Summary (tl;dr)

McDonald's CEO Chris Kempczinski is currently trending due to renewed online backlash and ridicule over his awkward food-tasting videos, following a recent Wall Street Journal interview where he addressed a previous viral incident and made another ill-received attempt at tasting a McDonald's product.

Essential Background

In February 2025, Chris Kempczinski, CEO of McDonald's, posted an Instagram video promoting the company's new "Big Arch Burger." This video quickly went viral for all the wrong reasons, with viewers criticizing his stiff demeanor, notably small bite, and repeated use of the word "product" instead of expressing genuine enjoyment of the food. The awkwardness led to widespread online mockery, memes, and even parody videos from competitor fast-food chains.

The Full Story

Chris Kempczinski recently addressed the ongoing criticism from his viral burger video in an interview with The Wall Street Journal, published around April 7, 2026. During the interview, he humorously attributed his cautious eating to his mother's advice about not speaking with a full mouth. In an attempt to confront the controversy head-on and demonstrate a more enthusiastic approach to eating McDonald's fare, Kempczinski was filmed tasting chicken nuggets. However, this second on-camera food tasting also drew fresh criticism, with many viewers finding his nugget bite equally awkward and unenthusiastic, further fueling online debate and ridicule about his promotional appearances and authenticity.

Why It Matters

This trend highlights the ongoing challenges faced by corporate executives when attempting to connect with consumers through social media and promotional content in the "creator economy." While Kempczinski has acknowledged the virality helped draw attention to the menu items, these repeated incidents raise broader questions about perceived authenticity and effective brand representation in the digital age. The episodes underscore how rapidly online mockery can spread and influence public perception, affecting a brand's image despite the CEO's efforts to embrace the viral nature of the content.

Geographic Location

• Virtual/Online (spread of viral videos and public reaction to Chris Kempczinski's food tastings)
• Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, United States (McDonald's corporate headquarters, where promotional content like the original burger video likely originated)
• New York City, New York, United States (Location of The Wall Street Journal's primary operations, which published the recent interview with Kempczinski)