How Wendy's 1984 "Where's The Beef?" Commercial Changed The Colloquial Use Of The Word "Beef" In The United States

GarfieldFCo, May 28, 2012 I don't think there's anybody back there. **** Edited by Azizi Powell This pancocojams post showcases two YouTube videos of Wendy's 1984 "Where's The Beef?" commercials. This post also presents the meaning/s of the saying "Where's the beef?" and presents some information about that saying and earlier English language colloquial sayings that include the word "beef". In addition, this pancocojams post presents a newspaper excerpt about and selected comments from a political vlog about Judge Raymond Dearie's use of the saying "Where's The Beef?" The content of this post is presented for cultural, linguistics, entertainment, and political purposes. All copyrights remain with their owners. Thanks to all those who were associated with these commercials. Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to the publishers of these videos on YouTube. -snip- Disclaimer- This post doesn't mean to imply that the saying "Where's the beef?" originated among African Americans. **** SHOWCASE VIDEO #2: 80s Commercial | Where's the Beef | 1984

Steve Herold, July 1, 2013

Everybody's favorite old lady from the 80s, Clara Peller, drives like a lunatic in her search for The Beef.

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THE COLLOQUIAL USE OF THE ENGLISH WORD "BEEF"
From https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/336475/origin-of-the-slang-ame-and-bre-usage-of-beef  Origin of the slang AmE and BrE usage of "beef"

Asked, 2016; Modified 2019
"Beef began its life as an intransitive verb in 1888 and soon took on the noun meaning in 1899 appearing in such expressions as "What's your beef? and "I had a beef with him" (not a steak).

Beef as verb [1888] Slang (originally U.S.): To complain, gripe, grumble, protest. Hence verbal noun ‘beefing.’ Earlier it meant to talk loudly or idly.

1888 “He'll beef an' kick like a steer an' let on he won't never wear 'em.”—New York World, 13 May

Beef as noun [1899] Slang (originally U.S.): A complaint, protest, grievance, gripe, objection, argument, a bone of contention.

1899 “He made a Horrible Beef because he couldn't get Loaf Sugar for his Coffee.”—Fables in Slang (1900) by George Ade, page 80

Regarding its origin I could find two main assumptions:

according to Etymonline it comes from American soldiers slang:

The origin and signification are unclear; perhaps it traces to the common late 19c. complaint of U.S. soldiers about the quantity or quality of beef rations.

While this extract from Quora suggests that is origin is from rhyming slang:

As regards the etymology of beef, it seems to go back to the cry of hot beef! meaning ‘stop thief!’ (quasi-rhyming slang but more by coincidence than design, since it is far older than rhyming slang's first widespread use in the 1820s-30s); thus the 18th century cry hot beef, to raise a hue and cry. This became ‘to raise an alarm’ or ‘make a fuss’ - the presence of crime was now irrelevant - and thence ‘to shout’. The 'complain' use followed that. Then (both in the late 19th century) came ‘to argue’, ‘to give someone away to the authorities’, and so on"...
edited Jun 15, 2020 at 7:40 by community
asked Jul 10, 2016 at 7:16 by user66974

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WHAT DOES THE COLLOQUIAL SAYING "WHERE'S THE BEEF?" MEAN?
Excerpt #1
From https://www.dictionary.com/browse/where-s-the-beef#:~:text=What%20is%20the%20source%20of,Slang%3B%20late%201800s%5D
1. "Also, what's the beef? What is the source of a complaint, as in Where's the beef? No one was hurt in the accident. This usage employs beef in the sense of a “complaint” or “grudge,” also appearing in the phrase have no beef with, meaning “have no quarrel with.” [Slang; late 1800s]

2. Where is the content or substance, as in That was a very articulate speech, but where's the beef? This usage was originally the slogan for a television commercial for a hamburger chain attacking the poor quality of rival chains. (1984) The phrase was almost immediately transferred to other kinds of substance, especially in politics."

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Excerpt #2
From https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/Where%27s+the+beef%3F
"Where's the beef?

1. What is the problem? This meaning uses "beef" in the sense of a conflict, complaint, grudge, feud, etc.

So, he borrowed your sweater and then he returned it. Where's the beef?

2. Where is the most substantive or the important part (of something)? This usage originated with a popular catchphrase introduced in a 1984 commercial for the Wendy's fast food chain in which a woman humorously questioned the purported lack of meat in competitors' hamburgers. The phrase was further popularized that year when US presidential candidate Walter Mondale used it to question the substance of the policy proposals of his primary opponent, Gary Hart.

The writing is good, but where's the beef? You need evidence to back up your claims.

The program looks good on paper, but how do we know it will really work? Has any research been done? Where's the beef?

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE WENDY'S "WHERE'S THE BEEF" ADS From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Where%27s_the_beef%3F " "Where's the beef?" is a catchphrase in the United States and Canada, introduced as a slogan for the fast food chain Wendy's in 1984. Since then it has become an all-purpose phrase questioning the substance of an idea, event, or product.[1]

The phrase first came to the public audience in a U.S. television commercial for the Wendy's chain of hamburger restaurants in 1984. The strategy behind the campaign was to distinguish competitors' (McDonald's and Burger King) big name hamburgers (Big Mac and Whopper respectively) from Wendy's "modest" Single by focusing on the large bun used by the competitors and the larger beef patty in Wendy's hamburger. In the ad, titled "Fluffy Bun", actress Clara Peller receives a burger with a massive bun but a tiny patty from a fictional competitor, which uses the slogan "Home of the Big Bun". The small patty prompts Peller angrily to exclaim, "Where's the beef?" Director Joe Sedelmaier actually wanted Peller to say, "Where is all the beef?" but because of emphysema, that was too hard for her.[2]

The commercial was originally supposed to star a young couple, but Sedelmaier did not find the concept funny and changed it to the elderly ladies.[2]

An earlier version, featuring a middle-aged bald man saying, "Thanks, but where's the beef?", failed to make much impact. After the Peller version, the catchphrase was repeated in television shows, films, magazines, and other media outlets.

First airing in 1984, the original commercial featured three elderly ladies at the "Home of the Big Bun" examining an exaggeratedly large hamburger bun. The other two ladies poke at it, exchanging bemused comments ("It certainly is a big bun. It's a very big bun. It's a big fluffy bun. It's a very big fluffy—"). As one of the ladies lifts the top half of the bun, a comically minuscule hamburger patty with cheese and a pickle is revealed (prompting her to finish the sentence "—bun." with a much more disappointed tone). Peller immediately responds with her outraged, irascible question.[3]

Sequels featured Peller yelling at a Fluffy Bun executive from his yacht over the phone and approaching fast food drive-up windows (including the "Home of the Big Bun" and a restaurant with a golden arch) that were slammed down before she could complete the line.

[…]

There were many "Where's the beef?" promotional items, including bumper stickers, frisbees, clothing patches, a Milton Bradley game,[6] and more.

In 2011, Wendy's revived the phrase for its new ad campaign, finally answering its own question with "Here's the beef".[7]

During the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, when stores were experiencing a shortage of beef, Wendy's revived the ad. [8]

To launch their new breakfast menu in Canada, Wendy’s released a new advertisement campaign called “Where’s the Bacon?” as a callback to the “Where’s the Beef?”. The new campaign is similar to its older counterpart, except it focuses on the amount of bacon in breakfast sandwiches rather than beef size. [9]”…

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A NEWSPAPER EXCERPT ABOUT JUDGE RAYMOND DEARIE SAYING "WHERE'S THE BEEF?"
From https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/18/us/politics/special-master-trump-privilege.html
"In Documents Review, Special Master Tells Trump Team to Back Up Privilege Claims" by Charlie Savage and Alan Feuer, Oct. 18, 2022, 2:21 p.m. ET

What’s the expression — ‘Where’s the beef?’ I need some beef,” Judge Raymond Dearie, the independent arbiter, said during a conference call.

"WASHINGTON — The special master reviewing materials seized by the F.B.I. from former President Donald J. Trump’s compound in Florida expressed skepticism on Tuesday about early claims by Mr. Trump’s lawyers that certain documents were privileged and thus could be withheld from a Justice Department investigation.

In a phone conference, the special master, Judge Raymond J. Dearie of Federal District Court in Brooklyn, complained that the log of an initial batch of documents over which Mr. Trump is seeking to claim privilege lacked sufficient information to determine whether the arguments were valid.

Judge Dearie encouraged Mr. Trump’s lawyers to give him a better sense of why they believed the documents could be lawfully shielded from the Justice Department’s inquiry into whether Mr. Trump unlawfully kept classified records at his estate and obstructed the government’s repeated efforts to retrieve them.

“It’s a little perplexing as I go through the log,” Judge Dearie said. “What’s the expression — ‘Where’s the beef?’ I need some beef.”....

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VIDEO SUMMARY AND SELECTED COMMENTS FROM THE "MEIDES TOUCH "POLITICAL VLOG

Pancocojams Editor's Notes:
-snip- 
These selected comments are all from Oct. 18, 2022 and are presented in chronological order with the oldest comments given first except for replies. Numbers have been added for referencing purposes only. 

From https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFQJW0H-NxY BREAKING: Special Master ADMONISHES Trump’s Lawyers for ‘NONSENSE CLAIMS’ at Search Warrant Hearing

MeidasTouch, Oct 18, 2022 

A telephonic status conference was held in the Trump Mar-A-Lago Search warrant matter before Special Master Raymon Dearie who admonished Trump’s lawyer for making nonsense and nonsensical privilege claims and asked Trump’s lawyers “where’s the beef?

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Selected comments from that discussion thread:

1. Lee Beckwith
"Where's the Beef..lol..all I can see is those little old lady in the drive thru at Wendy's...lol 😆 🤣 😂"

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2. H K S
"Judge Dearie’s crack about “Where’s the beef”? Is extra funny, after Trump supporters shrugging off all the investigations into his crimes as a “nothing burger”. There’s a dad joke in here, somewhere."

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3. Moonlight Pixie
"Where's the beef and you can't have your cake and eat it ..I think Dearie likes food and isn't messing around."

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4. Ted Hext
" "Where's the beef?" is from an old Wendys Commercial featuring Clara Peller. I'm not sure if this pop culture trivia is still well known.  It went what was our version of 'viral' at the time - break room common knowledge. It's quite fitting  to us oldsers."

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5. #YOUdon'thavetoreadthispost.
"There's no beef in a trump-burger. It's all Lard - o"

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6. Tom Smith
"On the wall next to the pickle & ketchup"

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7. Robert Campomizzi
"It's from an OLDE time Wendy's ad campaign. And it totally applies here. I'm 42 and I only remember it cause adults would say it.. even years later."

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Reply
8. tradde11
"@Robert Campomizzi  I remember that and the lady that did it.  Was a great ad.  And would suit this just perfectly."

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Reply
9. Dy no mite Nash
" @Robert Campomizzi  Yes! Totally remember that commercial back in the 80s. Everybody was running around saying it 🍔!"

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10. blipco5
" "Where’s the beef?" can only come from an old timer."

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11. Linda A Phillippi
"If someone has a “ beef” it means they have an objection …this meaning long before Wendy’s commercials"

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Reply
12. tradde11
"@Linda A Phillippi  That meaning hasn't been heard in a long time.  Then again "Where's the beef" hasn't either."

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13. Elizabeth Barton
"FYI.  "Where's the beef!" A catchphrase from an old Wendy's fast food commercial starring Clara Peller.  She starred with Danny Devito in the movie, "Throw Mama From the Train." Definitely a generational meme."

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14. Terry Lemal
"Where's the beef=what's the problem?"

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15. TheRealBillP
"Up next from MY Generation: "(Here Comes the Judge!!!)" A Real Judge!

From "Flip Wilson" on: Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In!!!

Judge Dearie is the Man!!!!"

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16. Mason Schwalm-[The Architect]
"There’s no beef because, as the Right likes to say, it’s a nothing burger, lol"

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17. frisco Prez
"can trump back-up anything that he claims?"

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18. Melanie Baran
"One of my favorite commercials ever. Yup I'm that old too 🤣"

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19. David Betsch
"I think Judge Dearie just secured himself a part-time job doing commercials for Wendy's. "Where's the beef?" Got to love it!"

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