Martha E. Smith, Jr.

The scene takes place in the living room. It is late in the evening and I am up doing homework for two classes before tomorrow’s deadline. The only thing I’ve eaten today is a Chobani strawberry and banana yogurt and a cup of blueberries and that was around ten this morning. The television is on America’s Got Talent. Suddenly a commercial comes on for a McDonald’s burger.

Oh my gosh! My stomach immediately starts to rumble and my mouth salivates. I can imagine biting into a hot, juicy burger, along with some fries and a drink. Although I prefer Wendy’s burgers, just the sight of the commercial burger made me want to get my keys and jump in the car.

Unfortunately, whenever I purchase either of these products, they never look like they do on television. On TV, it’s a big juicy affair with meat hanging out of the sides of the bread; the lettuce and tomato are so plump and fresh looking; and the bun is sitting high atop the completed burger.

On the contrary, and depending upon the time I pull up to the drive-thru, the burger I usually get is smashed and I’m searching under the mound of lettuce looking for the meat. What is the deal with this little homely burger? This is not the burger that enticed me to come outside, sometimes at one in the morning, to satisfy my craving. I was expecting a great feast for my palate and all I got was a smashed burger.

Shouldn’t the burgers we pay for look exactly like the ones they show us on TV? What remedies should the buyer have if the burger does stand up visually compared to the commercial that enticed us to buy?

Photograph Credit:
Sabrina Segal