Wendy’s Has Now Joined The “Burger Battle” After McDonald’s CEO’s Viral Disaster

The internet witnessed a fast-food chain reaction afterMcDonald'striggered aburger battleonline.

A video ofMcDonald's CEO Chris Kempczinskichomping down on a burger went viral online, prompting competitors likeWendy's, Burger King,andA&Wto join the fast-food tasting trend.

And since social media is always hungry for jokes, netizens wasted no time in piling on the shade.

Fast food giants like Wendy's, Burger King, and A&W have spoken after McDonald's unwittingly triggered a burger battle

Image credits:Oleg Ivanov/Unsplash (Not the actual photo)

It all started with McDonald's pushing their CEO Chris Kempczinski in front of the camera to taste-test their Big Arch burger.

"I love this product. It is so good. I'm going to do a tasting right now, but I'm going to eat this for my lunch, just so you know," he said in the video.

Image credits:chrisk_mcd

After the video went viral, Kempczinski got theinternet's full meme treatment, as many viewers felt he seemed awkward and fake.

Some also found Kempczinski's review less than convincing because he referred to the burger as a "product."

Fellow burger giants refused to watch from the sidelines as the McDonald's video made the rounds.

Burger King was among thefirst rivals to jump on the trend, with the chain's president, Tom Curtis, tasting the new and improved Whopper.

Burger King was among the first rivals to jump on the trend after Kempczinski's video

Image credits:awcanada/chrisk_mcd/burgerking

Image credits:chrisk_mcd

The global chain said they had filmed the video in February to talk about their elevated Whopper.

Curtis was captured directly taking feedback from a customer before hitting the kitchen to watch thesignature burger being made.

The Burger King president then took a big bite of the burger and said, "Only one thing missing. A napkin."

"Now THAT'S a man bite," a social media user commented on the video. "Take notes McDonald's."

Wendy's president Pete Suerken was captured sinking his teeth into the brand's iconic Baconator

Image credits:Sean Lin/Unsplash (Not the actual photo)

Alsojoining the burger warswas Wendy's president Pete Suerken, who was captured sinking his teeth into the brand's iconic Baconator.

"Lots of chatter this week about burgers," the brand wrote alongside the March 4 video.

Image credits:The Wendy's Company

"Thought we'd remind everyone what fresh, never frozen tastes like. Our U.S. President Pete Suerken knows a burger that's worth a second bite," the caption went on to say.

"What's your favorite way to eat a Wendy's hamburger?"

Image credits:The Wendy's Company

Image credits:Wendys

Suerken was seen walking around a Wendy's kitchen and making theirBaconator from scratch.

Repeating the brand's famous expression, he said, "fresh, never frozen," as he flipped the patties on the grill.

"Now THAT'S a man bite. Take notes McDonald's," one netizen commented on the rival videos

Image credits:The Wendy's Company

Suerken then went over to the ice cream machine to get himself a Frosty and said, "Is this set up today? Oh wait, our machines are always working."

The remark seemed to be a dig at McDonald's, whose broken machines often leave customers disappointed when they ask for ice cream.

Suerken then sat down in front of a tray with his fries, drink, and a chocolate Frosty.

"I've been waiting for this all day," he said while unwrapping the Baconator in his hands.

"Wendy's fresh, never-frozen beef, our Applewood smoked bacon, our brand-new bun, our square burger cooked on a flat grill," he said. "Amazing. Absolutely wonderful."

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A&W joined the chat with a direct parody of Chris Kempczinski's taste-testing video

Image credits:awcanada/chrisk_mcd/burgerking

Meanwhile, A&Wthrew shade at McDonald'swith a more direct parody of Chris Kempczinski's video.

Starring in the spoof was actor Allen Lulu, who has been the face of the Canadian burger-maker for years.

Lulu was filmed tasting the Teen Burger and seemingly mocking Kempczinski's review of the Big Arch.

Image credits:awcanada

"We love this product, which most people call a burger. I don't even know how to attack it," he said in the tongue-in-cheek video.

"It has a unique bread that some would call a bun," he sarcastically said. He went on to describe "the lettuce, which is green, and the pickles, which make it taste pickle-y."

"And the teen sauce. The iconic teen sauce," he added.

Lulu wrapped up the video with a friendly invite to Kempczinski to join him for lunch.

"Just you, me, and a couple of Teen Burgers," he said. "See you at lunch, Chris. See you at A&W."

"Why are they all the same person? Is there a CEO factory we don't know about?" one commented online

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byAsher Jeferson

in

March 05, 2026

Wendy’s Has Now Joined The “Burger Battle” After McDonald’s CEO’s Viral Disaster

The internet witnessed a fast-food chain reaction afterMcDonald'striggered aburger battleonline. A video ...

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Denmark to consider if gastronomy is art as New Nordic cuisine movement grows

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Imagine dining on "edible plastic" made from algae and collagen from fish skins. While you ingest the dish, ocean-borne plastic pollution seemingly floats above you, projected across the restaurant's huge domed ceiling. It's an experience — and dish — inspired by large garbage patches found in our seas.

Denmark Gastronomy Art

InDenmark, chefRasmus Munkdoes not offer dishes at the Alchemist restaurant. Instead, he whisks guests on an "immersive dining experience" combining performance, music, projections in its planetarium-like domed dining room, and, of course, food.

Opened in 2019 at the site of a former industrial harbor area in the Danish capital, Copenhagen, Alchemist was named the world's fifth-best restaurant in 2025. It has two Michelin stars, signifying excellence in cuisine, out of a maximum three possible for one establishment.

Guests at this restaurant can experience 50 "impressions," most of them edible. Dining there means trying various foods — a large eyeball dish featuring caviar and codfish eye gel, nettle butterflies served atop cheese and artichoke leaves — over many hours, in a slow process that invites reflection on the food and surrounding projections.

"We convey messages through our food, our food is our medium of expressing ourselves," said Munk, whose dishes also explore issues such as state surveillance and animal welfare.

Parliament will decide if gastronomy can be an art form

Once known for bacon, herring, and rye bread, the Scandinavian country's cuisine has been in ascendancy since 2003 when René Redzepi's world-beating Noma first burst onto the scene, preaching a "New Nordic" philosophy that celebrated foraging, fermenting and Scandinavia's seasonal larder.

Emboldened by the success of the New Nordic movement, Denmark's Michelin-starred restaurants are now asking a new question: Can gastronomy be art?

Culture Minister Jakob Engel-Schmidt said in January that Denmark would explore whether gastronomy could be formally recognized as an art form. If realized, it could become the first nation to legally place cooking — or at least the highest versions of it — on a similar pedestal to painting.

It is not clear how the culture ministry's plans will be impacted by the country's March 24general election.

Munk, 34, who says he spent almost a decade honing his "artistic practices," has been a driving force behind the move and described it as a "big milestone."

"I don't think all food is art… I think the craftsmanship needs to be on the highest level," he said, adding that ultimately it is a political decision what gets called art and what not and that, for now, "this is a closed society for chefs."

The change, still in its exploratory phase, would eventually require a vote in Denmark's 179-seat parliament to reclassify gastronomy from craft to art.

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It could also make the country's chefs eligible for state subsidies and funding from private foundations — like writers and musicians — to get their projects off the ground.

A dining destination

Other nations with famed food cultures, including France and Japan, haven't made similar moves. Last year, UNESCO grantedItalian cookingcultural heritage status.

Denmark has previously expanded what constitutes art and culture, for example by awarding a lifetime national arts honor to heavy metal act King Diamond. Last year, the Sonning Prize, Denmark's largest cultural award, was awarded to French gastronomic artist and chemist Hervé This.

The Nordic nation of six million people has become a dining destination, home to 37 Michelin-starred restaurants, including Copenhagen's two-star Kadeau, which was opened in 2011 by head chef and creative director Nicolai Nørregaard.

"I approach it like I would approach making a piece of art, like an artwork or a piece of writing," said Nørregaard. "It's about getting sort of an experience."

The 46-year-old head chef, whose recipes reference the seasonal flavors of Danish island Bornholm, said such recognition would be a "big step."

"To acknowledge that this can also be looked upon as art… that's what's important for me," he added.

'It doesn't make any sense'

But not everyone, even some within the industry, are toasting the idea.

Nick Curtin, the American executive chef and owner of Copenhagen's Michelin-starred Alouette restaurant, argues art and gastronomy are fundamentally different.

"Art's sole purpose is expression. It's to evoke emotion. Food must be consumed," he said. "(Art) can evoke disgust or disappointment or pain or sorrow or joy or longing. Food actually can't express all of those things. It can, but it shouldn't."

Some in Denmark's art scene have also expressed concern such a change might see greater competition for funding between chefs and more traditional artists like painters.

Holger Dahl, the architecture and art critic at Denmark's 277-year-old Berlingske newspaper, is more blunt: "I think it's quite silly, there's no use, it doesn't make any sense."

He added: "It's a little bit like a bicycle and a car — they have round wheels, they'll take you from one point to another point, but it's not like a very good bicycle all of a sudden turns into a car. It doesn't happen."

byAsher Jeferson

in

March 05, 2026

Denmark to consider if gastronomy is art as New Nordic cuisine movement grows

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Imagine dining on "edible plastic" made from algae and collagen from fish skins. Wh...

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BLACKPINK’s Rosé’s Sky-High Slit Dress Has Fans Buzzing

BLACKPINK'sRosérecently attended theBRIT Awards, where she made history by becoming the first K-pop artist to win a BRIT Award for International Song of the Year for her and Bruno Mars' song "APT. However, she also drew widespread attention for her fashion statement:a high-slit dressboasting an elegant design. As expected, the South Korean artist's dazzling attire invited positive responses from netizens, who praised her.

Rosé stuns in black outfit

Check out Rosé's stunning high-slit dress in the Instagram pictures below:

As seen in the photos, Rosé's black high-slit dress has an asymmetrical neckline exposing the upper part of her left chest and a thigh-high slit on the left side. Further, the upper part of her dress, covering a good portion of her right shoulder, and the part spanning the left side of her waist are punctuated by an oversized bow.

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The Grammy nominee completed her look with sheer tights and white slingback pumps. She accessorized with a shiny silver bracelet on her left arm, a white ring on her right index finger, and silver earrings. Meanwhile, her middle-parted blonde hair flowed smoothly backwards, though a portion of it rested gracefully on her shoulder.

Rosé's look received positive reactions. "Incredibly gorgeous! Hello to our APATEU Queen ROSÉ!" A user wrote. "She looks absolutely breathtaking," another added. "Gorgeous and talented," yet another commented.

Originally reported by Abdul Azim Naushad onMandatory

The postBLACKPINK's Rosé's Sky-High Slit Dress Has Fans Buzzingappeared first onReality Tea.

byAsher Jeferson

in

March 04, 2026

BLACKPINK’s Rosé’s Sky-High Slit Dress Has Fans Buzzing

BLACKPINK'sRosérecently attended theBRIT Awards, where she made history by becoming the first K-pop artist to win a BRIT Award for Int...

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Indonesia gives Meta 'stern warning' over disinformation

JAKARTA, March 5 (Reuters) - Indonesia's communications ministry has issued a "stern warning" to Meta Platforms ‌Inc for failing to curb the ‌spread of online gambling and disinformation, the ministry said ​on Thursday.

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* The warning came after Indonesia's Communications andDigital Affairs Minister Meutya Hafid on Wednesday made anunscheduled visit to Meta's operational office in ‌Jakarta. * Meta was ⁠warned over its low level of compliance withIndonesia's regulation regarding the spread ⁠of content thatinvolved disinformation, online gambling, defamation and hatespeech across its platforms, such as Facebook, ​Instagram, andWhatsApp, ​the ministry said. * ​Meta did not immediately ‌respond to a request for comment. * Meta had taken action over only 28.47% of flagged contentrelated to online gambling and disinformation, the ministrysaid. * "Disinformation, defamation, and hate content threatenlives in Indonesia, ‌yet Meta has allowed ​them to persist,"Meutya said. * The ​ministry urged ​Meta to strengthen its contentmoderation systems ‌and accelerate the removal of ​illegal andharmful ​material. * The ministry had summoned representatives of Meta andother social media platforms last year ​and ordered ‌them to boostcontent moderation due to the ​spread of disinformation.

(Reporting by Ananda Teresia; ​Editing by Martin Petty)

byAsher Jeferson

in

March 04, 2026

Indonesia gives Meta 'stern warning' over disinformation

JAKARTA, March 5 (Reuters) - Indonesia's communications ministry has issued a "stern warning" to Meta Plat...

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China's parliament rolls out economic, political blue-print; here's what you need to know

March 5 (Reuters) - China's political elite gathered in Beijing on Thursday as President Xi Jinping unveiled a sweeping roadmap for the country's economic and political future, delivered against ‌a backdrop of sharpening tech competition with Washington and mounting geopolitical friction.

The National People's Congress, ‌China's rubber‑stamp legislature, rolled out its Five‑Year Plan outlining goals for growth, budgets, industrial policy and defence - signalling Xi's determination ​to propel the world's second-biggest economy toward technological dominance.

Here are the main highlights from the NPC:

GDP, BUDGET PRIORITIES

China is looking to grow its economy at a 4.5%-5% pace, a touch below the 5% rate achieved last year, opening the door to greater efforts to rebalance the economy.

Beijing also plans steady stimulus to ‌rev up an economy stuck in ⁠a lower post-pandemic gear, setting a budget deficit of 4.0% of gross domestic product, similar to last year.

HIGH-TECH DRIVE AS US RIVALRY SHARPENS

Aiming for technological supremacy amid ⁠a fierce rivalry with the U.S., Beijing is accelerating efforts to achieve greater tech self-reliance; and as the world's largest producer of rare earths, plans are also afoot to strengthen the competitiveness of these crucial minerals ​used in ​products ranging from electric vehicles to aircraft engines and ​defence technologies.

DEFENCE CAPACITY

China will improve combat ‌readiness and accelerate the development of "advanced combat capabilities", Premier Li Qiang said, boosting defence spending by 7% in 2026.

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Military observers are watching closely as Beijing pushes to modernise its forces by 2035 and project military power amid the backdrop of rising regional tensions, including over Taiwan, and global geopolitical strains.

FINANCIAL SYSTEM

China will inject 300 billion yuan ($43.59 billion) into state-owned banks this year and deepen reforms of state-owned ‌financial enterprises, moving to bolster its financial system amid a ​prolonged property crisis and deflationary pressure.

Promising a "childbirth-friendly society" in the ​next five years, Beijing aims to address ​concerns over employment, education and medical care as an ageing and rapidly ‌shrinking population complicates its larger economic goals.

FOOD SECURITY

Grain ​production capacity will be ​raised to around 725 million metric tons over 2026-2030 in efforts to meet the nation's long-term food security objectives, highlighting its heavy reliance on imports of key agricultural products such as ​soybeans, with the U.S. its ‌second-largest supplier.

EMISSION GOALS

The government plans to accelerate cuts in carbon intensity over the next five ​years, marking a shift from targeting energy intensity of its economy to directly targeting ​carbon intensity.

(Reporting by China bureau.Compiled by Shri Navaratnam)

byAsher Jeferson

in

March 04, 2026

China's parliament rolls out economic, political blue-print; here's what you need to know

March 5 (Reuters) - China's political elite gathered in Beijing on Thursday as President Xi Jinping unveiled a sweep...

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South Africa seeks local production of Gilead's HIV prevention drug

By Jennifer Rigby

LONDON, March 5 (Reuters) - South Africa is asking local drugmakers to start a process to make Gilead Sciences' long-acting HIV prevention drug, lenacapavir, domestically, in a push to bring production ‌to the region where it is most needed.

The government is working alongside international partners, including Unitaid ‌and the United States Pharmacopoeia, to identify which local company could make the twice-yearly injection safely, effectively and affordably, and provide any support ​needed. They will then recommend that company to Gilead.

Gilead, a U.S. pharmaceutical company, granted six voluntary licences in 2024 to generic manufacturers across India, Egypt and Pakistan to produce and supply the drug to 120 low- and middle-income countries. These included South Africa, although there was criticism that no South African drugmakers were included.

A licence for a South African ‌company would be the seventh such deal, ⁠potentially boosting access to a drug many HIV/AIDS experts have said could help bring an end to the 44-year-old pandemic by slashing the numbers of new infections.

Gilead said it ⁠has been open to adding an additional voluntary license for local manufacturing in Sub-Saharan Africa. "Gilead will review the proposals and assess whether required quality standards can be met before any voluntary license is granted," the company said in an email.

AFRICA ​REMAINS EPICENTRE ​OF HIV PANDEMIC

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Despite progress, the African region remains the epicentre ​of the HIV pandemic. South Africa has ‌the highest number of people affected at 8 million – around one in five adults – living with the virus. Several companies in South Africa already make HIV treatments or sterile injectables, like Aspen Pharmacare.

Paul Mashatile, chair of the South African National AIDS Council and deputy president, said making the drug in South Africa would benefit the whole region.

"Africa can no longer rely on medicines produced elsewhere for diseases that affect us most," said Kenyan President William Ruto, ‌African Union lead on local manufacturing of health commodities.

ACCESS CHALLENGES

In the ​past, low- and middle-income countries waited years for HIV drugs available ​in richer nations. Lenacapavir is already available in ​some African countries through an initiative supported by The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and ‌Malaria and the U.S. government, but demand is ​expected to outstrip supply until ​the generic manufacturers start making the drug.

Those agreements also faced some criticism for excluding middle-income countries like Brazil. A South African company could try to expand access there, too, Unitaid said.

"It's an opportunity to ​open the door further," said Unitaid's director ‌of program, Robert Matiru, although he said a licence for a South African company was the ​key aim.

(Reporting by Jennifer Rigby, additional reporting by Nellie Peyton and Nqobile Dludla in Johannesburg and ​Deena Beasley in Los Angeles; Editing by Kirsten Donovan)

byAsher Jeferson

in

March 04, 2026

South Africa seeks local production of Gilead's HIV prevention drug

By Jennifer Rigby LONDON, March 5 (Reuters) - South Africa is asking local drugmakers to start a process to ...

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“The Beauty” Finale: Evan Peters on How That Cliffhanger Sets Up Season 2 to 'Explore This World on a Larger Scale' (Exclusive)

Warning: Spoilers forThe Beautyseason 1 two-part finale, which aired on March 4, at 9 p.m. ET, on FX and Hulu

NEED TO KNOW

• Evan Peters discusses the cliffhanger at the end of The Beauty season 1 finale

• The actor says it "beautifully" sets up season 2 and he's excited to see where things go

• Peters also looks back on the twists and turns for his character, FBI agent Cooper Madsen

After 11 wildly entertaining episodes,season 1 ofThe Beautyhas come to a close. As with many ofRyan Murphy's TV productions, the season finale included a number of twists and turns — with a notable cliffhanger involvingEvan Peters' character, FBI agent Cooper Madsen, leaving the actor excited to see what's in store for a potential season 2.

WithByron Frost (Ashton Kutcher)facing mounting lawsuits and pressure from his board of directors, he decides to stop the sale of his miracle body enhancement drug and invest in an antidote.

Seeing an opportunity, Byron's son (Ray Nicholson) is determined to take over the business and put an end to his father's corporate greed for good. Initiating a succession plan, Cooper is enlisted to assassinate Byron, but only if he can get the antidote — which has been developed with nanotech — to reverse the effects of the virus that changed him into a teen and become "normal" again.

The finale then ends with Cooper taking the drug and going through the transformation. While it's unclear what the results are, a version of the FBI agent is seen emerging from his cocoon, with what seemingly appears to be Peters' hand poking out while everyone looks shocked and frightened by what has happened.

"It's a classic cliffhanger," Peters, 39, tells PEOPLE. "I feel like it's what Ryan does best. And it sets things up beautifully — forget the pun — for a season 2 to explore a world that hasThe Beautyunleashed on a larger scale."

He adds, "It made me want to read and then watch what's gonna happen in season 2 just that much more."

When it comes to the series overall, Peters says he was really impressed with what Murphy, 60, and co-creator Matthew Hodgson came up with — especially considering his last collaboration with the prolific TV producer wasDahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Storyon Netflix and follows a number of villainous appearances on various installments ofAmerican Horror Story.

"He's incredible in that he just gives you so many opportunities," the actor says, joking that "just when you think that you're kind of toast, he is like, 'Why don't we make you the guy in this?' "

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Not only was the "good guy" role a notable change of pace for Peters,The Beautyalso let him try some other things on-screen. In addition tolearning several foreign languagesfor the role, "we had some really long action sequences. And then, I have this romantic storyline," he says, adding that "I've never really done that, especially in the Ryan world, so I was pretty thrilled to jump on board with this one."

That romance included the evolving dynamic that unfolded between Cooper and fellow FBI agent Jordan Bennett (firstplayed by Rebecca Hall before Jessica Alexander took overthe role) over the course of season 1. While Jordan kept Cooper at arms length despite having a sexual relationship, which included hooking up while on assignment together, things took a turn after she was unexpectedly infected with the virus and went through her own body transformation.

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Afraid that she would suffer the same fate as the fashion models, whose gruesome deaths kickstarted their international investigation into the origins of the virus, Cooper was determined to figure out what was going on — and save her from dying.

"He was trying to fix it," Peters says of his character's motivation. "He loves her so much and he wants her to not explode. So, I think the love that he feels for her amplified the need to solve that case and maybe do it in ways that he couldn't have done following the straight and narrow or official way."

The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!

The actor adds, "He had to go rogue to try to fix the situation and make sure the love of his life survives."

That ultimately led Cooper to take drastic measures of his own, including forming an alliance with one of Byron's corporate competitors, Diana (Ari Graynor), and letting himself get infected with the virus in order to get past Frost's security. The latter move, however, led to an unexpected transformation of his own. Unfortunately for Cooper, he was turned into a teenager (with Hudson Barry taking over the role in episode 9).

"In the early days, Ryan left it open-ended and he was like, 'I'm not sure if he is or not,' " Peters says of his knowledge about his character getting infected and the actor going through a body swap with Barry. "I was always curious how Cooper was gonna solve the situation, whether he was gonna get the antidote or stop the Corporation or what it was gonna be and how it was gonna happen."

"As the episodes came out, I started to become more aware of what was gonna happen," he continues, recalling, "Like, 'Oh, I think he's gonna have to get the beauty in order to figure out the situation and infiltrate the Corporation's corporation.' "

After Hall, 43,  jokes that there's "arguably no better way to do it than as an 11-year-old," Peters quips, "That's right. I envisioned him doing a bunch of backflips like Yoda andStar Wars. But that didn't happen."

As for those horrific transformation moments seen throughout the series, first with Jaquel Spivey turning into Jeremy Pope, then followed by Hall becoming Alexander, 26, as well as Peters eventually becoming Barry,The Studioguest star says that "there was a lot of twisting."

"They worked very, very hard and were very specific, and Ryan was very specific and there was a lot of back and forth and fine-tuning of how it ended up being," Peters adds. "It was a real journey and I think what you see on-screen is a pretty painful, violent transformation sequence."

The Beautyseason 1 is now streaming on Hulu.

Read the original article onPeople

byAsher Jeferson

in

March 04, 2026

“The Beauty” Finale: Evan Peters on How That Cliffhanger Sets Up Season 2 to 'Explore This World on a Larger Scale' (Exclusive)

Warning: Spoilers forThe Beautyseason 1 two-part finale, which aired on March 4, at 9 p.m. ET, on FX and Hulu ...

Read More