I remember when Jimmy the Greek got in trouble when he made some racially insensitive comments right around the time Doug Williams became the first black quarterback to lead his team to a Super Bowl victory.
I also remember the dumbest question of all time when Williams was asked: “How long have you been a black quarterback?”
I also remember a definitely not politically correct Saturday Night Live sketch in which Phil Hartman portrayed Jimmy the Greek, talking about how Bo Jackson and Oprah Winfrey were going to get together to help the Raiders in the future.
Well in a terrible example of life imitates art. the Saturday Night Live sketch has happened for real 30 years later.
Burger King’s Russian division was actually offering women a lifetime supply of Whoppers and 3 million Russian rubles ($47,000) to be impregnated by a soccer star.
“For these girls, it will be possible to get the best football genes, and will lay down the success of the Russian national team on several generations ahead,” the promotion stated.
No, this isn’t another Saturday Night Live skit. It actually happened. At first I couldn’t believe it. I thought there’s no way somebody would be so stupid to do this it had to be some kind of “The Onion” headline or something or other. But the promotion was real.
Until the not so surprising and justifiable backlash that led to Burger King’s Russian division quickly pulling the promotion and apologizing.
Will the stupidity never end.
— Charles Whisnand