The McRib and Me: Understanding Hegemony In A Fast Food Nation

The idea's of hegemony can be found in all types of media outlets, whether it be news media, print media, or the internet. However, one outlet in particular that draws my attention in how it combines the hegemonic concepts of  gatekeeping, agenda setting, and framing is the American advertising system. 


Hegemony is a topic that can be looked at from many perspectives, but the idea is not a hard one to grasp. In all media outlets, there are dominant individuals, corporations, organizations, and financial benefactors who make content within that outlet possible through funding and other means. This is what allows technical innovations in new media to flourish and develop. However, it also means that the dominant groups have the most say in what ideals media outlets stand behind in their programming and content. Hegemony is the concept that the dominant groups in society who control media content shape this content in a way that is most beneficial to them, ensuring their continued success. Characteristics of hegemony include gatekeeping, agenda setting, and framing. 


The advertising campaign for the McDonald's McRib sandwich is a potent example of all three of these characteristics, and can help in the understanding of these concepts. The McRib is a seasonal sandwich for McDonald's, meaning it is offered only for a limited time about once a year. The ad campaigns each year usually use this fact to their advantage. 


Here the outlet is an advertisement, and the group in control of this outlet is McDonald's. They want their sandwich to sell as much as possible, so they employ basic hegemonic qualities to try and achieve this through their ad.


First, they use gatekeeping, which is the advertiser's role in what products get to be advertised. The "gatekeeper" is McDonald's, and they make the conscious decision on what products they advertise more heavily, and which ones they do not. Next, they use agenda setting, which is what McDonald's wants to be on the mind, or "agenda", of the consumer. By only giving so much information in the ad, they are agenda setting. They mention the low price and give a picture of the sandwich. However, they do not mention the sandwich's nutritional information, probably because this information would not be beneficial to the gatekeeper. Lastly, they use framing, which is showing the product in a certain way as to affect how someone sees it. The biggest words on the ad are "mcrib is back!", and "$1.99." They want the consumer to see this as something that is cheap and only here for a limited time. They want to frame the McRib as an event that you can't miss.