Wendy’s Commercial “Fluffy Bun” Quotes

Context

This line is spoken by Clara Peller in the TV commercial "Fluffy Bun" for Wendy's (1984).

In 1984, the fast food wars were on like Donkey Kong… because eating a lot of fast food will make you as heavy as Donkey Kong.

The shot heard ‘round the world was fired when Wendy’s released their “Fluffy Bun” commercial. In the now-classic ad, three old ladies examine a burger from a rival chain. It has a large fluffy bun.

But they peel back the bun to reveal a sad, shriveled patty. One lady, newfound celebrity superstar Clara Peller, barks out, “Where’s the beef?”

The answer: the beef’s at Wendy’s, who says their beefy burgers are bigger than the ones at Burger King or McDonald’s.

Where you've heard it

You've heard this anytime something lacks substance, and someone isn't happy about it. "Where’s the beef?" means, "I thought I was getting something better than this!"

Also, if you were watching the 1984 Democratic debate (and who wasn't?), candidate Walter Mondale lobbed the catchphrase as an attack against his opponent.

Wendy's also brought back the tagline in 2011.

Additional Notable References

• Check out what might be the most 80s song ever. (Seriously, this awful song is dangerously catchy.)
• A satire website claims Wendy's burgers aren't beef at all, but horse meat.

Pretentious Factor

If you were to drop this quote at a dinner party, would you get an in-unison "awww" or would everyone roll their eyes and never invite you back? Here it is, on a scale of 1-10.

There's nothing wrong with wanting a big, juicy hamburger…wherever you decide to eat it.