I’ve seen the ads, you’ve probably seen the ads. The Burger King surprises people, giving them burgers. Well, in the most recent one, he’s being chased by attendants from a mental hospital. Because only a madman would give away that much burger for $3.99!
Well, of course now all the yuppies are coming out of the woodworks to declare the ad offensive to, you guessed it, crazy people. Jesus Christ.
What about Coco Puffs? Sonny’s pretty offensive to drug addicts.
This sort of outcry isn’t new, though, is it? I recall my parents saying that local radio stations stopped playing that “They’re Coming to Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!” song decades ago because there was so much protest about how insensitive it was to the mentally ill.
I don’t have a problem making fun of the mentally ill. Sure I think it’s wrong, but the comedic opportunities are too vast for me to take their side. Until I’m convinced this hurts them a lot more deeply than simply some funny commercials on TV, I’ll support any kind of “crazy” ad where the subject is offering products at insane prices
Of course, BK’s last one is offensive to industrial espionage agents, as it shows the King stealing McDonald’s Sausage McMuffin plans in order to produce a knock-off breakfast sandwich.
No, seriously…who runs ads on themselves about how they have no creativity and have to steal their competitors’ ideas? Who?
Well, people were bound to notice that they ripped of the Egg McMuffin, they may as well be up front about it. It is a better strategy then going the Vanilla Ice route of trying to pretend the your rip off is subtly different and treating your customers like morons.
My husband pointed out that it’s even worse than them being uncreative thieves, they’re also so stupid that they need a blueprint to make a four-ingredient sandwich!
The crazies are offended? I think not… it’s the medical professionals that are up in arms from the articles I read.
I always wondered how the general public would receive “Blazing Saddles” if it were re-released in theaters. Burger King is politically incorrect next to that?
I’ve had people berate me for quoting Blazing Saddles before because it was a horrible, racist movie. I usually ask them “Have you ever heard of a thing called ‘satire’?”
I haven’t seen the ad in question, but based on your description it sounds brilliant. We live in an era where post-modernism has gone big time and conquered the mainstream media. Among many young people, the mental framework seems to be that it’s brilliant to say things that at face value make you look idiotic (or immoral or unhinged or racist) but which you don’t really mean. Because this supposedly is “ironic” and once you’re ironic then you’re also a comic genius.
Not that the reasoning makes sense to me, but it apparently makes sense to a lot of people who find comic brilliance in South Park or that Hulu commercial with Alec Baldwin. So my guess would be that Burger King is trying to capture that same vibe.
I’m torn; on the one hand, the portrayal in the media perpetuates the stigma attached to all forms of mental illness. On the other hand, it’s a stupid burger commercial.
It’s the King’s unflinching, corpse-like smile. At least you know Ronald McDonald is a regular person under all that makeup. I wouldn’t be surprised if the King takes off his mask and he’s a living lump of ground beef with organs on the outside of his skin.
I thought it was funny. The King is always doing stupid things. They are trying to compete with McDonald’s 3.99 Angus burger which is much better or so I’m told by my 89 year old client. She has one a week.
So what’s the big deal? You can get a better burger at McDonald’s for 3.99. The Kings a bit upset about it.
