a child's use, more than just the characters, and it is
     9        also Ronald's use, more than just the characters.
    10
    11   Q.   People are worried their children may copy the characters
    12        they see in the adverts?
    13        A.  Well, certainly from the perspective of language or bad
    14        manners or habits like that, yes.  Again, this refers, as I
    15        said, to the children as well as to Ronald.
    16
    17   Q.   You mean to the children shown in advertisements?
    18        A.  That is correct.
    19
    20   Q.   And to the other characters; it refers to anybody in the
         advertisements?
    22        A.  Yes.  It is taken in the overall context.
    23
    24   Q.   Any characters in the advertisement?
    25        A.  Again, individual characters, as you may read on the
    26        next couple of pages, have a particular persona, and we
    27        follow that persona as well.
    28
    29   Q.   Going on to page 55:
    30
    31        "Who is ronald mcdonald?  ronald mcdonald is a clown.  The
    32        fact that he is a corporate spokesman should not overshadow
    33        his 'clownness.'"
    34
    35        I will not read the whole page.  Down at the bottom:
    36
    37        "Ronald is real.  He lives in both McDonaldland and the
    38        real world.  Ronald is a star."
    39
    40        What does that mean?  What is that about?
         A.  As opposed to an animated character, Ronald is a real
    42        person as a clown; and so I think that was the distinction
    43        that we were making, that he was not an animated character
    44        but, in fact, a clown is a real person, obviously dressed
    45        up as a clown.
    46
    47   Q.   Over on the following page:
    48
    49        "The relationship of Ronald with children in a commercial
    50        should not be emotional and not physical.  For example, 
    51        Ronald should not grab children, pick children up, carry 
    52        children on his shoulders, etc." 
    53
    54        What is that about:  "The relationship of Ronald with
    55        children should be emotional"?
    56        A.  Well, again, I think that this particular paragraph
    57        actually changed in the 1990s.  But, in general, children
    58        have an emotional relationship.  They talk with him.  We do
    59        not want to have any excessive contact between children and
    60        Ronald, himself.  But in situations where it is