I just can't get this commercial out of my head! Every time my Tivo records one, I stop and look at it. There must be something subliminal in it.

rather than subliminal, perhaps its something a bit more jungian? the melody and theme are as close to authentic americana as it gets--evoking a vision of the kind of 'golden streets and oranges free for the picking' place that continues to draw people here. bk's commercial plays on that image but no more wildly than the song's author (harry mcclintock who also wrote the iww labor song 'hallelujah i'm a bum). intentionally or not, bk using it to promote its newest excess--considering the consequences of eating nothing but fries and sammiches made of deep-fried chicken, bacon and cheese--hasnt wandered very far from the author's sardonic cautionary tale.

altho he revised the lyrics when he finally got around to recording the song in 1928, mcclintock's song originally characterized the type of stories used by hoboes of the day to lure young boys and girls off the straight and narrow and onto the rails (less straight obviously but far narrower hahahahaha).

here's a sample of the original that was submitted as proof of authorship by mcclintock to establish his copyright.

The punk rolled up his big blue eyes
And said to the jocker, "Sandy,
I've hiked and hiked and wandered too,
But I ain't seen any candy.
I've hiked and hiked till my feet are sore
And I'll be damned if I hike any more
To be buggered sore like a hobo's whore
In the Big Rock Candy Mountains.

if you wanna hear a few moments of the 1928 recording (remastered and included as part of the 'o brother whereart thou?' soundtrack), go here
Link

I finally saw the commmercial for the first time tonight. It's really surreal with Darius Rucker dressed up as a cowboy. That alone is enough to make it a trainwreck. Former lead singer of the most popular and quickly disappering band in 1994 is classic.

For me, it falls under the so-bad-it's-good category. I will watch it all the way through if it comes again despite my wanting to turn away.

I quit paying attention to those ads as soon aas I saw the one where the Burger King was in bed with the guy and handed him a sandwich.  I think they were trying to revive the Burger King from the 70's/80's, but they ended up doing it in a really creepy way.

I'd like to see Stephen King do a rewrite on that. "I don't even think about my dentures." Then the dentures could answer back, "But we think about you, Jack. All the time."

Ever read his short story "Chattery Teeth"?

rather than subliminal, perhaps its something a bit more jungian? the melody and theme are as close to authentic americana as it gets--evoking a vision of the kind of 'golden streets and oranges free for the picking' place that continues to draw people here.

I disagree.

There seems to be a rise of a sort of self-mocking - sometimes bordering on self-loathing - aestetic on TV; A TV culture that has become so deeply self-referential that it has peeled itself almost to the core (a parody of a parody of a parody).

This commercial is, of course, intentionally stupid. But not stupid in the way that, for example, the old "Please don't squeeze the Charmin" ads were. The Charmin ads wanted to annoy viewers into remembering the product by creating an nagging unlikeable character (Mr Wipple).

The Burger King ad catches our attention by making us wonder if the writers and producers were on drugs or just really stupid. Or, to look at it another way, its a parody of a bad commercial parody of a sexist country music parody of the Wizard of Oz.

This commercial is winking at us really hard. Its trying to convice us that the producers are so jaded about making commercials that they're really not taking the process of trying to sell us stuff seriously. As a consiquence, we let down our normally cynical guard down and just enjoy (or loathe) the silliness of it all. That, of course, is when the message sneaks in.

check out www.scaredoftheking.blogspot.com

you are not the only one

Well, I've finally gotten to the point of singing along with the dumb commerical...lol....not as creepy as it first was

THANK YOU!!! I totally agree. That is one of the most insulting commercials I have seen in awile. BK commercials have just been CREEPY, and kind of stupid and NOW just insulting. I won't eat there anymore. And most males will never admit that commercial is insulting, but ask them if they would let thier daughter do that commercial...

I quit paying attention to those ads as soon aas I saw the one where the Burger King was in bed with the guy and handed him a sandwich.  I think they were trying to revive the Burger King from the 70's/80's, but they ended up doing it in a really creepy way.

Wow! My mind's not as dirty as I thought! I did not even see the implications of the commercial until you described!

I've seen the new one...Burger King pops up at someone's window....scary lol...he hands the guy in the house a breakfast sandwich, and right before the commercial ends, the King is rolling on the carpet with a dog while the guy blissfully eats his sandwich...lol

O MY GOODNESS!!! i thought i was the only one. the first time i saw the commercial with the king in bed with the guy, i freaked out! i thought, "what the hell? is the commercial implying that the king is gay or somethign?" i swear that commercial is sooo disturbing. i dont wanna eat there anymore. and the latest one with the guy looking out the window and the king is at the end of the yard, the guys turns around and back to see the king right there at the window, i literally screamed. its like a horror movie of a stalking masked guy with a creepy-ass voice trying to feed you something that might have poison or something. everytime i see that commercial start again, i close my eyes cuz its too scary and i wont be able to sleep. and he seems to like animals too much.

~...and the latest one with the guy looking out the window and the king is at the end of the yard, the guys turns around and back to see the king right there at the window, i literally screamed. its like a horror movie of a stalking masked guy with a creepy-ass voice...~

Yeah...the guys creating these spots must be pretty out there; either that, or they have an oddball sense of humor lol

The King is evil we pissed on ourselves once we saw the first commerical and we've had a phobiah since THE KING AHH!!!

found this spoof on these commercials

http://www.flappingcrane.com/popeschicken.html

look on ebay!

item number 7166075027

burger king head is for sale!!

FINALLY!!! My sister and I have always been afraid of these commercials since we've seen the first one. They are like psycho movies...in fact they could use the king in some new slasher flick....maybe finally retire jason vorhees or michael myers....

~FINALLY!!! My sister and I have always been afraid of these commercials since we've seen the first one. They are like psycho movies...in fact they could use the king in some new slasher flick....maybe finally retire jason vorhees or michael myers....~

lol...and he doesn't go away. Now he is in some football commercial making a touchdown and doing an endzone dance (my boyfriend told me he thinks he is digitally superimposed over Deion Sanders).

I want this outfit for Halloween. Has anyone seen the mask for sale anywhere?

Go to www.bk.com, the burger king mask can be purchased there, the remainder of the outfit is up to you.

i am a person intrested in your communication tactics
what are the ways that you use to communicate your products and services
i am researching on fast food companies for acadenic purposes please help

this ad is so far down the rabbit hole i thought i had eaten an entire sheet of blotter acid when i saw it.
i was expecting some kind of watts riot reaction when BK foisted this ad upon us poor unsuspecting viewers.
it is that disturbing and it actually embarasses me to be in the same room with a tv playing that ad. insane! i am seeking help now. i cant work or sleep.

Wow..it surprises me that this article is still getting responses...lol.

Well, maybe it isn't so surprising since that kooky burger King guy is still all over television. I still find him weird...

he isn't digitally super-imposed over Deion Sanders...it's a real guy that just does the dance really well...i actually know him. his name is Dustin Dennard.