Saturday, June 12, 2010

Wendy's pulls free CD over Donna Summer lyrics

Racy lyrics lead Wendy's to pull CD from kid meals

June 12, 2010
updated 2 hours 33 minutes ago

ATLANTA — The fast food-chain Wendy's has pulled a disco CD included in kids' meals because of racy lyrics in one of the songs.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that one of the songs on the Disco Fever CD was Donna Summer's "Last Dance." The song has two sets of lyrics. One version includes the words "so bad." But some heard the alternative lyrics "so horny" on the CD, which had been marked as safe for 3 years old and up.

The Atlanta-based chain announced on its website Saturday that it would continue to put three other CDs in the kids' meals. Those CDs include the songs "ABC" by Jackson 5 and "Celebration" by Kool & the Gang. The website said Wendy's is "no longer offering" the Disco Fever CD but doesn't mention the reason.

A reader sent this related video suggestion from Newsy.com [thanks!]:

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2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Kevin,
I read your post "Wendy's Pulls Free CD over Dona Summer Lyrics." What a messy slip for a restaurant who has already experienced enough backlash after the 2006 hoax of the "finger in a bowl of chili." However, the lyrics certainly are a bit too racy for 3 year olds and they made a good decision omitting the disco version from 4 CDs they have been including with their kids meals.

I think you might like this video. It digs a bit deeper into the story and includes a few interviews. It seems that some are upset by this oversight while others struggle to find the racy word in the lyrics. One woman even called Wendy's corporate where she was told that what she thought she heard, the word "horny," was not accurate. Others wonder if the CD's were even listened too before distribution. I hope you see the relevance of this and that you consider embedding it into Music and Culture.

Please let me know if you have any questions,

Haley
haleyw@newsy.com

Newsy.com videos cover important global issues from multiple sources. Its unique method of presenting how different media outlets around the world cover a story and provide context to help viewers understand complex global issues.

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Kevin said...

Thank you, Haley!