Top 10 Things Products McDonalds Wants You To Forget About
#10: The McDLT
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In 1984, McDonald's decided that they should give their customers the chance to construct their own burgers. The McDLT came in two styrofoam packages that were connected. On one side was the bun and patty while the other side had the lettuce, tomato, sauce, and cheese. While there was nothing wrong with the burger, environmentalists pointed out that using that much styrofoam couldn’t be good for the environment. McDonald's agreed and decided to discontinue it. Customers were also confused by the fact that the cheese was kept with the vegetables and not melted on the burger. McD’s is probably not the only one that wants us to forget this burger - Jason Alexander might want us to forget the commercials he did for it.
#9: McDonald's Character Glove Puppets
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McD’s made some truly questionable decisions, especially when it comes to happy meal toys. One of the most mind-boggling was the McDonald's character glove puppets. Made out of flimsy plastic, the gloves had tacky pictures of the McDonald’s gang on them. Not only were the puppets akin to waving around a grocery bag, but they were also a choking hazard. Needless to say, kids weren’t too thrilled to play with such a cheap version of Ronald McDonald. So it wasn’t exactly surprising when they were replaced. While some happy meal toys are supposedly worth a fortune, Mickey D’s is hoping the rest of these remain where they belong: in the trash.
#8: Bad Diet Coke
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Imagine taking a sip from a cold Diet Coke from McD’s only to lose all feeling in your arms and legs. That’s exactly what happened to Trevor Walker, a Utah local who was rushed to the hospital after passing out. It turned out that the Diet Coke Walker received had buprenorphine, a replacement for heroin or opioids and a powerful painkiller, in it. Walker ended up suing McDonald's as he believed his drink had been laced with the potent medicine. Interestingly, a similar incident happened at a Dickey’s BBQ in Salt Lake City. Sadly, in that case, the woman passed away after drinking an iced tea mixed with chemicals. What is going on with the drinks in Utah?!
#7: Arch Deluxe
For quite a few of us, we don’t go to McD’s for high-quality food. We go because we need something quick or have fond memories of it from our childhood. McDonald’s decided they wanted to change this image by introducing the Arch Deluxe, a hamburger marketed for adults. While this was a good idea in theory, adult customers didn’t understand why they should pay so much for an “adult” burger. To make matters worse, McDonald’s launched a perplexing marketing campaign for the Arch Deluxe. One commercial featured two kid rappers shuddering at the sight of the burger. Another featured McD’s “executive chef” explaining the burger to business folks in an elevator. McDonald’s probably hopes that we grown-ups have forgotten these ads.
#6: McLean Deluxe
Healthy is not the first word that comes to mind when you hear the word “McDonald's.” The company decided to convince us otherwise by introducing the McDonald’s Deluxe Line in the 1990s. It all began with the McLean Deluxe, a burger that had less fat - the patty itself was only 90% meat. The other 10% was a mix of carrageenans, a chemical derived from seaweed. If you just gagged at that, you're not the only one. Customers balked at the lack of taste. McD’s ended up pulling the whole line, and unsurprisingly, have not attempted such a “healthy” line since.
#5: Not Paying Employees Overtime
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In the United States, federal law dictates that employees must be paid overtime if they work more than 40 hours in a week. Over the years, McD’s has not always followed this rule. How you may ask? By altering their schedules! In 2016, employees in California decided that McDonald's better have their money. The employees sued, and McDonald's had to fork over a whopping $26 million in back pay. We’re pretty sure that McD’s doesn’t want us to remember that snafu, but that’s not the only labor law they’ve broken. It’s also been revealed that McDonald's doesn’t always allow their employees to take their mandated breaks. Let the employees use the restroom, McD’s!
#4: The Hot Coffee Lawsuit
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A hot cup of coffee is what most of us need to get our day started. No one wants to have that coffee literally burn them! After purchasing a coffee from McDonald's, Stella Liebeck accidentally spilled it on her lap. The coffee was so scalding that she ended up with third-degree burns. Liebeck asked for McDonald’s to cover her medical bills. When they refused to, she took the company to court and won the case. Liebeck sustained burns since the coffee was 180 degrees (F)! It’s hard to dismiss this case since HBO made a documentary called “Hot Coffee” that details the case.
#3: “McLibel” Campaign Wins a Moral Victory
In an unusual twist, the “McLibel” Case had McDonald's suing someone rather than being sued. It all began when environmental activists Helen Steel and David Morris released a pamphlet regarding all of the horrible acts McD’s hid from the public, including animal cruelty. Mickey D’s didn’t take too kindly to this and sued the duo for libel. An almost 10-year-long court case followed, which is apparently the longest-running libel case in English history. One reason the case took so long was due to the fact that some of the statements claimed were true while others were determined to be false.
#2: McCruelty to Animals
Considering how quickly those chicken nuggets come out, it’s not too shocking that McD’s doesn’t take the best care of the chickens they farm. In 2013, Mercy for Animals revealed that McDonald's bred their chickens so quickly that they couldn’t walk. The poor chickies were also kept in the dark and forced to live in their own waste. This isn’t the only instance of McDonald's mistreating animals. Billionaire activist Carl Icahn slammed the company for using gestation crates to house their pigs. Icahn described their actions as “reprehensible” and as “obscene cruelty.”
#1: Documentaries like “Super Size Me” & “Food, Inc.”
It’s been said that there’s no such thing as bad publicity, but in this specific case, publicity can indeed be bad. In 2004, documentary filmmaker Morgan Spurlock released “Super Size Me.” The film followed Spurlock as he ate solely McDonald’s food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for a month. During the course of the film, Spurlock 24.5 pounds, experienced mood swings, and a fatty liver. Spurlock hasn’t been the only documentarian to explore the ills of McD’s. “Food, Inc.” revealed that Mickey D’s purchases the most ground beef in the States. So whether you like it or not, the company does have an impact on your meat.
