Big Beef About Sinclair's Anti-Kerry Plans (Burger King–Hold Everything)

[kskiska]

Burger King says: Hold everything

This just in from the presidential election's front lines:

Sinclair's Swift boat, its specially outfitted video cannon bristling as it steams toward the battleground state of Ohio, has been heavily damaged by anti-flak weapons and is changing course.

According to media reports, Sinclair is in such a pickle that it may be unable to fire the special anti-Kerry weapon. As usual with 21st century warfare reporting, those reports are highly misleading.

(snip)

But it was a bigger burger—Burger King, in fact—that lobbed the biggest grenade at Sinclair. The fast-food giant announced that it was withdrawing all its ads from all Sinclair stations all day on the date the weapon is broadcast—now scheduled for Friday, October 22.

"Burger King wants to maintain neutrality during this election," spokesman Eric Anderson told Bill Carter of The New York Times.

more…
http://www.villagevoice.com/blogs/bushbeat/archive/000323.php

[hatrack]

1. Hold the pickle, hold the lettuce, special smear plans do upset us . . .

Damn, I frickin' HATE fast food and I'm ready for a Whopper for lunch!

[Union Thug]

5. I'm going to write them..

and tell them that while I generally avoid fast food, I'm picking up a whopper and fries for lunch today to thank them for their decision to pull advertising.

[ewagner]

2. Good for Burger King!

I prefer my Whoppers from Burger King NOT the TV "news"!!!!

on edit: got a link for BK so I can compliment them?

[merh]

11. Here ya go - snail mail will do!

Contact the Burger King Corporate Office:
5505 Blue Lagoon Drive, Miami FL 33126
Corporate Headquarters [phone]
Marketing/Advertising [phone]
Donations/Charitable Contributions [phone]
Consumer Relations [phone]
(Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-5 p.m. ET)

Communication with Burger King Corporation is not accepted via e-mail.
Click here for our corporate policies & more info.

http://www.bk.com/CompanyInfo/contact_us.aspx

[chuckhoward]

3. Well, then...

...I just might go out and order myself a double whopper with cheese for lunch today...(been working out lately; can afford to "fall of the wagon")

[trotsky]

6. If you can get along without the cheese or mayo...

a Whopper is not all that terrible on the diet. Especially if you don't get fries with it either!

[chicaloca]

23. or you can get a BK veggie burger with no mayo

Exactly what I'm eating right now after hearing the news....

[Arancaytar]

4. Wonderful. From now on I'll always

choose Burger King over McDonalds, unless they do the same. ;)

[kysrsoze]

10. BK Rules! McDonald's sucks!

Look who's always in trouble for animal rights and nutritional problems - McDonald's. I've always liked Burger King more. Thanks, BK.

[ret5hd]

12. just a (friendly) question...

why not choose Sonic (donates heavily to dems), or better yet a local non-chain high quality burger? unless you go for the playground...

[progressivebydesign]

24. We don't have a Sonic in our area! Their commercials look good tho.. n/t

[Frances]

7. Does anyone have the number for Burger King?

I'd like to call and thank them.

[Paradise]

8. keep up the pressure at this one-click-hits-all advertisers, at this link:

http://www.boycottsbg.com/advertisers/emailall.aspx

[crossroads]

54. Thanks for the link!

Gotta make some calls...
:bounce:

[merh]

9. I am going to eat Burger King today & ask for a customer

service card that I can send in to them to let them know I appreciate their position. I respect them for wanting to remain neutral.

[Beetwasher]

13. Looks Like BK for Dinner Tonight!!!

Thank you BK!!! You've stood up and you've been counted!!!

[info being]

34. Maybe buy it and throw it away. Don't eat that shit!

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

41. yes - wasted food is a great idea

how bout buy some stock?

[BootinUp]

44. LOL n/t

[sdfernando]

52. Don't toss it

Please don't buy it and throw it away...give it to a homeless Veteran instead! They will be VERY appreciative!

[Spiffarino]

57. Buy some gift certificates

...and give them to a local homeless shelter if you don't want to eat a Whopper.

Me, I love their food. I only eat it about once a week (lots of calories!) but it is tasty stuff.

Now I feel even less guilty about my once-a-week indulgence. Good for BK!!
:yourock:

[Paradise]

14. i read that they were going to have repeated showings throughout the

entire week before the election, and on all 62 stations.

keep registering your vehement opposition with one-click-email to all advertisers at this link:

http://www.boycottsbg.com/advertisers/emailall.aspx

[wishlist]

15. Good for them, they also give seniors free coffee! Smart Public relations

I have friends who are Kerry supporters and retired. They meet for breakfast or coffee nearly every day at a Burger King. They will be quite pleased about this move.

[jhain]

16. guess wherewe're goning for lunch!

Man, it feels good to see Democracy coming out of retirement!

[Teaser]

17. Get me some flamebroiled, baby.

I likes mine flamebroiled.

[SiouxJ]

18. "This is believed to be the first time the fast-food giant . . .

has come out publicly against whoppers." lol!

Too funny!

[shadu]

19. Whoppers for ME!

[sadiesworld]

20. Uh oh.

Now I have to have a Whopper w/ cheese for lunch. Damn BK for being so ethical. Damn, damn, damn.
:9

[amber dog democrat]

21. Let Karl Rove have his Mac Attack... I will only go to Burger King for now

If there is anything corporations are mindful of , its loss of revenue.
This is just the responsible way to behave as well.

This appears to have caught Sinclair off guard.

What is really needed is a reinstatement of the fairness doctrine.

[AspenRose]

31. Agree 110%

The grilled chicken whoppers are good too!

:9

[MadChatter]

22. I just called the corporate office

and told them how much I respect their decision, and that I'm going to spend more money at BK.

[progressivebydesign]

25. Trying to call now.. I think they're swamped at Cust. Relations.. n/t

[diatribe]

26. Now I have to go to Burger King today!

Too bad the people working for $5 an hour don't know who Sinclair is.

[progressivebydesign]

27. OMG! I just talked with Burger King Customer Relations!! AND...

I called, and waited on hold for quite a while. When I was connected with a rep, I told her "thank you for your decision to pull advertising with Sinclair over the Kerry film". She said, "you're so welcome", I then went on to say, "trust me, the REAL people are really happy that you did this. I KNOW you're going to get some mean calls about that.. but just ignore them, they like to attack people when they don't get their way", her reply? "BELIEVE ME, I've gotten a LOT OF THAT!" She also thanked me in very, very strong terms for being so nice, and reminding her that many, many people support their decision. SOunds like their Customer Reltaions people are getting hit HARD today. :( So when you call (cuz you can't email), take a moment to really let them know that we understand what they're dealing with today.

You know, even when I have disagreed with a companies decision, regarding politics, I have NEVER been rude or mean. I simply express my disappointment in their choices. I can't believe people can be so rude to strangers... the people in Customer Relations don't set corporate policies, nor does a receptionist, or even managers. Sad what the freepers are doing to America.

[southernlad]

28. Good point

We have remember to thank companies when they do good things instead of just harrass them when they do bad things. I will have to put in my call.

[yardwork]

39. When I called Pepsi and other companies

to request that they pull advertising from Sinclair, I was very polite and low-key. I can't imagine yelling at a customer rep or being rude to some employee. That's brownshirt behavior.

I was polite in my emails to SBG and to their affiliates. I was even polite to the FCC! Being polite is always, always the way to go.

I'm going to call BK right now. Thanks for the number.

[Cerridwen]

29. Yeah, I have substitute for Arby's who is still supporting

Sinclair...


Burger King it is.

And a letter or phone call is one the way.

Thanks kskiska for posting this.

:hi:

[kskiska]

32. My pleasure, nemdaille

I just came from lunch at BK. What was Sinclair thinking?
:hi:

[jayfish]

30. Everyone Needs To Buy Something From Burger King...

on the 22nd. Even if you cannot stand fast-food, buy something. Maybe a salad or soft-drink or even a glass of ice-water. Show your support with you wallet. I will.

Jay

[Zorra]

33. Well, I'm going to have to break my boycott of multinational corporations

and get myself a batch of BK Veggieburgers next time I am in a city.

[mmonk]

35. Just picked some Burger King up

from the drive through.

[GOTV]

36. They're pulling ads for one day only...

... How much harm with that do?
A reduction of 1/365th of annual advertising budget.

The stock is rising today.

[mmonk]

37. It's the effort

and you don't know exactly how many dollars that might mean. By making it public, it might start a larger trend in pulling advertising.

[GOTV]

38. "it might start a larger trend in pulling advertising."

I hope it does

[Voltaire99]

45. Exactly. How about a little perspective?

Judging from some of the posts, you'd think BK had delivered us the election when all it is doing is running for cover. It'll be back on that right wing network the very next day--even if Sinclair ends up running some form of anti-Kerry broadcast.

Try to be a bit realistic, people. Not only is this a very minor victory, but we're talking about a corporation whose irresponsible products lead to obesity and all its attendant ills. Come on, then; up off your knees.

[Sterling]

62. Right, Burger King is the cause of fat people.

There were never fat people before fast food right? And of course the only place people can eat is fast food and of course they are not capable of eating portions they can digest without gaining wieght?

I hate this shit. I really loved Mc D's OLD FRIES! And crybaby blame everyone for their problems people decided no one could enjoy fasat food if they could not without getting fat.

We have way bigger battles to fight than taking people's right to be fat away.

[yardwork]

40. I just called BK at Consumer Relations [phone]

A very nice young man immediately answered the phone. I told him that I appreciated BK's decision to pull their advertising from SBG and we would go to BK from now on when we visit fast food restaurants.

He said they appreciated my comment and he would register it right away. He sounded somewhat relieved that my call was positive rather than negative. It sounds like they're being freeped today.

[Norbert]

42. Good for Burger King.

Wise move and wise explanation. I rarely eat fast food any more but in their case I plan to make an exeption.

[Catfight]

43. Now I know why I've been craving a Whopper Junior with cheese today!

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

46. I just called them...

And gave them a hearty attaboy. You should as well.

[Anakin Skywalker]

47. Piss the Right Off Even More

Hey, don't forget to order the FRENCH fries, eh? LOL :)

[noamnety]

48. Why are we so excited over one day?

Is our goal to make them pull ads for just a day? I thought we were pressuring them to not support Sinclair at all.

I'm not going out of my way to give my business to anyone who continues to support them.

[kostya]

49. Say Thank You BK!!

I'm dropping them a note right now!

:toast:

[Born Free]

50. I'll be buying whoppers that day

Love those whoppers...

[wildeyed]

51. Whoppers are so good.

But the salads with flame broiled shrimp or chichen are a healthier choice and really quite good.

Guess where I am taking the family to eat tomorrow night? We will have a BK celebration dinnner.

[kwyjibo]

53. Yum, meat from hundreds of cows in one patty

[Sterling]

63. Yes it's sad, cows are cute.

But that's nature and that's life. People eat meat, have since we stopped swinging from tree's.

The world is just not fair. It would be great if we could thrive without causing damage or suffering on the environment and nature but alas we are just parasites sucking the planet dry. We could just kill ourselves as a race. I think Bush is working on that one.

[CHICKEN CAPITOL USA]

65. that's how we've always done it around here?

That same argument was used in the fight to preserve slavery.
That same argument was used to prevent womens' rights in the early 1900's.
That same argument was used to maintain segregation.
That same argument was used to fight environmental protection measures.
That same argument was used to support apartheid in South Africa.
That same argument was used to fight birth control by the Caltholic Church.
That same argument was used justify the death penaly.

WAKE UP PEOPLE!!!
Industrialized farming is not the old fashioned down home farm with a creek and shade trees and grassy fields.
It is an absolute holocost every year for some of the most loving gentle creatures on this earth.
Slaughter houses are ever so CRUEL.
We love our dogs and cats but find it ok to eat the "other" animals ...
Why?
Because we've "always done it that way"!
Progressive thinking moves beyond pre established "norms" and moves toward "progress", rights and equality.
Animals now deserve rights even if they've never had them before.
There must be "standards" for the killing that ensure the least suffering possible.
Modern society?
Not even close.
But hopefully someday --
That day will be when the MAJORITY questions the idea of "we've always done it that way."

[Child_Of_Isis]

67. Hell, we don't have to buy the meat.

Buy a salad or something!

[Misunderestimator]

55. Haven't had Burger King for years, but I'll go have a burger tomorrow!

[ladyrae416]

56. WB in St. Paul Minnesota

is showing Stolen Honor tonight at 9:00 Central time. It is on for 60 minutes so I guess they cut 30 minutes of it. x(

[Carolab]

58. Right

I'm in St. Paul too. I guess everyone could call the station and just light up the switchboards.

Here's the number [phone].

[LiberteToujours]

59. Then I will eat Burger King for one day only

We need to be polite and gracious with Burger King, and thank them for making a stand, but also make it clear to them that one day is not enough. I will buy Burger King on Oct. 22, but I will not buy it on any day after that that they are still advertising on Sinclair.

[Digit]

60. I would rather see at least a week's worth withheld

It is a nice gesture and all, but it seems like a drop in the bucket.

[GOTV]

68. Absolutely...

... It's simple CYA on BK's part. They are trying to disassociate themselves from a politically risky move by Sinclair without causing Sinclair, or themselves, any significant inconvenience.

Relax on the BK praise. They ain't doing us no favors.

[dave502d]

61. The hell with TACO BELL,Git me a bigger burger.

[oldtime dfl_er]

64. dinner at bk on Friday night!

[Bozos for Bush]

66. Deciding what to eat for dinner just became a lot easier

Nice to see a heavyweight do the right thing.