Fine Art Friday: Burger King Gives Ronald McDonald A Beatdown
Either this Burger King in Miami takes the competition really, really seriously, or the owner is into some pretty freaky s#@t. The store gets bonus absurdity points for framing it so handsomely.
It's not all fun and violence here, though. Kevin, who took the photo, adds,
This same BK has the Whopper Jr. on the value meal for $1.00, the 16 ounce soft drink for $1.00 and a small fry or onion rings for $1.00. Total = $3.00. However, if you buy the Whopper Jr. Value Meal you get the same three items. Price? $3.99.
Looks like if you buy the "Value Meal," you're the one getting the beatdown.
(Thanks to Kevin!)
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I hereby vow to eat at Burger King for lunch today. That is funny.
Kinda reminds me of Ben Stiller in that crapy Dodgeball movie. "Getting the bull by the horns."
Thats awesome.
Violent, but awesome.
That's incredible. I'd think more highly of companies that did stuff like this.
I would pay for a print of this....this....magestic piece of art.
Is that a Whopper? (pun intended)
King/Ronald slash!
Egads, a friend of mine did a piece of art like this, not even a month ago!
And the prequel:
Jack (in the Box) can still kick both their behinds with one bulging bicep tied behind his back.
Do something about it!
I knew a BK franchise owner that had a few similar paintings. He had one in his office and rotated another one between stores...
Over-the-top BK corporate art: In Meriden, CT, there is a big Burger King with an attached video arcade -- robotic minstrels too. The building's architecture has some castle-like elements. The capacious dining room's west wall comprises a two-story mural of a pastoral scene, with burgers and fries being farmed on royal land. There's a "BURGER REX" crest.
Is there any BK like this elsewhere? (When I was a kid, we called it Burger King Castle. When I Google that expression, there are results for that store, and for the BK near Castle Rock, WA.)
I always thought Burger King was home of the Whopper, not Home of the Beatdown.
Jack could fuck both of them up.
I love the tag for this article as "Clown Violence". Maybe we should make friday clown violence day.
Doesn't roll off the tongue like Caturday, but what does?
Wendy's is hotter.
When I worked at BK 25 years ago, we had this exact print hanging in the office.
It reminds me of the old Judge Dredd story (that will never be reprinted because of copyright lawsuits)
The Judge is traveling through the "badlands" and encounters bands of competing fast food tribes, Kentucky Colonels vs. Burger Kings vs. McDonalds. fighting for fast food supremacy on the cursed earth. With guns and open warfare.
"everything at MacDonalds is disposable..includin' the staff"
@Tom Castle: It is funny as hell, but I will skip BK today and go to Wendy's instead (better food), or maybe I will skip both and just eat at home while reading the consumerist.
It looks like the King is raping Ronald McDonald!
Buttseckx!
I like it..its a good picture!
Awesome. Balloon animals and facepainting on Tuesdays.
I'd be more impressed if BK cleaned their restaurants.
Come see the violence inherent in the system! Come see the violence inherent in the system! Help! Help! I'm being repressed!
That's funny.
The "value meal" issue above is not uncommon. Our local McDonald's charge $4.79 or so for a 10 piece McNugget Value meal when you can buy 4 McNuggests for $1 in the $1 menu. So, you can get 12 nuggets for only $3 that way. I don't need the fries and have my own drink.
between the promise of a smackdown on the walls, the sub-carnival grade food, and the deceptive pricing, it's like eating lunch with the Mafia.
Wait, I guess you are eating lunch with the Mafia when you think about it.
For all you folks who think this is awesome, or great art or whatever... why on earth would you award this bullsh*t with your money? It's flabbergasting.
BK value meals (at least over here in CA) come with fries and drink one size up (and much price up) from the value menu fries and drink, so you do get a discount from the individual price.
Since I don't really need the extra empty calories, I usually do get the $1 frys and $1 drink from the value menu.
It's amusing enough to me as an adult, but it would preclude me from taking my preschooler to the restaurant. I'm not saying they have to take it down, just that in posting something that violent in a supposedly family-friendly restaurant, they are choosing to risk customer loss. Which is fine, that's their choice.
Not that I ever got to BK anyway...can't stand their food.
I'm sure if my child was older, I wouldn't care and they might find it funny too. But not at 3.5.
I strongly suggest every fast food restaurant and/or cafe get unique art, not from corporate. It gives the place a sense of identity. Plus, the fact that this piece is exactly what corporate would be afraid to put up is what makes it so great, and which is why I really don't want corporate to pick the art.
How delightfully absurd!
Not too many good bits from that movie, but this is indeed one of them (IMHO).
Kate: That... is a really interesting painting.
White: Thank you. Yeah, that's me, taking the bull by the horns. It's how I handle business. It's a metaphor.
Kate: I get it.
White: But that actually happened, though.
I remember seeing that exact same print in a BK that my sister worked at about 20 years ago... back then I was a McDonald's fan, so found the picture to be particularly sad-making.
@Courteous_Gentleman: Ah, the wonders of photoshop. If only I had the mastery of it that your friend does. Perhaps I too could make my sub-par art look visually pleasing! :P
Kidding, that's pretty good stuff. :)
@Tom Castle: Instantly reminded me of Happy Gilmore....
"You're gonna die, clown!"
Too bad T-Bell is on campus for me. Been thinking about that since last night...... Sad, I know.
OP- I was at a BK in L.A. a couple weeks ago and noticed the same issue with the pricing. Since it wasn't busy, I pointed it out to the manager and he said, "well, most people don't notice it cause they can't add." I wonder if that is Offical BK Policy.
@antisane: I actually know where this BK is, as a Miami native.
And yes, BK is great but Wendy's hits the spot like no other. Spicy Chicken sandwich combo and frosty ftw
I wonder which mascot beat the most "lunch money" out of the other mascot? *stroking chin* Hmmm I wonder....
@Crabby Cakes: I'm guessing policy is that it serves as a loss leader, and that folks that order the single items end up spending more on other a la carte items. Or at least they hope. The increased value menu cost makes up for that loss, while earning a little extra for giving people the perceived convenience of just saying one thing rather than spelling out eh order. As in "1" rather than "burger, fries, drink." As in, yes, people probably are THAT lazy.
I love how companies try to promote meals like that. Do the math and you might save some change.
(Hey, Al Bear! I agree with you!)
I would not be at all surprised if this actually came out Burger King's ad agency. They love to do weird stuff like this.
Coincidentally, I ate there yesterday.
Two Whopper Jrs. = $2.16 (includes tax). I can't get that much lettuce, tomato, and charbroiled protein for that price anywhere else. Nummy!
I absolutely love that drawing and the fact that it's hung right over the counter! Some manager has stones, I tell ya.
Probably one of the employees thinks hes a comic book artist and drew it to show how talented he is