We sometimes laugh at things and then years later wonder why we found it funny. It’s the same thing as trying to watching British television. What they think is hilarious
is often times crude and stupid in my opinion. I’m sure it goes both ways. The ”Where’s The Beef” ads in the 1980’s for Wendy’s are one such example of this phenomenon.
Wendy’s founder Dave Thomas passed away last night, so I’m feeling a bit sad that another familiar face is gone. Although Thomas was spokesman for Wendy’s since
1989, his ”Where’s the beef” ads were wildly popular and constantly being spoofed and parodied whenever possible. The phrase even found its way into everyday conversation.
For example,
I have a very clear recollection of going to see the movie ”The Untouchables” at the Jersey Village Cinema 6 theater in 1987 with my friend John Hall. I hadn’t seen John for
a while and he was in town during the last few months that I attended high school. During the movie trailers John would audibly speak in a high pitched voice and announce,
”Where’s the beef!?” For some reason females in the audience giggled and even I thought it was such a darn funny thing to say in the middle of those movie trailers. No
direct references to beef were on the screen. Just saying it made you laugh. What weirdos we were. Of course, I had to top this later on during the film. Kevin Coster played
the main character, Elliot Ness. He was hugging his wife in this one scene. When their embrace tightened, Ness’s wife managed to say, ”I love you, Elliot!” I stood up right then
and screamed, ”I LOVE YOU TOO, E.T. !!!!”