Carl’s Jr. announced Monday it would be changing the name of its $1 Charbroiled Burgers to SpielBurgers in anticipation of Steven Spielberg’s coming film Ready Player One. But the prolific film director isn’t having it (or so he says).
Spielberg tweeted a selfie video via Amblin Entertainment on Tuesday with his “official statement.”
“They’re pretty good, but I’m passing,” Spielberg said about the SpielBurgers. “Cease and desist, you can’t do it, sorry guys.”
https://twitter.com/AmblinEnt/status/978732170788286464
With his response, the SpielBurger plot thickens.
savage twist
— B.J. Novak (@bjnovak) March 27, 2018
Following the video, people on Twitter rolled in the rhetorical response wagon with other ideas for products incorporating Spielbergisms.
https://twitter.com/David_the_Wavid/status/978751683475005441
https://twitter.com/David_the_Wavid/status/978754358249652225
https://twitter.com/Nixamus/status/978745408188010498
Some had advice for Carl’s Jr. Why not just call the burger Señor Spielbergo, of Simpsons fame?
Call it the Senor Spielbergo pic.twitter.com/PzAa6m0y4q
— Jumpin Joey (@jumpinjoey99) March 27, 2018
https://twitter.com/lepixmapictures/status/978750736472387584
People also said they were impressed with Spielberg’s command of the selfie video–but, duh? He’s won three Oscars for filmmaking.
https://twitter.com/xaqcal/status/978793284062666752
https://twitter.com/the_barque/status/978751473642295296
The question is, what’s Carl’s Jr.’s move now? USA Today reported earlier this week that the fast food chain has a licensing agreement with Ready Player One. So the director could just be trolling to play the PR game.
Imagine being one of the greatest artists in your medium and being reduced to having to do this.
— Nickrob (@Nickrob) March 28, 2018
“Hey y’all… it’s ya boy Vinny Van Gogh here. The folks at Dannin are trying to rename gogurt to Van Goghgurt… love the intentions but I’m lactose so…”
— Nickrob (@Nickrob) March 28, 2018
Maybe Spielberg just wanted an excuse to show off his very, very long hallway.
The stuffiness factor of saying “cease and desist” in a video responding to a fast food joint on Twitter is compounded by the “look how long my hallway is”-ness of the shot.
— Dairy McQueen (@_eric_alexander) March 28, 2018
But if Carl’s Jr. really has to rescind its menu change, here’s the second-best option.
INDIANA SCONES
— Kevin greeson's tasered nuts (@ChicagoTech10) March 27, 2018