The creepiest commcerical since that battery family some years back. Have you seen it? Burger King. This schlub wakes up in bed, and next to him, sitting up, is a maniacally grinning, slight-too-big Burger King, who robotically turns around, gives the guy some innappropriate-for-first-thing-in the-morning sandwich, and pats him on the knee.
Terrifying.
Creepy and umm disturbing on many levels.
I’d have screamed like a girl and beat the shit out of him right then and there.
disclaimer I am a girl type person
Considering the hangover the guy must have to be waking up with the huge, robotic Burger King, I am amazed at how eagerly he snarfs down the burger-bacon-cheese thingie he’s handed.
But it’s the zombie-like, oversized (like, think, eight feet tall), rictus-grinning King, right next to you in bed, that gives me the heebie-jeebies.
So, I Googled “Wake Up with the King” and couldn’t find a copy of it to show you, but I found myriad message boards and blogs with the descriptions “creepy,” "frightening, “How many others will probably have nightmares,” and (believe it or not!) how it’s another example of the gays taking over America!!!
(I mean, “Wake Up with the Queen” and Carson Kressley handing you a quiche, yeah, but . . .)
Henry VIII is the last person in the world I’d want a one-night stand with. You feel used in the morning, and then he has you beheaded.
Yes, I do not like that commercial.
Ever since the “success” of the sock puppet dog commercials, ad agencies have tripping over each other in an orgy of character/avatar/talking-logo/whatever oneupsmanship. The red stick of gum with the Scots accent is among the most egregious, but the Jack-in-the-Box ones–the most obvious source for Burger King’s spasm of originality–are actually kinda funny. Sometimes.
“I swear to God, I will NEVER super-size again!”
Hm, I actually kinda like the commercial. It’s got such a weird, retro 70’s vibe to it, right down to the folksy narration. And the “king” reminds me of the puppets from “My. Roger’s Neighborhood” with a kind of hand-made paper mache sort of feel. I also like the way the “king” sort of tentatively pats the guys knee because you can see he’s feeling kind awkward for having feaked out the guy…
Does anyone even remember the first set of commercials from the 70’s featuring the “Burger King” character? The Burger King was a combination fast-food monarch/magician who was obviously BK’s answer to McDonald’s long-running Ronald McDonald/McDonaldland campaign. (He even had a nemesis named The Duke of Doubt.) However, as I recall, the Burger King was not as successful as attracting the kid market as Ronald and the character was dropped after a couple years. Now, in an attempt to appeal to Gen-X consumers with very good memories of obscure pop culture ad icons, BK’s brought back the King for this series of irony-tinged commercials for its breakfast menu. However, as Eve points out, the fact that public reaction to the ads frequently feature the word “creepy” should tell you something about the ads apparent lack of success.
Incidentally, I’ve noticed in one of the commercials that the King and schlub quickly recoil in panic after realizing that one of the pats seems to go on too long.
“I’m the mystical, magical Burger King,
I can do most anything!
Something something something fries,
And here’s something new right before your eyes!”
Followed by intro of some new n’ innovative product, complete with guiltless foam packaging. The King was animated I believe.
The new commercial? WTF??
I like that commercial. yeah, it’s creepy as fuck, and that’s why I like it. You don’t see it coming! When I first saw it, and it cut out to the shot where you first see the king in bed with the dude, I laughed my ass off.
This is deeply disturbing. Dear Og, I’m glad I a) don’t live in the States, or b) don’t watch a lot of TV (whichever applies)…
Yeah, the original one was, then some years later, they tried out a live action version of the King, who’d spin his ring to make something magic happen.
I’ve seen the latest commercial, and like everyone else, I was creeped out. Were I to find myself in such a situation, I’d reach for the nearest large blunt object, like the dresser, and promptly bludgeon the bastard to death.
Next they will bring back Herb.
The Levi’s commercial with the store dummy following the guy home is the creepiest mutherfucking commercial ever.
The BurgerKing is a close second.
But I swear to God, if those two boys in the McDonalds commercial don’t come in when their mother calls them…
Those guys from CSI will be grossed out with the results.
I hate those kids!
CSI can bring in the New York, Las Vegas, AND Miami teams and they won’t be able to figure out what happened to the mother for singing that damnable song!
My husband and I were just discussing the creepiness of this commerical. I think the worst part is when the guy reaches out and touches Big Freaky Burger King mutant guy. That look the King gives him made me think that he was about to open that huge mouth revealing rows of shark-like teeth, roar “Have it YOUR way!” while chomping off the poor guy’s hand.
Mr. Rogers puppets as interpreted by Stephen King.
Yeah, the whole rictus-grinning plastic mask thing gives it a Halloween/Friday the 13th vibe. You get the feeling that three days later, when the schlub has failed to show up for work, the police break in to find his head skewered on the record-player turntable, spinning around and around, a Breakfast Burger stuffed in his mouth . . .
I HATED HATED HATED Mr. Rogers, even as a very young kid. I hated the man, the character, and his stupid puppets. My mom didn’t like us watching him because he had the demeanor of a child molestor and I completely agree to this day.
I also think the BK commercial is creepy. The creepiest thing the gives me the creepy creeps is that he has real hands!
On the other hand, that style of costume has been used for good in the past. Does anyone remember Primus’s “Wynona’s Big Brown Beaver” video?
Yes.
Wynona loved her big brown beaver
And she stroked him all the time.
She pricked her finger one day and it
Occurred to her she might have a porcupine! 
That image I have now, of the masks on the Primus video (not the lyrics mind you 
), will have to do until BK dares posting the ad in their web site.