The south is an interesting, backwards, delightful, and eccentric place. I had occasion to ponder such things, chopping into my fish sandwich at my local McDonalds. For sometime now McDonalds all around the south have been going though a renaissance or a sophistication transformation of sorts. Many now seem to be trading in their older, brightly colored, cheap plastic benches and décor, for newer, more elegant, cheap plastic benches and décor.

I first noticed it while visiting a friend in the Dallas/Fort Worth area a few years ago. Texas always seems gets things a few years earlier than elsewhere and makes all of us a bit further north a tad jealous. I stepped in thinking, this must be wrong place. The walls where lined with green colored wall paper with a gold symbols, giving the walls an embroidered look. Trim was finished in dark walnut, the ceilings were recessed, and the flooring was titled. There were mirrors and timeless looking paintings, and by god believe me when I say, there was even a chandelier. All the employees wore button-down shirts with ties and black slacks. I looked at the menu expecting to see Chicken Puttanesca, Roast Duck, or maybe Ragout of Chicken Chasseur; but, instead saw the menu I had seen since practically a boy. The food wasnt any better than it is at any other McDonalds but that didnt matter—I was impressed.

Back at my local McDonalds, they have recently done the same…well not quite. It didnt get a chandelier, but it did get the more peaceful colors and better dressed employees. Now this McDonalds, instead of having those timeless looking paintings on the walls, touted a French poster theme. These are the ones you most often see at the local arts and crafts or home décor retail chains, adorn with the fed up French cats, dancing ballerinas, and some sort of slogan written in French. Now in this type of atmosphere, you would think the choice of music would somehow mimic or compliment the décor, something like smooth jazz or piano standards maybe. Instead they seemed to be playing the entire 1950s Motown and bebop catalogue.

Thats the thing with the south, we try so hard to be more sophisticated sometimes, but somehow we always fall a little short. Anyways, where else could it be considered fashionable to wear cowboy boots with a three piece suit?