TAIPEI, March 8 — A recent commercial for McDonald’s Taiwan, in which a son comes out to his father, has gone viral, chalking up over one million views at time of writing.
According to RocketNews24, the commercial titled “Acceptance” was produced to promote the fast-food chain’s McCafe arm and is part of its ongoing More Warmth in Conversations series.
In case you can’t read Chinese characters, here’s a brief synopsis of the touching commercial — though it has to be said that the emotions conveyed transcend language boundaries.
The commercial opens with a shot of the father with a stern expression on his face, as if he’s just been told something serious.
Without saying a word, the father abruptly gets up and leaves the table. The son looks crushed.
Moments later, the father returns and grabs the son’s coffee cup to make an addition to a note scrawled on it that says: “I like men.”
The next shot reveals the father writing: “I accept that you like men.”
While the ad has received mostly positive comments on social media, its message of acceptance hasn’t gone down too well with some of the island’s religious fundamentalists.
Shanghaiist reported Chang Shou-yi, secretary general of the Alliance of Taiwan Religious Groups for the Protection of Family, as urging parents and consumers to boycott McDonald’s.
“Now, even if you want to just take a leak at a McDonald’s bathroom, you can’t help but feel polluted,” he was quoted in local media reports as saying.
While same-sex marriage is not currently recognised in Taiwan, the island is generally seen to be on the forefront of Asia in the protection of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights, the website added.
