It actually provides some evidence to refute your assumption that “The most likely scenario is the new Louvre McDonald’s is targeted at American tourists in Paris, just like the one on the Champs Elysees.” In my guess, it’s targeted at all people going to the Louvre, including a healthy portion of the French themselves.

As for the statement that follows: “Whatever the purpose, the golden arches do not belong in the Louvre. What’s next? The Tuileries?” I’ve got mixed feelings about the matter.

It does seem like a grand perversion to have McDonalds inside such a highly esteemed cultural institution… but then again, McDonalds doesn’t always share the reputation of being lowly, unprestigious food as it does in the U.S. For instance, where I live in Peru, fast food establishments are much nicer and viewed here as luxurious, posh places to eat. The clientele skews opposite. McDonalds and its ilk are predominantly for the wealthy and affluent, rather than predominantly for the less wealthy in the U.S. Granted in the U.S.,a fast food culture is rampant throughout the social classes. The fast food restaurant jobs also pay well here and offer some good scholarships relative to their American counterparts.

For these reasons, I guess I’m a little reluctant to impose my American negativity toward McDonalds (one of our own institutions) upon the French. The Louvre is their cultural landmark, and it reflects the identity they choose for better or worse.