McDonald's "McAfrika" burger: "inappropriate and distasteful"?

[Duck_Duck_Goose]

How many African immigrants are there in Norway? Not many.

http://www.atlapedia.com/online/countries/norway.htm

ESTIMATED 2000 POPULATION: 4,400,400

PEOPLE: The majority of the population are of Nordic descent with an ethnic minority of Sami or Lapps. The non-Nordic ethnic minorities include about 25,000 Asian, Black African and Latin American immigrants.

http://www.mirasenteret.no/Artikler.m.m/Fact_Sheet.htm

The immigrant population in Norway numbered by January 1, 2000 282.500 people, or 6% of the population[1]. Statistics Norway (SSB) defines 238.500 of the immigrant population as first generation, i.e. people who are born abroad, and 44.000 as second generation, i.e. people who are born in Norway with two foreign born parents.

The 10 Largest Immigration Groups in Norway by January 1, 2000

First Generation Immigrants
1 – Sweden 22.375
2 – Denmark 17.551
3 – Yugoslavia 13.402
4 – Pakistan 13.227
5 – Bosnia-Herzegovina 11.587
6 – Vietnam 11.106
7 – Great Britain 10.576
8 – Iran 9.151
9 – Germany 8.621
10 – USA 7.323

So if the McAfrika isn’t a hoax, or an extortion attempt, then I’m reading it, not as an attempt to appeal to African customers, but as an attempt to offer a “charmingly ethnic” item to Norsemen.

We need Flodnak to go look and tell us what’s on them. Paging Flodnak, paging Flodnak…

[Duck_Duck_Goose]

Did they change the name of hamburgers while we were at war with Germany?

Yes, in World War I, actually they did–they started calling it “salisbury steak” or “liberty sandwiches”. And sauerkraut became “victory cabbage”. But as Snopes puts it:

The renaming frenzy didn’t carry over to World War II (in part because the Nazis did such a thorough job of demonizing themselves)…

[bibliophage]

I found a press release from 2000 that mentions a “McAfrica”, I’m not sure this is the same thing, because the news item refers to McAfrika as a “new item”.

“Five Weeks, Five Continents, Five Burgers” is a European McDonald’s restaurant promotion that reinforces the connection to the five rings of the Olympics and gives customers the opportunity to experience tastes from around the world. Sandwiches include: McAmerica a combination of two hamburger patties, cheese, onions, lettuce and bacon with bacon sauce; McAustralia featuring chicken with bacon, tomatoes and special sandwich sauce; McEurope with pork, cucumber, lettuce, onions and garlic sauce; McAsia featuring the McRib with curry-ketchup, lettuce, onions and sandwich sauce; and McAfrica a combination of two hamburger patties, cheese, tomatoes, lettuce and harissa sauce on a pita-like bun. In England, customers can order McAussie Chicken and Bondi BBQ sandwiched and boomerang- shaped cheese strips.
http://www.mcdonalds.com/corporate/press/corporate/2000/09062000/09062000.html

Harissa is a north African sauce made with olive oil, garlic, hot peppers, spices, and sometimes tomato.

The fact that there were 5 sandwiches named after 5 continents sort of demolishes the argument that there is something particularly sick about the name of the McAfrika. The last time I checked, Africa did not have a monopoly on hunger.

[Paul_in_Qatar]

Do they charge you for a cup of McAntartica?

[Bindlestiff]

Count me among those that consider it an over-reaction. Actually, it sounds pretty good and now I probably won’t ever get to try one.

I’ve been a McDonald’s fan for a long time. On Sept. 14 (Just about 3 weeks away) I will celebrate the 40th anniversary of my first McDonald’s meal.

[The_Hamster_King]

*Originally posted by bibliophage *
McAmerica a combination of two hamburger patties, cheese, onions, lettuce and bacon with bacon sauce

I’m offended that the McAmerica burger has only two types of bacon. To really capture the spirit of this great nation there should be three or four types of bacon on it.

“McAmerica – a combination of two bacon patties, bacon-flavored cheese, onions, lettuce and bacon with bacon sauce and extra bacon.”

[Manduck]

WTF is bacon sauce anyway?

[krazy_kat]

the first thing I thought was, how, in the name of sweet jesus, did THAT idea make it from conceptualization to execution? Offensive or not, how does a company that markets itself as a wholesome family restaurant pitch a McAfricka Burger?

jey-sus

[Cervaise]

*Originally posted by Pochacco *
**“McAmerica – a combination of two bacon patties, bacon-flavored cheese, onions, lettuce and bacon with bacon sauce and extra bacon.” **

And Spam!

[Revtim]

Originally posted by krazy kat *
** Offensive or not, how does a company that markets itself as a wholesome family restaurant pitch a McAfricka Burger?*

I don’t understand, are you saying there is something unwholesome or “un-family” about Africa? Am I missing sarcasm here maybe?

[clairobscur]

*Originally posted by krazy kat *
**the first thing I thought was, how, in the name of sweet jesus, did THAT idea make it from conceptualization to execution? Offensive or not, how does a company that markets itself as a wholesome family restaurant pitch a McAfricka Burger?

jey-sus **

I don’t get it. In what way the name McAfrika and the concept of a family restaurant are conflicting?

[Neidhart]

That McEurope sounds pretty good actually - it’s got garlic!

[Snooooopy]

What, no McHaggis?

[flodnak]

Hi guys. Sorry I’m late.

Aftenposten is Norway’s largest circulation broadsheet paper, and yes, this is a legitimate news story.

The “McAfrika” sandwich (the spelling is simply the way the name of the continent is spelled in Norwegian, no special meaning intended) is indeed the same one as was used in the “Five Rings” campaign. It was far and away the most popular of the lot, and no wonder - it was actually different. The others all come down to “A sandwich we’ve all tasted before, with a sauce we’ve all tasted before, in the same old bun. But with cucumber slices!” Apparently McD’s has been getting enough requests to bring it back from their Norskie customers that they decided it was worth resurrecting it temporarily. For the record, we stopped in our local McD’s for ice cream yesterday, and the McAfrika wasn’t on the menu there yet, dammit. So either it’s a “participating locations only” thing, or they’ve delayed introducing it because of the controversy.

And now I’m hungry.

[gigi]

From the OP’s link: “At the same time, we acknowledge that we have chosen an unfortunate time to launch this new product.”

Given that there are famines pretty much all the time, somewhere, when would be a good time?

[Neurotik]

I want to know where the Australian outrage for boomerang shaped cheese strips is…

[Jodi]

PAUL in SAUDI – Ha! (Hate to allow wit to pass unnoted into the night.)

I’ll have a large Coke with extra McAntartica. And a McAntartica cream cone.

[Una_Persson]

I just don’t get it. When I was in Greece last year with Fierra, we had all sorts of international McDonalds burgers - including the McAfrika.

Jesus Christ. I think this quote from this thread is the most appropriate:

Yes, it’s a huge over-reaction, but it’s to be expected. There are groups of people who consider it their jobs to find things to be offended about.

[rexnervous]

well, i’m just two days back from vacation in Austria, and i did go to a McDonald’s once.

They have 4 of these international burgers - the McAfrika, the McBrazil, the McTexas, and the last I forget. I tried the McAfrika - interesting if not tasty. Consists of two thin ‘burgers’ with lettuce/tomato/onion on a caraway flatbread thing, with a curry-like sauce.

Didn’t quite bring back those subconcious ancestral memories of Africa.

[Duck_Duck_Goose]

It’s in the mainstream media now.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/2217450.stm

Monday, 26 August, 2002, 14:23 GMT 15:23 UK
‘McAfrika’ burger not to everyone’s taste

It has a picture, looks like two pieces of pita bread, beef patty, lettuce, tomato, cheese.