Outrage over McDonald's "insensitive" McAfrika burger: "... humanitarian disaster" (my title)

Guardian Unlimited ^ | Saturday, August 24, 2002 | Andrew Osborn

[panther33]

New from McDonald's: the McAfrika burger (don't tell the 12m starving)

Andrew Osborn
Saturday August 24, 2002
The Guardian

McDonald's has been accused of extreme insensitivity after releasing a new sandwich called the "McAfrika" in Norway, one of the world's richest countries, at a time when 12 million people are facing starvation in southern Africa.

The launch of the new hamburger has infuriated the Norwegian equivalent of Christian Aid and the Norwegian Red Cross and generated a storm of bad publicity for the American fast-food giant.

The concoction of beef, cheese, tomatoes and salad in a pitta-style sandwich is said to be based upon an authentic African recipe and is being sold to Norwegian consumers for about £2.80.

But aid agencies trying to raise funds to stave off a famine in southern Africa say that the timing of the McAfrika marketing campaign is insensitive, crass and ill-considered and have demanded remedial action from McDonald's.

"It's inappropriate and distasteful to launch a hamburger called McAfrika when large portions of southern Africa are on the verge of starvation," Linn Aas-Hansen of Norwegian Church Aid told the newspaper Aftenposten.

Protesting members of the aid group have been doling out "catastrophe crackers" - the protein-rich biscuits given to starving people in Africa - to fast-food lovers outside the firm's restaurants in Oslo.

"Twelve million people are suffering from starvation in countries such as Malawi and Zimbabwe; it is one of the biggest humanitarian disasters we have ever seen. We have nothing against McDonald's but the timing of this is insensitive," said Gunstein Instesjord, a senior policy advisor at Norwegian Church Aid.

"McDonald's must see that the launch has not been successful."

Aware that it has a public relations embarrassment on its hands, McDonald's Norway has been quick to launch a damage limitation exercise, making conciliatory noises in the Norwegian media.

Margaret Brusletto, a spokeswoman for the company, said she was sorry the name of the product had offended many.

"That wasn't our intention," she told Aftenposten. "We acknowledge that we have chosen an unfortunate time to launch this new product."

Faced with mounting protest about the new McAfrika, she initially said the company would "consider" a request to share proceeds from its sales with aid agencies but a meeting with the Norwegian Red Cross and others produced no such agreement.

Nor has McDonald's agreed to withdraw the offending product from sale.

But it has offered to allow aid agencies to leave collection boxes and fundraising posters in its Norwegian restaurants - but only in those selling McAfrika burgers and only for as long as the "special promotional burger" remains on sale.

In a statement issued to the Guardian from its UK head office in East Finchley yesterday, McDonald's said: "All of the involved parties are happy with this solution. We hope this will put a wider focus on the important job that these organisations are doing, and McDonald's in Norway is pleased to be able to support this."

[crystalk]

I would never put into my mouth anything I thought had originated in Africa.

[I know, someone will say Chocolate does or did, but that is just a raw material that is completely processed to unrecognizability in a clean setting in Hershey, Pa. Please tell me I am right.]

[wretchard]

Let's call it the McMugabe burger. No, that's wrong. No burgers under that regime. Let's call it the Rhodesian Happy Meal, which was the last time ordinary black citizens could afford to eat beef. Now that would be insensitive.

[E=MC²]

"It's inappropriate and distasteful to launch a hamburger called McAfrika when large portions of southern Africa are on the verge of starvation," Linn Aas-Hansen of Norwegian Church Aid told the newspaper Aftenposten.

Would it have been alright to have named it the McNorthernAfrika then???

[Bonaparte]

I hate McDonald's food, but now I'll be having lunch there all week. I'll also keep bugging them about when they're going to introduce the "Mugabe Sandwich" -- white bread with catsup all over it.

[LibWhacker]

Sensitive Vikings, that's a laugh. We'll serve 'em McAfrika burgers if we damned well please; we're unilateralists.

[paulklenk]

Sounds like a variation of the Blues Brothers' "Wish Sandwich" -- two pieces of bread, and you "wish" you had some meat.

[PianoMan]

Do they offer a McMuslim sandwich?

Yeah, it's all pork. I came up with it. Want to help me market?

[Ken H]

I heard about the Mugabe sandwich.

It makes you hungrier and takes over your stomach.

[The Black Douglas]

Do they offer a McMuslim sandwich?

Yeah, it's all pork. I came up with it. Want to help me market?

Don't forget to eat it using your left hand!!! hahaha! I'll have mine with fries cooked in bacon fat!!

Marketing? How about the caption, "Hey Osama bin Laden, EAT THIS!!" In the scene are a dozen young stud U.S. Marines chowing down on McMuslims while partying with some local Saudi girls dressed like Britney Spears....one of the Saudi girls is heard to say, "hey Shiek-baby, I like 'THE OTHER WHITE MEAT'"

[tjg]

It does sound good. But de-boning? Way to much trouble. Just cook the chicken and eat around the bones. Much easier.

[ppaul]

I just wanted to hear different perspectives from Freepers on this...

Here's mine:

Ha,ha,ha,ha,ha,ha,ha,ha,ha,ha, ha,ha,ha,ha, ha!!!!!!!

[MadIvan]

The concoction of beef, cheese, tomatoes and salad in a pitta-style sandwich is said to be based upon an authentic African recipe and is being sold to Norwegian consumers for about £2.80.

I don't recall ever seeing anything like this in Kenya or South Africa.

Regards, Ivan

[Hugin]

McDonald's has been accused of extreme insensitivity after releasing a new sandwich called the "McAfrika" in Norway, one of the world's richest countries, at a time when 12 million people are facing starvation in southern Africa.

What's timing got to do with it? When was the last time millions weren't facing starvation in Africa?

[Hugin]

I would never put into my mouth anything I thought had originated in Africa.

Maybe if it was something I killed myself.

Mmmmm...kudu.

[TheMole]

Driving home this evening I heard this mentioned by Mark Williams (KFBK 1530 Sacramento). He said that the "McAfrika" burger/sandwich had been introduced in Holland two years ago, occasioning no protest. Some Norwegians would seem to need to get a life.

[rickmichaels]

"...and have demanded remedial action from McDonald's."

No doubt they consulted with Je$$e Jackass before expressing their outrage. This sounds like a typical Jesse-style shakedown to me.

[NoControllingLegalAuthority]

Well said. There are millions starving in Africa because barbaric leaders, such as Robert Mugabe, in many African countries use starvation as a weapon against their own people.

Food has been shipped to Africa, by the shipload, for years. It usually never gets to the people. The leaders steal it and hoard it for political purposes. These protestors in Norway should be mad at African leaders starving their own and not at McDonalds.

[independentmind]

An American corporation should have more sense than to promote such a product, even outside of the U.S.

[joyful1]

Wouldn't McAfrika be a fried penis sandwich?

[Born to be Wild]

I lived in Norway for years. Norwegians consider themselves superior to Americans, especially since Nam. They will look down their noses at us regardless of what we do or don't do.

Fagedaboudit!