# Shut the fuck up about McDonald's Szechuan sauce **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 10, 2017, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shut-the-fuck-up-about-mcdonalds-szechuan-sauce/798488 "2017-10-10T14:55:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2017, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shut-the-fuck-up-about-mcdonalds-szechuan-sauce/798488/21 "2017-10-10T19:16:37Z")
I think that the sort of people who would get royally pissed off about not getting a novelty sauce are the sort of people who deserve to get pissed off about not getting a novelty sauce. It all works out in the end. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2017, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shut-the-fuck-up-about-mcdonalds-szechuan-sauce/798488/22 "2017-10-10T19:18:48Z")
> [@Hamlet](#): > > So posting/starting a thread can happen without you really being butthurt? It can, but that’s not what happened with regard to you starting this thread. You were butthurt and you wanted to let people know about it. > [@Hamlet](#): > > Why am I not surprised you don’t realize how stupid you sound. The only person who sounds stupid in this thread is you. You really should have cut your losses after the OP and just walked away. ---
**Author:** ![Qwakkeddup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/90ced4/32.png) [@Qwakkeddup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qwakkeddup)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2017, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shut-the-fuck-up-about-mcdonalds-szechuan-sauce/798488/23 "2017-10-10T19:32:10Z")
All things considered, 4000 pakcets sounds like they found some old boxes in storage. When was this “product” dropped again?? ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2017, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shut-the-fuck-up-about-mcdonalds-szechuan-sauce/798488/24 "2017-10-10T19:45:51Z")
> [@Novelty\_Bobble](#): > > I think that the sort of people who would get royally pissed off about not getting a novelty sauce are the sort of people who deserve to get pissed off about not getting a novelty sauce. It all works out in the end. Bobbles, on the other hand… ---
**Author:** ![DinoR](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dinor/32/2821_2.png) [@DinoR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DinoR)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2017, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shut-the-fuck-up-about-mcdonalds-szechuan-sauce/798488/25 "2017-10-10T20:00:46Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > Taking a long journey and then not getting the Asian stuff you wanted is exactly the way to celebrate Columbus Day. That’s awesome. 😃 McD’s better keep an eye on the golden arches. Precedent says they are at risk of being plundered now that people realize the spice trade isn’t going to work out. ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2017, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shut-the-fuck-up-about-mcdonalds-szechuan-sauce/798488/26 "2017-10-10T21:47:40Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > So you started this thread to post about how other people being butthurt makes you **butthurt even harder**? I wanna say that is called…Butthurtier? ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2017, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shut-the-fuck-up-about-mcdonalds-szechuan-sauce/798488/27 "2017-10-10T23:02:08Z")
> [@MikeG](#): > > The OP is only partly right; the Szechuan sauce is a flash in the pan, what we really need back is the hot mustard! > > The breakfast sandwiches are a pale shadow of their former selves without the hot mustard. Same for the nuggets they are barely edible now. Have you checked lately? I thought they brought Hot Mustard back nation wide. The store by my house still has it, and never stopped having it as far as I can tell. Also: You can be friends with (McDonald’s) HM on Facebook. That makes me smile. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2017, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shut-the-fuck-up-about-mcdonalds-szechuan-sauce/798488/28 "2017-10-10T23:20:48Z")
[A Chinese newspaper reported on the stupidity](http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/world/2017-10/10/content_33073066.htm). My favorite part: > [@](#): > > Although the Sauce is named “Szechuan Sauce”, it is nothing like the spicy sauces in Sichuan in Southwest China, a province well known for its spicy and tasty food. > > The Szechuan Sauce with plum flavor is more of a product to suit the American taste. One food website even decoded that it can be made in 10 minutes with ingredients such as brown sugar, red rice vinegar, ketchup, soybean source, and peppers. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2017, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shut-the-fuck-up-about-mcdonalds-szechuan-sauce/798488/29 "2017-10-10T23:30:25Z")
> [@MikeG](#): > > The OP is only partly right; the Szechuan sauce is a flash in the pan, what we really need back is the hot mustard! > . On that front…one of my favorite asian resteraunts decided to no longer supply hot mustard…WTF? I guess I’ll have to snag those packets from somewhere else and bring my own. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2017, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shut-the-fuck-up-about-mcdonalds-szechuan-sauce/798488/30 "2017-10-11T00:19:59Z")
> [@Hamlet](#): > > So you’re butthurt that I posted a minor pit thread about an bunch of people being butthurt? > > Do you see how stupid you sound now? Nope. He’s actually telling you to your face. And, anyways, the point of the comment was to tell you that the original people aren’t butthurt, either. I could get with pitting the violence and shit. That makes sense. But pitting people for being upset that McDonald’s didn’t make enough of the thing they made such a big deal about? That makes perfect sense. McDonald’s fucked this up. They deserve to be pitted for that. The violent assholes are the entitled dicks, and they deserve to be pitted. But the people who bought into the promotion but were left with nothing? They don’t deserve to be Pitted at all. As for your Facebook feed, that’s what the X is for. Hide a few posts from a topic, and it will stop appearing. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2017, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shut-the-fuck-up-about-mcdonalds-szechuan-sauce/798488/31 "2017-10-11T00:25:04Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Is this really a wider cultural thing? The SDMB is literally the only place I’ve heard about this about. Not a peep on my Facebook feed, even, which contains the sort of people who would bitch about this. I think you need certain concentrations of Rick and Morty fans. For example, Reddit has one, because it can contain communities specifically for them. ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2017, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shut-the-fuck-up-about-mcdonalds-szechuan-sauce/798488/32 "2017-10-11T00:38:31Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > I think they’re just looking at it wrong. > > Taking a long journey and then not getting the Asian stuff you wanted is exactly the way to celebrate Columbus Day. That was pretty funny. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2017, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shut-the-fuck-up-about-mcdonalds-szechuan-sauce/798488/33 "2017-10-11T00:41:47Z")
It’s basically impossible to get through a single Reddit thread these days without some faux-geek neckbeard screaming his tits off about motherfucking fast food sauce. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2017, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shut-the-fuck-up-about-mcdonalds-szechuan-sauce/798488/34 "2017-10-11T00:50:16Z")
Does anyone remember what it tasted like? I don’t even recall if I ate any when it was out originally. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2017, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shut-the-fuck-up-about-mcdonalds-szechuan-sauce/798488/35 "2017-10-11T00:51:29Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > I think they’re just looking at it wrong. > > Taking a long journey and then not getting the Asian stuff you wanted is exactly the way to celebrate Columbus Day. LOL. worth it. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2017, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shut-the-fuck-up-about-mcdonalds-szechuan-sauce/798488/36 "2017-10-11T00:52:21Z")
> [@](#): > > Quoth **muldoonthief** : > > So apparently it was a marketing issue more than a manufacturing one, since they were putting the labels on by hand. From McDonalds latest response, it sounds like they’re going to try again this winter, presumably actually starting up a full production line. Does anyone seriously think this wasn’t the plan all along? I guarantee you, that by the time they made the announcement, they already had the recording in the can of the McDonald’s CEO saying that he’s surprised that there was so much popular demand for this product, and of course McDonald’s is going to do the best it can to live up to the expectations of its customers, since they have so clearly spoken. ---
**Author:** ![Tabby\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tabby\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tabby_Cat)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2017, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shut-the-fuck-up-about-mcdonalds-szechuan-sauce/798488/37 "2017-10-11T00:59:14Z")
There’s marketing, and there’s production. I’m not surprised that they only had 4000 packets, if this was a marketing event. It costs a lot more to actually make it a product, and has significant spin up and spin down time. If this Szechuan thing is just a flash in the pan, then was all that extra cost worth it? I assume from a budget standpoint, given that these things aren’t even sold per se, it’s hard to estimate a ROI even if you wanted to put it out as a promo product. I’m not as optimistic that Szechuan will make it back as a standard sauce. Maaaybe as a promo item, but I don’t recall any promo item being a condiment or free add-on before. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2017, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shut-the-fuck-up-about-mcdonalds-szechuan-sauce/798488/38 "2017-10-11T01:25:27Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > Look, here’s the truth of it. > > Rick & Morty averaged 2.5 million viewers this last season. You can probably add another million who watched from less than legal sources or after the fact. > > When you have approximately 3.5 million fans of something, and you move forward with a promotion that distributes only 20 packets of sauce to 200 locations (a mere 4,000 total packets), you’re setting yourself up to fail, and fail miserably, pissing off a lot of people. It was an insanely stupid decision by McDonalds corporate. Unfortunately, despite being a smart and funny show, **Rick & Morty** seems to have a disproportionate number of fans who are stupid assholes. The creators of the show have even, in the last month, taken the time to make clear that a subset of their fans are misogynistic hateful “knobs” and “trolls” and “bad people.” [Executive Producer Dan Harmon: “I loathe these people.”](http://ew.com/tv/2017/09/21/rick-morty-dan-harmon-female-writers/) Did McDonald’s do something dumb here? Sure. But i think [this](https://www.polygon.com/2017/10/9/16447460/rick-and-morty-szechuan-sauce-mcdonalds-fans-anger) sums these fans up pretty nicely: > [@](#): > > But these Rick and Morty fans don’t understand anything about this situation. Not the way commercialism stepped in to cash in on nihilism, nor the irony of how they’ve given something intense meaning and value after being told by a fictional character that it had meaning as a way of illustrating that _nothing_ has meaning. > > They’ve turned into Fight Club fans who start their own fight clubs, not understanding that the point of the movie is how easily white male anger is co-opted for violence and mindless support of empty and hateful causes. > > And they’ve done this due to their love of a show they think makes them look smart or that they feel justifies their loneliness. Maybe they’re not alone because they’re so intelligent, maybe the problem is that they’re the kind of people who would get mad at a fast food place for not having enough sauce. The problems in their life most likely begin and end at that fact. ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2017, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shut-the-fuck-up-about-mcdonalds-szechuan-sauce/798488/39 "2017-10-11T01:27:51Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > Unfortunately, despite being a smart and funny show, **Rick & Morty** seems to have a disproportionate number of fans who are stupid assholes. … A disproportionate number of humans are stupid assholes. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2017, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shut-the-fuck-up-about-mcdonalds-szechuan-sauce/798488/40 "2017-10-11T02:18:27Z")
That McDonald’s fucked up is true. It’s also immaterial. The large scale abuse of people not responsible for the fuckup (and, yes, it is large scale) is only the most recent incarnation of the fact that this fandom has way too many goddamn Ricks. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shut-the-fuck-up-about-mcdonalds-szechuan-sauce/798488.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shut-the-fuck-up-about-mcdonalds-szechuan-sauce/798488.md?page=3)