McDonald’s CEO Should Leave Burger Enjoying To The Professionals

Last month, McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski posted a video attempting to eat a Big Arch burger, calling the food 'product' on a 'sort of bun' and saying he would finish the rest 'for lunch.' He took a bite and then stared at it; additional clips of him eating sandwiches have since circulated, including one where he seems to fumble with a napkin while holding a mouthful of chicken.

The clips have become an online sideshow, with C-suite types from competing chains trying to show their food is not only edible but enjoyable. Viewers have contrasted Kempczinski’s muted gray office and plain outfit—one line likened him to Tintin’s uncle—with professional reviewers such as Joe of Joe Is Hungry, who films at home amid fast-food memorabilia, breaks down weight, juiciness and flavor, and gives the Big Arch a 7.0 while clearly relishing the meal.

McDonald’s is one of the most influential corporations in the modern world, its iconography and cultural reach threaded through everything from franchise debates to arguments about cooking oil.

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