McRib

The McRib is a sandwich from McDonald's made from boneless pork and barbecue sauce on a bun, with onions and pickles added. It was developed at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln [1]. The sandwich test-marketed very well in Nebraska and other Midwestern markets and was added to the restaurant's permanent menu throughout the United States in 1981.^{[citation needed]} Sales were mediocre, and it was removed after several years, only to be brought back on a temporary basis every year since. Numerous inconclusive explanations based on pork prices and even conspiracy theories have been suggested to explain the McRib's periodic reappearances.

Officials at McDonald's, in a 1985 stockholder meeting, mentioned that the reason the McRib was pulled was because the McRib couldn't sustain international sales because many countries don't eat pork on a regular basis. Germany was mentioned as an example which could sustain sales, but not the U.S. or certain Asia Pacific countries. The strategy announced at that time would be that the McRib would be brought back periodically as a "specialty" sandwich since it definitely increased sales during a promotional period and then drops off. Also, the McRib didn't stay in the warming bin long enough so food cost would be higher.

On November 1, 2005, McDonald's put out a press release stating that the McRib would be permanently removed from the menu following a "McRib Farewell Tour." This appears to have been a deceptive kickoff to a viral marketing campaign; mcrib.com, a site registered to McDonald's, features a petition to "Save the McRib," which is facetiously sponsored by the "Boneless Pig Farmers Association of America." So in a two-angled campaign, McDonald's is simultaneously conducting a McRib farewell tour and sponsoring a petition to "Save the McRib" to create buzz. The idea for the tour seemed to have come from The Simpsons episode "I'm Spelling as Fast as I Can" which featured a farewell tour for its parody food item. On October 16, 2006, the "McRib Farewell Tour II" site appeared, confirming the campaign was a marketing ploy. The petition to "Save the McRib" still exists as well as the "BPFAA" site.

Pop Culture References

"I haven't seen you this excited since they brought back the McRib" or a variation of this line has appeared in several sitcoms, including Full House, Yes, Dear and Roseanne.

In the "Mole People" episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000, Mike Nelson says at one point, "I'd rather watch David Crosby eat a McRib sandwich than watch this scene."

David Letterman's Top 10 once featured, "Things Elvis Presley would say if he came back today," one of which was: "Aw hell, don't tell me I missed the McRib!"

In an episode of The Boondocks, a back-from-a-coma Martin Luther King, Jr. ate one, exclaiming "Oh snap! No they didn't! A boneless rib sandwich!".

In the reality show The Osbournes, Jack mentions his love for the McRib sandwich. Kelly responds by saying "What the heck is a Muc-Rib?"

In The Simpsons episode "I'm Spelling as Fast as I Can," Krusty Burger released an item called the "Ribwich." To the dismay of its devoted, cult-like following, the sandwich was discontinued after the animal it was made from, suggested to be an insect, became extinct. Later, in The Simpsons Hit & Run, the Squeaky Voiced Teen said that the Ribwich is made from only paste and MSG.

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