Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Pop Culture Burger King Calls Global Warming "Baloney"
Posted by Chris Davis on Wed, May 27, 2009 at 8:19 PM
I must admit that the nightmares I have about Burger King's regally creepy mascot already leave a bad taste in my mouth. But if the fast food industry's most famous underdogs are really taking a stand against global warming science, I'm breaking up with the oh-so-delicious Whopper for good. And I mean it this time.
Businesses usually don't court political controversy, but signs at (at least) two Memphis Burger King locations read: "Global Warming is Baloney." According to one employee at the Burger King on Union Avenue and Pauline, that's no mistake.
Care to eavesdrop on my incredibly strange conversation with a female BK employee who didn't identify herself? Read on.
Me: Hi, I'm calling from the Flyer about your sign. Does Burger King really think global warming is baloney?
BK: [Hangup]
Me:(calling back): Your sign out front says global warming is baloney.
BK: I don't see that sir.
Me: Well it does.
BK: I don't see that sir... I change the signs and that sign's been up for a week.
Me: Well, I have pictures that I took this afternoon [cross conversation ensuring I'm calling the correct BK. I am]
Me: So there's no question that your sign said it and so did one in Midtown. I want to know if it was on purpose or if it was a prank someone pulled on you.
BK: Let me get the manager. [several minutes of dead air then the same or very similar voice picks up.]
BK: Who were you holding for?
Me: A manager, about the sign. I have pictures of the sign and people have called me upset. I just want to know if it's a mistake or not so I can report it. [rehash of previous conversation]
BK: Let me go outside and look at the sign and I'll call you right back. [exchange of contact info]
[phone rings, I answer]
BK: The sign was put up yesterday.
Me: And it's not a mistake?
BK: No.
Me: It reflects the opinion of BK international?
BK: Yes. Would you like to talk to the home office? I can give you a number.
Me: I've got the number, I've already contacted them. Thanks.
When it comes to climate change, BK doesn't have the best reputation. Climatecounts.org, a not-for-profit organization that rates companies based on attitudes toward global warming, describes Burger King as "A choice to avoid for the climate-conscious shopper." But there's certainly more to this story, and we'll let readers know 
what's up when we hear back from BK HQ.
And shouldn't the people who make lunch meat — the blue collar alternative to dining out — be miffed?
The three photos are of the BKs on Union at Pauline and the BK on Union near Cooper.
Comments (122)
Showing 1-50 of 122
You know the Burger King be slippin' you his globally warm baloney.
Wait, isn't this the Goner message board? I think I'm in the wrong place.
like
dislike
fancycwabs,
Why couldn't you just post "first" like the other geeks?
BK has taken blatant stands for high calorie, high fat food ("meat on top of meat, on top of cheese...") and paraded it as a virtue, now this? They deserve to be left behind in the fast food wars.
...and I could've sworn I saw a "Waterboarding Is Not Torture" banner on a Chick-fil-A storefront this morning. Buwa ha ha.
If they believe it then they have a right to their view..
I tend to concur with them hence why the term 'Global Warming' is not used much due to a few fcts about this planet having a fair few cooling periods and warm periods are not uncommon.
But anyways it says something when the 'green' lot have to change their term from global warming to climate change..
Hey, they can have their signs say whatever they want... If they want to limit their clientele to a specific group of people.
From a marketing standpoint, this ranks right up there with other bone-headed moves, like the time Chevrolet thought the Nova would be a big seller in Mexico.
Why would they do this in Midtown of all places? It's like they're trying to pick a fight.
I think it's a clever marketing ploy for their flame-broiled barbecue baloney sandwich.
But as everyone knows, global warming is merely a conspiracy of the global elite. To what purpose remains to be seen. They want to force us to do something. I'm not sure what it is. But I suspect they plan to use global warming to induct our children into the gay lifestyle and convert them to Islam.
heck, it's kind of funny. I eat fast food only rarely, and my wife, never. If I want baloney, Wolf River BBQ in Moscow has the best damned barbequed baloney sandwich you ever 'et.
@b the Nova/Mexico story is something of a myth, and a weird one playing on an unlikely paring of cultural biases: A worker's belief that corporate executives are bunglers and the assumption that Mexicans are so unsophisticated they can't distinguish between "No va" and the proper noun Nova.
Wow! Who came up with this idea? They should be fired. I can't even imagine the brain power. For those people that don't believe in global warming, well they are lacking in some of the same. For a business to take such a stand is profit suicide.
Well I am now trying to get to the bottom of this - I live in Brownsville Tn and there it was same sign- Global warming is baloney! And you betcha I was ticked off about it......was taking a picture of it when I noticed two mgr's standing in the parking lot smoking cigarettes One says" Yea I know what your thinking, but I was forced to put that up, I do not believe it either. I told my boss Im not going to agree with that statement or stick up for Bk . all I can offer you is a phone number to call a hotline that says why they believe that. And that this wasnt a corporate BK it was owned by a company who has 43 stores." So I guess Im done with Bk, the food has been getting worse and worse anyway.
Good for Burger King. Not everyone buys the global warming junk, it is not based on data nor facts and is based on Computer Models. Idiots.
@b No ouchie it's widespread and generally accepted as fact. These things happen.
http://www.snopes.com/business/misxlate/no…
@mickey white. What do you think computer models are designed around.......um data maybe?
Same sign at Burger King in Cordova on Germantown. Employees just looked like deer in headlights when I asked about it. I will not go to the Lube place to change my oil because it has Bible quotes on its sign (at Winchester and Germantown) and now I will not go to Burger King because it has Global Warning Baloney signs. I do not expect business to mix with religion or politics and shun any that do. I have no doubt I am not alone in this.
I have not eaten at a Burger King in almost 10 years (been on a health kick) - but I WILL CERTAINLY BUY ONE WHOPPER A DAY FOR THE NEXT MONTH just to show my support. Why is it that liberals can make some assanine statement and get praised for their stand but every time a conservative makes a statement he has to get crucified? Thanks for being bold and being AMERICAN, Burger King. By American, I mean you use your freedom of speech. Thanks! I almost thought they had succeeded in taking that one away from us! OK - gotta run now - going out to buy my Whopper!
@chris.... saw that. i swear my marketing prof at u of m a few years ago cited it as an example....not a good sign.
Of course, they don't believe in global warming. They are pushing one of the biggest contributors to global warming: beef consumption.
Maybe, the sign means they are switching to baloney sandwiches and are really trying to save the planet.
Equally as suspcious as the global elite global warming propaganda machine is the anti-global militia, who will fight to the last drop of your blood to allow billionaires to pollute our air and poison our water. What danger do they see in the secret agenda of the global warming cartel? Cleaner air and water? Who in their right mind would fight that? No one. Thus they know someting they're not telling us, namely that a polluted planet is their own secret agenda for population reduction.
WOW! That's great! I am going to stop by BK on my way home from work and buy me a big fat juicy burger to show my support!
About time some people recognize AGW for what it REALLY is!
Oh wait, I get it! Just figured it out.
It's those flame broilers. Those things put off tons of smoke, i.e. soot and CO2 and CO. BK will have to buy carbon credits to stay in business, while McDonalds won't, since they will still be using microwaves. Thus climate legislation will place an unfair disadvantage on Burger King vs. its competitors.
Awwww come on now....this is Memphis. Just spell it any ol' way that you like. Much the way people name their kids around here!
if you go to the library and really read about the models, you find out they’re not so good with the way they handle clouds, not very good with the way they handle the interaction of the ocean and the atmosphere; and you find out they’re not very good with the precipitation patterns, and they’re not very good with surface water balance and energy balance. And then you find out there are fudge factors; and maybe they’re not handling the ice as well as they could. You find out basically there are many problems that are well noted.
The phrase Anthropomorphic Climate Change has been used since at least the '60s. This is not new. Bush actually decided to change the government's phrasing from global warming to climate change.
By the way, beef consumption doesn't really affect the atmosphere because it is pretty carbon neutral. Now the petroleum that we dig up out of the ground has been locked out of the system for millions of years. That's not carbon neutral.
@IEK So you also will not go to businesses displaying the rainbow flag? Oh, those politics are okay?
Did we ever figure out if this was just the local franchisee? Memphis seems to be the only place the signs have been seen so far.
Its a pity there were not a few more commercial organizations prepared to state their view. Global warming is a load of baloney and more and more of us are waking up to this 'religion'. If you cant get mother nature to come to the party then perhaps a new belief is in order!!!!
yeah, i'd love it if more businesses were this overt about their view. then i'd save some time on research and would instantly know who to boycott. like bk. they've just gone over to creepy.
i mean, take a look at this:
http://www.firemeetsdesire.com/
"These Global Cooling deniers have obviously been bribed by the alternative energy industry."
"Global warmers predict that global warming is coming, and our emissions are to blame. They do that to keep us worried about our role in the
whole thing. If we aren't worried and guilty, we might not pay their salaries. It's that simple."
Kary Mullis, Winner of the 1993 Nobel Prize in Chemistry
Yes, the entire conspiracy is driven by salary expectations. That explains it all. Whew, glad somebody figured it out.
If my doctor hadn't told me to avoid saturated fats I'd be eating a Whopper now. Good on ya BK ! AGW is a farce that is rapidly unravelling. The sooner it does, the better.
I love this!! LOVE. IT. Not only do I agree with B that this could save me a lot of time and research, as I do like to support businesses with pro-environment and pro-equality policies, but I will enjoy watching conservatives grow fatter as they stuff themselves with all that fast food to show their support. Way to go, BK!
The signs have been up 2/3 days and headquarters is not saying anything at all, nada, nothing, zip. I would think if one group of franchises by one owner did this that headquarters would release a statement that it is the owner’s opinion. I am starting to think BK may be introducing a baloney sandwich. The reason I say that is because BK is being tooooo quiet about all this.
The signs have been up a few days now and headquarters is not saying anything at all, nada, nothing, zip. I would think if one group of franchises by one owner did this that headquarters would release a statement that it is the owner’s opinion. I am starting to think BK may be introducing a baloney sandwich. The reason I say that is because BK is being tooooo quiet about all this.
Just spoke to someone in media relations at BK-Intl. Will eventually have a response. I was warned that it's after 3:30 on a Fri (in Fla.) so I might have to wait for it, but answers are on the way.
I saw 2 different BK stores with this sign out from - Germantown Pkwy and the gas station BK at 240 & Kirby Whitten.
Weird?
Well, bravo for Burger King! More companies need to speak up against the abominable intimidation and censureship of the Grobal Warming Alarmists before they get put out of business by the Climate Nazis. I'll make sure to buy BK from now on.
It's becoming clearer all the time that each of us needs to decide which side is lying . ( Hint : its the statists who spread fear of the "green" gas upon which all life is built who are naked . )
Our local BKs also run FOX news all day long in the dining area, and the workers told us they were not allowed to change the channel or even turn down the obnoxiously loud volumes. BK, of course, is well within its rights to push a right wing agenda. I am, of course, within my rights to go eat somewhere else.
Meh. Whether you agree with the concept of climate change or not, I think everyone can agree that this is a really bad move from a business perspective. Why would Burger King want to piss off the overwhelming majority of people who are smart enough to understand and accept the realities of climate change, and instead market themselves to the tiny minority of lesser-educated people that don't? Seriously? How is this designed to increase their business?
Doesn't matter to me, since I stopped eating at Burger King a few years ago for totally unrelated reasons (severe case of food poisoning).
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