McDonald's "You Better Don't" (lost "Defend Your Chicken Selects" commercial from fast food franchise; 2004): Difference between revisions

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|imagecaption=The logo for the McDonald's brand.
|imagecaption=The logo for the McDonald's brand circa 2004.
|status=<span style="color:red;">'''Lost'''</span>
|status=<span style="color:red;">'''Lost'''</span>
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In 2004, ''Mcdonald's'' had a commercial campaign to promote their Chicken Selects called "Defend Your Chicken Selects". These commercials were then aired starting in August 10 of that year<ref>[https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna5528665 NBC News article that states that the McDonald's campaign will start airing on August 10th, 2004] Retrieved 29 Feb '24</ref>, up until October of 2004, but there are more commercials that have aired from McDonald's that features the 'McDonald's Chicken Selects' from months after its campaign have ended<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QIIuciVx4c&t=205s "00's Commercials - UPN December 2004 Part 3" by YouTube user OptimumPx that has a McDonald's commercial that features a Chicken Selects.] Retrieved 29 Feb '24</ref> These commercials follow a series of people trying to defend their chicken selects by either saying "no" or confronting people, with most of these commercials following a person talking to themselves.  
In August of 2004<ref>[https://nbcnews.com/id/wbna5528665 NBC News article that states that the McDonald's campaign will start airing on August 10th, 2004] Retrieved 29 Feb '24</ref>, ''Mcdonald's'' introduced the "Defend Your Chicken" campaign to promote the permanent addition of Chicken Selects to their menu. The campaign centers around a series of people trying to defend their Chicken Selects by confronting people who come close to their meal, with most of these commercials following a person talking to themselves.  


However, one commercial from this campaign is currently missing due to its '''strange<ref name="reddit" /> and stereotypical mocking of black people<ref>[http://erinjackson.net/tag/mcdonalds/ Erin Jackson's December 6th, 2008 blogpost on McDonald's stereotypical ad] Retrieved 29 Feb '24</ref> and was also quoted to be pulled off from television after its airing<ref name="evergreen">[https://evergreenspeakers.com/diversity-is-the-future/ The Evergreen Speakers' webpage on "Diversity is the Future" that mentions the missing McDonald's commercial.] Retrieved 29 Feb '24</ref>'''.
However, one commercial from this campaign, nicknamed '''"You Better Don't"''' by those who remember it, is currently lost, despite being commonly remembered<ref name="evergreen">[https://evergreenspeakers.com/diversity-is-the-future/ The Evergreen Speakers' webpage on "Diversity is the Future" that mentions the missing McDonald's commercial.] Retrieved 29 Feb '24</ref> and referenced<ref>[http://erinjackson.net/tag/mcdonalds/ Erin Jackson's December 6th, 2008 blogpost on McDonald's stereotypical ad] Retrieved 29 Feb '24</ref> for its stereotypical use of African-American Vernacular English.


==The "Plane" Commercial==
==The "You Better Don't" Commercial==
These commercials follow the same as the rest: a person defends a certain someone (sometimes, no one) of having their Mcdonald's Chicken Selects eaten. However, this specific commercial follows a flight attendant collecting trash, the flight attendant then gets to the black woman eating their chicken selects thinking its trash, before the woman responds with '''''"You Better Don't"''''', before it ends.<ref name="straightdope">[https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcdonalds-ad-you-better-dont/264700?page=1 StraightDope thread about ''You Better Don't"''] Retrieved 29 Feb '24</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20220413092724/https://www.tpwwforums.com/showthread.php?t=20372 TPWW Forums thread that recollects what happened in the McDonald's commercial.] Retrieved 29 Feb '24</ref><ref name="ARS">[https://arstechnica.com/civis/threads/mcdonalds-ad-strategy-or-only-black-people-buy-big-macs.477247/ ARS Open Forums with a message from the user about the missing commercial.] Retrieved 29 Feb '24</ref>. The commercial received negative attention<ref name="lipstick">[https://www.lipstickalley.com/threads/mcdonalds-racist-commercial-parody.326476/ LipStickAlley threads on the "You Better Don't" commercial.] Retrieved 29 Feb '24</ref> and believed that whoever wrote this went for a stereotypical black American dialect.  
"You Better Don't" follows a flight attendant collecting trash, who gets to a black woman eating Chicken Selects. The flight attendant, thinking the meal is trash, goes to discard it, to which the woman responds with '''"You Better Don't!"'''<ref name="straightdope">[https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcdonalds-ad-you-better-dont/264700?page=1 StraightDope thread about ''You Better Don't"''] Retrieved 29 Feb '24</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20220413092724/https://www.tpwwforums.com/showthread.php?t=20372 TPWW Forums thread that recollects what happened in the McDonald's commercial.] Retrieved 29 Feb '24</ref><ref name="ARS">[https://arstechnica.com/civis/threads/mcdonalds-ad-strategy-or-only-black-people-buy-big-macs.477247/ ARS Open Forums with a message from the user about the missing commercial.] Retrieved 29 Feb '24</ref> The commercial received negative attention<ref name="lipstick">[https://lipstickalley.com/threads/mcdonalds-racist-commercial-parody.326476/ LipStickAlley threads on the "You Better Don't" commercial.] Retrieved 29 Feb '24</ref> for giving the woman a stereotypical black American dialect.  


==Recollection==
Several users on the internet have recalled this commercial in multiple threads and websites. One Reddit user who saw this commercial, u/Senor_Buttons, claims that he and his roommate were more confused with the phrase then offensive.<ref name="reddit">[https://www.reddit.com/r/lostmedia/comments/u17ipl/you_better_dont_a_strange_mcdonalds_commercial/ u/Senor_Buttons post on ''You Better Don't]</ref> Others on the other hand saw this commercial offensive and were completely or mildly mad. One user when discussing what is the worst Mcdonald's commercial describes a language that disrespects black people if not versed, quote:
<blockquote>
Historically, the African Diaspora has created its own language based on the language of the enslaver. Commonly called creole, in the late 20th century America, the term Ebonics became fashionable. There are linguistic patterns that are valid, though non-standard. “…better don't…” violates the rules of creole/ebonics and standard English. Only someone (think white person with no black friends) not versed in Creole would disrespect black people like that.<ref>[https://www.quora.com/Whats-the-worst-McDonalds-commercial-of-all-time/answer/Sidney-Cooper-4?ch=15&oid=344630442&share=9ca3585e&srid=uyAdzw&target_type=answer One user describing the commercial and how offensive it was] Retrieved 29 Feb '24 </ref>
</blockquote>
==Availability==
==Availability==
After the negative reception, the commercial was pulled<ref name="evergreen" /> and never aired again. Even though people and users talk about the commercial and how bad it was, no photos or footage of this commercial exists. The possibility of the commercial not from McDonald's is possible as one Google Groups post claims it as a "KFC" ad<ref>[https://groups.google.com/g/alt.alien.visitors/c/S9AunpsHlEE/m/vpAWDfyUEdIJ Google Groups public post that claims the commercial as a "KFC" ad.] Retrieved 29 Feb '24 </ref>, but is highly unlikely due to McDonald's having more mentions in various websites and threads<ref name="reddit" /><ref name="evergreen" /><ref name="straightdope" /><ref name="lipstick" /><ref name="ARS" />
As of 2024, despite being referenced occasionally online as an example of black stereotyping in marketing, the commercial has not resurfaced online in any form. However, most other commercials from the campaign have resurfaced.
 
As of 2024, the commercial has not resurfaced online in any form. Most commercials from this series are compiled by the Lost Commercials Foundation, fortunately.


==Video==
==Video==
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==See Also==
==See Also==
*[[The Incredibles (found full version of McDonald's Happy Meal commercial for Pixar animated film; 2004)]]
*[[The Incredibles (found full version of McDonald's Happy Meal commercial for Pixar animated film; 2004)]]
*[[McDonald's "Archy Dancing" advertisement (lost commercial from fast food franchise; early 1960s)]]
*[[McDonald's "Archy Dancing" (lost commercial from fast food franchise; early 1960s)]]
*[[McDonald's (found "New Slang" commercial from fast food restaurant; 2002)]]
*[[McDonald's (found "New Slang" commercial from fast food restaurant; 2002)]]
*[[McDonald's (partially lost early Japanese TV commercials for fast food chain; 1973-1976)]]
*[[McDonald's (partially lost early Japanese TV commercials for fast food chain; 1973-1976)]]
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*[[YumChums (partially lost British McDonald's TV commercials; 2004)]]
*[[YumChums (partially lost British McDonald's TV commercials; 2004)]]
*[[Valerie's Family Fire Prevention (partially found McDonald's sponsored TV ads; 1987)]]
*[[Valerie's Family Fire Prevention (partially found McDonald's sponsored TV ads; 1987)]]
*[[McDonald's eCrew Development Program (found McDonald's Japan Nintendo DS training game; 2010)]]


==External Link==
==External Link==

Latest revision as of 23:30, 3 July 2024

Mcdonald's logo.png

The logo for the McDonald's brand circa 2004.

Status: Lost

In August of 2004[1], Mcdonald's introduced the "Defend Your Chicken" campaign to promote the permanent addition of Chicken Selects to their menu. The campaign centers around a series of people trying to defend their Chicken Selects by confronting people who come close to their meal, with most of these commercials following a person talking to themselves.

However, one commercial from this campaign, nicknamed "You Better Don't" by those who remember it, is currently lost, despite being commonly remembered[2] and referenced[3] for its stereotypical use of African-American Vernacular English.

The "You Better Don't" Commercial

"You Better Don't" follows a flight attendant collecting trash, who gets to a black woman eating Chicken Selects. The flight attendant, thinking the meal is trash, goes to discard it, to which the woman responds with "You Better Don't!"[4][5][6] The commercial received negative attention[7] for giving the woman a stereotypical black American dialect.

Availability

As of 2024, despite being referenced occasionally online as an example of black stereotyping in marketing, the commercial has not resurfaced online in any form. However, most other commercials from the campaign have resurfaced.

Video

Lost Commercials Foundation's video compilation of the commercials in the "Defend Your Chicken Selects" campaign.

See Also

External Link

Reference

  1. ↑ NBC News article that states that the McDonald's campaign will start airing on August 10th, 2004 Retrieved 29 Feb '24
  2. ↑ The Evergreen Speakers' webpage on "Diversity is the Future" that mentions the missing McDonald's commercial. Retrieved 29 Feb '24
  3. ↑ Erin Jackson's December 6th, 2008 blogpost on McDonald's stereotypical ad Retrieved 29 Feb '24
  4. ↑ StraightDope thread about You Better Don't" Retrieved 29 Feb '24
  5. ↑ TPWW Forums thread that recollects what happened in the McDonald's commercial. Retrieved 29 Feb '24
  6. ↑ ARS Open Forums with a message from the user about the missing commercial. Retrieved 29 Feb '24
  7. ↑ LipStickAlley threads on the "You Better Don't" commercial. Retrieved 29 Feb '24
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