Der burger meister

(From TV Ad Music)

This, Exhibit A, is Favourites (The People's Restaurant), the current ad for McDonald's. It features an ode to Drive Thrus, Coke and Chicken McNuggets, and promises something for everyone who is 'just passing by'. (C'mon, you must've seen it.)

I have to admit I've been sucked in by the poem; I like it. It has a good rhythm and a clever simplicity. It's also read in a pleasant lilting Liverpudlian accent by the actor David Morrissey (star of such shows as Red Riding, State Of Play...). It was written, so it says in trade mag Campaign, by the copywriters/creative team Tony Malcolm and Guy Moore, aka Tony & Guy (yes, like the hair care bunch), for the agency Leo Burnett, and the background music is apparently the opening track from Stephen Frears' flick The Grifters (I can't remember: I've only seen the film once, when it came out in 1990, which is an awful long time ago now). If it is, then I find it a bit odd given the movie's tagline: Seduction. Betrayal. Murder. Who's conning who?. Er, Pelman versus McDonald's Corporation, anyone?

Anyway, forget that; I've been known to consume the odd Filet-O-Fish for my wife in my time, so I'm not going to get all sanctimonious and hypocritical. Back to the poetry. It was on a TES online forum, no less, where I learnt that the Favourites piece follows the same pattern as a work of great importance by the famous Australian artist Rolf Harris dating back to 1964. The Court Of King Caractacus, as it is entitled, starts like this: 'Now the ladies of the harem of the court of King Catactacus, were just passing by.' The next verse begins: 'Now the noses on the faces of the ladies of the harem of the court of King Catactacus, were just passing by.' Then: 'Now the boys who put the powder on the noses on the faces of the ladies of the harem of the court of King Catactacus, were just passing by.' You get the picture and I guess you see where the fine fans of the Times Educational Supplement are coming from.

So, 'The It bods with their taps and prods eating a Big Mac while writing their blogs, were just passing by.' I have to say, I often chow down on a Big Mac while writing my blog.

Yeah, I'm lovin' it.