"Global Warming Is Baloney"

VB · 06-08-2009, 08:10 PM

Gonna be getting my fast food from Burger King from now on!

The Burger King in Tennesse that says "Global Warming Is Baloney" went on the record to defend itself with Leo Hickman of the Guardian. What followed was "one of the more memorable calls" Hickman's ever had as a journalist. The franchise remains defiant, saying, "We're not sheeple around here, and while Barack Obama would like to have you believe that no one is entitled to have a view other than his, if someone wants to stand up and say "Global Warming is Baloney", then I'm all for it."
If you missed this story, here's a catch-up. Chris Davis, a reporter for the Memphis Flyer, spotted a Burger King blaring "Global Warming Is Baloney" on its sign early last week. When he called the franchise to ask about the sign, the franchise played dumb, saying "I don't see that sir." The reporter told them he had photos of the sign. The franchise didn't know what to say to that, and told him to call Burger King's corporated HQ. Here's the full transcript.
The absurd story gained traction across the web, moving from the Memphis Flyer to the Guardian to HuffPo, eventually landing on Keith Olbermann's show, where Olbermann included the Burger King franchise, in his "Worst Person Ever" schtick.
Yet, the parent company of the local franchise, Mirabile Investment Corporation (MIC), wasn't willing to talk with reporters until yesterday, when Leo Hickman of the Guardian got J.J. McNelis, MIC's marketing president, on the phone and asked about the sign.
Here's an excerpt:
GUARDIAN: Me: BK Corp issued a statement saying that 'global warming is baloney' wasn't their view and that they had asked you to take them down. Is that your understanding of it?
McNelis: I can't speak for them. I would think they would run from any form of controversy kinda like cockroaches when the lights get turned on. I'm not aware of any direction that they gave the franchisee and I don't think they have the authority to do it. The franchisee can put on a sign whatever he wants.
Me: They're saying that within the terms of the franchisee contract it says something along the lines that signs outside a restaurant can't be used to express any political or religious views.
McNelis: Well, it maybe a religious belief for some folks, but it's certainly not for the franchisee here and I don't think that it's necessarily political either. But I have to tell you that I don't read the franchise agreement with regularity or else I would have a bad case of insomnia.
...Me: BK Corp are saying that they've demanded that these signs get taken down and that they have now been taken down...
McNelis: Burger King can tell me to use my left hand when I scratch my nose instead of my right but that doesn't mean I'm going to use my right. They can say whatever they want. The management team can put the message up there if they want to. It is private property and over here in the US we do have some rights, not withstanding a franchise agreement that I could load a Brinks vehicle with I've got so many of them. By the time the BK lawyers work out how to make that stick we'd be in the year 2020. I don't think the franchisees are particularly concerned about that. BK can bluster all they want about what they can tell the franchisee to do but we have free speech rights in this country so I don't think there's any concerns. Don't come away from this conversation with the impression that the franchisee did anything because the BK Corporation told him he had to. They're only printed words on paper. The contract is only as strong as the ability to enforce it. Some things can be enforced, other things can't. I know BK would like to have you believe they have the authority and the willingness to make us do all kinds of different things, but that's not how the world works.

Link

bg · 06-08-2009, 08:25 PM

Fucking sweet.

**lz_NorthPole** · 06-08-2009, 11:12 PM

Global Warming My Ass! When the weather service can predict the weather 3 or 4 days in a row correctly just maybe I'll consider (not) their theory about the so called global warming. This winter we had in Fairbanks a run of over a 100 straight days of below average temperature. Global Warming My Ass! All I can say is Right On Burger King.

**M Olivier** · 06-09-2009, 01:48 AM

The truth of ther matter is that there is no definitive proof of global warming. There is a reason the USA refused to sign the Kyoto protocol. For every "respected" scientist that advocates global warming there is another "respected" scientist that disagrees. I am not for one minute suggesting that we have had NO impact on the earths weather, but it is minimal at best.

I am glad I didn't own a smoke stack industry during the last ice melt, I would have been blamed for everything.

For those who like books, check out "A State Of Fear" by Michael Crighton

bg · 06-09-2009, 02:31 AM

I recommend reading up on the effects of a decent-sized solar flare and pondering the fact that it can be neither predicted nor prevented. Then throw in the scientific community's admitted inability to identify the "tipping point" in the global climate where catastrophe would strike.

There's money to be made from jumping onto the "sky is falling" bandwagon, and this is the ONLY reason for its continued popularity.

**Rocket1972** · 06-09-2009, 04:18 AM

Global warming and Al Gore are stupid. That is all. Good post VB!

**RedFalcon** · 06-09-2009, 05:24 AM

And I even like their onion rings...coolness abounds.

**Digger** · 06-09-2009, 05:59 AM

Global warming????? I had frost hear this morning and the 2 days prior to that.... Christ, Alaska has warmer temps than we do..... June 9th and the high today is going to be a Balmy 53 with rain later today (wouldn't surprise me if it snowed). Yea, we probly contributed to some weather, and the half degree the over all temps raising .... But Ice will not melt at -20 F.

Al Gore can't even spell potato, when he was in he told a little kid that potato had an "E" on the end of it.... we grow the damn things around hereand no one had spelled it that way....ever.... its a band wagon for Gore to suck some of that pork from DC . That is all.

**lawndart504** · 06-09-2009, 06:03 AM

Good post. Good for the Franchisee of that BK. Only 1 problem, their fries are no good.

**Bell** · 06-09-2009, 12:52 PM

uuuh...that wasn't Al Gore. Gore invented the internet. Quayle can't spell.

**Stryker15-31** · 06-09-2009, 01:25 PM

They just got snow up in Wyoming a couple days ago. Meaning in June.

Ya, global warming my ass.

**rangeroffspr** · 06-09-2009, 02:04 PM

McNelis: Well, it maybe a religious belief for some folks, but it's certainly not for the franchisee here and I don't think that it's necessarily political either. But I have to tell you that I don't read the franchise agreement with regularity or else I would have a bad case of insomnia.

Flippin' shweet.

Is it acceptable to tip at fast food restaurants?