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Parsing an Israeli McDonald’s Ad (and Burger)

President Obama and the Big America Burger

by
Adam Chandler
April 24, 2013
Big America Burger. (HuffingtonPost)
Big America Burger. (HuffingtonPost)

It was just weeks ago, we were praising Maccabee Beer for its bilingual and poetic approach to television advertising. This week, a new McDonald’s ad for the Big America burger is making the rounds.

Of course, leave no stone unturned in the special relationship. If you’re going to feature an ad with a President Obama look-a-like and an America-themed burger, there is space for interpretation.

Over at JTA, Joe Winkler finds it to be the perfect mix of crude, direct, and Israeli. 972 notes the President’s line “God Bless Israel–for the Big America” and sees a big picture role reversal.

Now, of course I’m not saying that America exists thanks to Israel. But there’s something about the reversal of roles that rings true in an era where the Israeli prime minister feels he can intervene in an American election, or easily push aside new diplomacy efforts by an incoming secretary of state.

I see a Secret Service agent that looks a lot like Yair Lapid. And a tasty-looking hamburger. If you’re curious about the Big America Burgers, there are two of them. The Big New York and Big Texas:

Each has a 5-inch patty with a little over half a pound of beef in it — that’s bigger than any of the burgers actually served at McDonald’s in the USA — and it’s comprised of ribeye and short rib (another novelty when compared to the States). The Big Texas adds on lettuce, thick slices of tomatoes, pickles, grilled onions and barbecue sauce (645 total calories), while the tribute to the Big Apple, the Big New York, adds on lettuce, tomato, pickles, red onions and a tangy kind of French dressing (595 calories). Both are served inside a big sesame seed bun.

Thus far, the reviews have been mixed.

Adam Chandler was previously a staff writer at Tablet. His work has appeared in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Atlantic, Slate, Esquire, New York, and elsewhere. He tweets @allmychandler.