McDonald's sorry for burger blunder - "McAFRIKA" burger flops in Norway

Aftenposten - English version ^ | 08.22.02 | Nina Berglund/

[prisoner6]

McDonald's sorry for burger blunder "Tasteless," is how charitable groups have branded a McDonald's burger in Norway that they claim ignores the starvation crisis in Africa. McDonald's is red-faced, and may donate proceeds from its controversial "McAfrika" burger. This is the promotion that's left aid organizations in Norway seeing red... and McDonald's officials red-faced. PHOTO: KNUT FJELDSTAD/SCANPIX RELATED ARTICLES Massive relief effort ready to roll - 26.07.02 "It's inappropriate and distasteful to launch a hamburger called 'McAfrika' when large portions of southern Africa are on the verge of starvation," says Linn Aas-Hansen of Norwegian Church Aid. She stood outside a McDonald's restaurant in downtown Oslo this week, passing out free "catastrophe crackers" to passersby in protest. "This is a special, protein-rich cracker that we hand out to people in the hunger-stricken areas," she said. Among those who got a taste of the crackers was an apologetic spokesperson for McDonald's in Norway, Margaret Brusletto. She said McDonald's was sorry the name of its new burger, meant to reflect an African recipe, has negative connotations. "That wasn't our intention," she said. "At the same time, we acknowledge that we have chosen an unfortunate time to launch this new product." There was no word as to whether McDonald's will pull its "McAfrika" burger off the market despite the protests in Norway, where aid organizations have launched one of the world's largest relief programs ever aimed at getting food to starving millions in southern Africa. McDonald's officials, however, were due to meet representatives of the aid organizations on Thursday. "We expect that McDonald's will contribute to the fight to stem starvation," said Bjorg Mide of Norwegian Church Aid. "The company can, for example, share proceeds from the sale of this hamburger with the aid organizations." Brusletto said that's "a possibility we will consider."

[OrthodoxPresbyterian]

Well, without characterising that nation, and having listened very closely to my Norwegian brother-in-law, I'd say that the whole world is bloody lucky that McDonald's didn't happen to think of a ludefisk sandwich, maybe called 'McLude' or something similar.

You mean, a McLUTEfisk sandwich, right??

Surely you mean a McLute... not a McLUDE -- whassat, Deep-fried Quaaludes??

[Godel]

Its always funny when PC collides. McDonalds thought they could glorify a backwards culture and use it to sell burgers. MEanwhile leftist organizations can't stand to have Africans mentioned without also mentioning whan an abject failure the people that live there are. Quite humorous.

[SAJ]

Ah, I must plead not guilty here. That spelling was taught me by Lynn-Hannes Longseth, my brother-in-law.

Obviously, you know what this curious dish smells like! (hee hee!)

Glad to have the correction; a 'McLude' sandwich did sound odd, even for a company with a 'McAfrika' sandwich (which STILL sounds screwy).

[SAJ]

ROFLMAO! You BETCHA!

[OrthodoxPresbyterian]

Ah, I must plead not guilty here. That spelling was taught me by Lynn-Hannes Longseth, my brother-in-law. Obviously, you know what this curious dish smells like! (hee hee!) Glad to have the correction; a 'McLude' sandwich did sound odd, even for a company with a 'McAfrika' sandwich (which STILL sounds screwy). 23 posted on 8/23/02 12:57 AM Pacific by SAJ

Nah, my teen-age fishing days were entirely Northern Pacific, no north-atlantic codfish ("lutefisk") for me... though I have heard tales that I'm not missing much. ;-)

I just though McLUDE sounded funny, that's all. (grin)

A real McLUDE sandwich would certainly mellow out the Norwegian enviro-fascists, of that I have no doubt.

[OrthodoxPresbyterian]

I just though thought McLUDE sounded funny, that's all. (grin)

[HiTech RedNeck]

Filet-O-McLutefisk.

[BubbaJunebug]

Its predecessor was the McIdi Amin burger

In other words..it ate you rather than you eating it?

[Movemout]

With marketeers like that we should soon be treated to the McMartyr Burger in the mideast. I favor the Mecca Triple-Decca Bombe' for dessert after my Iraq of Ribs sandwich and the Kurdish fries with a rich mustard condiment.

[GraniteStateConservative]

[GraniteStateConservative]

I thought the same thing. Wouldn't those crackers better be used to help hungry people than make a point?

[prisoner6]

Bumpers for the mid-morning crew.

prisoner6

[T. P. Pole]

Le prêcher bruyant, bruddah! Le prêcher bruyant, bruddah!

You got me laughing so hard that tears are coming...

[katana]

Maybe they should just have served an empty wrapper for $ 3.95 and promised to donate most of the proceeds to African debt relief. They'd have made a bundle and the imbeciles who are upset with them now would have thought it was a charitable act.

[katana]

I hope they don't pull the joke. I'm still laughing.

[Orual]

Guess all the African McDonald's will have to counter by offering a McAmundsen burger. Frozen, of course. On the other hand, it might result in the polarization of relations.

[GnL]

It would also tee off the British who are still reeling over Scott's second place showing at the Pole.

[rightwingreligiousfanatic]

How about a McElian Gonzales sandwich? Just as you are about to put it in your mouth, they snatch it away from you....

[ZULU]

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

And I though we had politically correct idiots here in the U.S. Perhaps Scandinavia is where that illness originated. Not much else to do on those long winter nights except think about idiotic issues like this one, or maybe its the effect of the sun on those long summer days.
If it weren't for creations like Ann Margaret or Anita Ekberg, I wouldn't have much use for those people. Their Viking ancestors would turn over in their graves over some of the socialistic idiocy that comes out of there.

[Kermit]

McDonald's has nothing to apologize for. The starvation in southern Africa, read Zimbabwe, is a politically conducted famine against the opponents of Robert Mugabe, the wannebe Pol Pot of Africa. I guess the Norwegian charities are collecting funds to militarily oust Mugabe, right? Mugabe has outlawed whites from farming, ie growing food.