# Wendy's: Why is Hamlet in the freezer?? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 6, 2007, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wendys-why-is-hamlet-in-the-freezer/421794 "2007-10-06T22:33:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2007, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wendys-why-is-hamlet-in-the-freezer/421794/1 "2007-10-06T22:33:26Z")
There’s an advert for Wendy’s showing on the CFL games, where a trainee at a Wendy’s goes to the freezer and discovers Hamlet, Ophelia and mayber Horatio in the freezer,having a discussion. They tell him to bugger off and look for hamburger patties somewhere else. Am I missing something in the plot line of the commercial? Why is Hamlet in the freezer? Is this a riff on something? Or did the writers just decide on something bizarre to catch our attention? (If so, it’s obviously worked, since here I am talking about it, which is the sign of a good ad…) ---
**Author:** ![HazelNutCoffee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ac91a4/32.png) [@HazelNutCoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HazelNutCoffee)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2007, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wendys-why-is-hamlet-in-the-freezer/421794/2 "2007-10-06T22:35:32Z")
Maybe they want to emphasize that their patties aren’t frozen? Although why they would need Hamlet in th freezer to make this point is a mystery. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2007, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wendys-why-is-hamlet-in-the-freezer/421794/3 "2007-10-06T22:35:34Z")
Probably referring to Wendy’s ‘Fresh, not frozen’ campaign. Since Wendy’s doesn’t use frozen beef, perhaps the freezer was taken over by actors. ---
**Author:** ![Intelligently\_Designed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intelligently_designed/32/20957_2.png) [@Intelligently\_Designed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intelligently_Designed)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2007, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wendys-why-is-hamlet-in-the-freezer/421794/4 "2007-10-06T22:47:12Z")
Didn’t see the ad and don’t know if this has anything to do, but there are frequent mentions in _Hamlet_ that the temperature is very cold. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2007, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wendys-why-is-hamlet-in-the-freezer/421794/5 "2007-10-07T00:37:30Z")
[QUOTE=Johnny L.A.] … perhaps the freezer was taken over by actors. [/QUOTE] Yes, but why actors? Why not, say, a classic car? Or shelves of books? Or any number of things that really don’t belong in freezers. Those make about as much sense in a freezer as actors performing Hamlet. I’ve seen the commercial, and wondered this very thing. My best guess is that it is so oddball and weird that you cannot help but get the commercial’s message: freezers at Wendy’s aren’t needed for frozen hamburger patties because Wendy’s only uses fresh hamburger patties. Therefore, the freezer can be used for anything else–including a performance of Hamlet. ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2007, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wendys-why-is-hamlet-in-the-freezer/421794/6 "2007-10-07T02:11:22Z")
To be or not to be…a hamburger patty? ---
**Author:** ![brendon\_small](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brendon_small/32/17101_2.png) [@brendon\_small](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brendon_small)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2007, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wendys-why-is-hamlet-in-the-freezer/421794/7 "2007-10-07T05:47:10Z")
The company has just put out commercials with a massive amount of people kicking trees, a cheesy chase scene between a wig-wearing cop and a fowl fiend, a black and white “celebrity is bacon” monstrosity where all the people look similar and yell about bacon, a commercial where people fill themselves with helium and float on the ceiling, but decide they should get a hamburger instead, and we are questioning Hamlet? Well, Hamlet should be questioned, but still… What is it with Wendy’s and weird as hell commercials? They are not that memorable (I had to go look up 2 or 3 of them on youtube) and I don’t think tree kicking inspires me to go buy some sandwich…just wondering… Brendon Small ---
**Author:** ![Pammipoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/87869e/32.png) [@Pammipoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pammipoo)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2007, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wendys-why-is-hamlet-in-the-freezer/421794/8 "2007-10-07T16:39:44Z")
Ever since the Dave Thomas commercials were retired, the company’s marketing department has gone downhill… ---
**Author:** ![Daithi\_Lacha](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/daithi_lacha/32/5430_2.png) [@Daithi\_Lacha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daithi_Lacha)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2007, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wendys-why-is-hamlet-in-the-freezer/421794/9 "2007-10-07T17:05:28Z")
HAMlet; HAMburger … ? I’m just _sayin’_! ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2007, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wendys-why-is-hamlet-in-the-freezer/421794/10 "2007-10-07T17:56:47Z")
I _assume_ it’s just a continuation of the theme launched in 2007 [http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache:-Zabjt6qRMQJ:www.vindy.com/content/business\_tech/311143780875081.php+wendy’s+commercials+frozen&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=5&gl=us](http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache:-Zabjt6qRMQJ:www.vindy.com/content/business_tech/311143780875081.php+wendy%27s+commercials+frozen&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=5&gl=us) bashing frozen hamburger. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2007, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wendys-why-is-hamlet-in-the-freezer/421794/11 "2007-10-07T19:26:38Z")
[QUOTE=Pammipoo] Ever since the Dave Thomas commercials were retired, the company’s marketing department has gone downhill… [/QUOTE] I don’t think having a zombi Dave Thomas would do much for their sales. I mean, can you picture the reaction people as his decomposing corpse began dropping body parts on the grill as grabbed the pimply faced fry kid while saying, “Braaaiin burgersssss!” :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2007, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wendys-why-is-hamlet-in-the-freezer/421794/12 "2007-10-08T00:21:14Z")
[QUOTE=Tuckerfan] I don’t think having a zombie Dave Thomas would do much for their sales. [/QUOTE] Hey, don’t underestimate the average American. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2007, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wendys-why-is-hamlet-in-the-freezer/421794/13 "2007-10-08T00:59:41Z")
[QUOTE=brendon\_small] …What is it with Wendy’s and weird as hell commercials?.. [/QUOTE] They’re going after the stoner market. ---
**Author:** ![brendon\_small](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brendon_small/32/17101_2.png) [@brendon\_small](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brendon_small)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2007, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wendys-why-is-hamlet-in-the-freezer/421794/14 "2007-10-08T01:37:49Z")
[QUOTE=alphaboi867] They’re going after the stoner market. [/QUOTE] Meh, they caught me a few years too late. Oh well. Guess I’ll be driving through McDonald’s instead. I hate their commercials as well, but they aren’t quite so bad. Brendon Small