Episode 66 — The Legend of Mac Tonight

[JulyDiaz 2797]

Certified stand up comedian Matt Braunger has done it all and now he’s helping Jake deal with some stuff on this week’s episode of The Fogelnest Files! Matt & Jake discuss the legend of Mac Tonight, why certain songs should never be covered, and the insanity of 1979‘s Disco Demolition Night. Check out all the videos from today’s episode over at youtube.com/TheFogelnestFiles!

[pepperjack 303]

I like the Mac Tonight guy. But i'm weird.

 

Random trivia--Bobby Darin wrote Splish Splash on a bet from Murray the K, that he couldn't write a hit song that started 'splish-splash I was taking a bath.'

[brandenhaize 51]

If you weren't aware, Mac Tonight was involved in some legal troubles. From Wikipedia: "It was known that Bobby Darin's son, Dodd Mitchell Darin, was not impressed with the song, due to the fact that he claimed that the song infringed upon his father's trademark, and that this was done without prior permission, and filed a lawsuit as well as an injunction for the song to be removed from both TV and radio ads."

 

"Mac Tonight no longer appears in commercials in the United States, as a result of the injunction..." BUT...

 

"In 2007, Mac Tonight was given a CGI makeover and starred in a new commercial in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, South Africa and The Philippines. He is no longer seen flying over Earth or a city with a piano, but instead he dances on top of a McDonald's store singing and playing a saxophone. He also has a different, slightly gruffer voice, and new lyrics. All references to "Mack the Knife" have been removed, partially because Bobby Darin's estate didn't approve of the re-working."

 

"Recently, Taiwan has begun to run Mac Tonight ads with Mac speaking Mandarin Chinese. Similarly, Hong Kong has a new commercial featuring the character, in which Mac Tonight is voiced by singer Eason Chan, in order to promote local branches' new 24-hour operation schedule."

[Kickpuncher 5012]

If you were a kid who was familiar with Mac Tonight, the first time you heard that it was based on a song called "Mack the Knife", it's like "What the fuck does 'Mack the Knife' mean? Why would a knife be named Mack?"

 

Jake, the folks at Wheat Thins have their heads up their asses. "Everybody's Workin' for the Wheat Thins" has the juice to be a hit on the level of "Mattress City".

[DanielSwinney 130]

If you were a kid who was familiar with Mac Tonight, the first time you heard that it was based on a song called "Mack the Knife", it's like "What the fuck does 'Mack the Knife' mean? Why would a knife be named Mack?"

 

Jake, the folks at Wheat Thins have their heads up their asses. "Everybody's Workin' for the Wheat Thins" has the juice to be a hit on the level of "Mattress City".

 

I always wanted Pop Secret popcorn to appropriate the Ramones' "Gimme Gimme Shock Treatment" as "Gimme Gimme Pop Secret." And for McDonald's to dress Hamburglar up like David Bowie and have him sing "Robble Robble" to the tune of "Rebel Rebel."

[raxozellet 86]

Sounds like jake needs to listen to Cracked's Millenial episode! http://www.earwolf.com/episode/millennial-panic/

[IanR 153]

I like the Mac Tonight guy. But i'm weird.

me too I distinctly remember being excited going to the one local McDonalds that had an animatronic Mac Tonight

[DubipR 485]

I'm in the Pro-Mac Tonight camp. It was just a simple jingle for food.

I remember there were Happy Meal toys...

 

 

Now I kind of want these. Are these at Billy Galaxy?

[VinsanityV22 500]

YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!! Mac Tonight! I put that video in the thread! This is a special feeling, you guys. When Jake selects YOUR video for the show - I'm basking in the glory Matt is right, btw - it's WAY more fun to hear comedians struggle to describe these videos. I love Mac Tonight, btw. I was a weird kid, just like pepperjack, DubipR and others. That's why I brought it up. I'm pro-Mac, and I miss him. Screw the new-school Taiwanese CGI abomination that brandenhaize mentioned, btw. BE A WEIRD PUPPET-MAN!

 

I have a bizarre love of animatronic creatures from the VFX-heavy commercials and movies of the late 80's-mid 90's. If Jake ever wants to talk about, say, Theodore Rex, I am ON-BOARD! I was, like, 3 or 4 when these commercials ran, but I thought Mac Tonight was awesome. Although I only thought to rediscover the ads a few years ago on Youtube, there's still that weird magic here. Thanks to it being a real dude in a freaky, foam(?) Moon Head. With REAL shades ('cuz they're important)

 

Though, I have lived the past 25+ years of my life mistakenly believing that the song he sang was a cover of the much more kid-friendly "Do you Believe in Magic?" (by The Loving Spoonfuls). I don't know why my brain got those wires crossed, but either way, the image of that slick-as-hell Moon Man is one I find very welcome... even if I fully understand the creep-factor. Fuck The Hamburglar - Mac Tonight is the one true McDonald's mascot to me, forever.

 

Your Wheat Thins ad sounds amazing btw, guys.

[Shannon 2953]

When I saw the disco riot news video before listening I saw all those gross sweaty dudes and realized, "Ohhhh they all hate disco cause they are sad and lame and can't dance and get crazy amounts of ladies like John Travolta."

 

and then Matt brought up the racism and homophobia and I was like, nailed it.

[DanielSwinney 130]

Though, I have lived the past 25+ years of my life mistakenly believing that the song he sang was a cover of the much more kid-friendly "Do you Believe in Magic?" (by The Loving Spoonfuls). I don't know why my brain got those wires crossed, but either way, the image of that slick-as-hell Moon Man is one I find very welcome... even if I fully understand the creep-factor. Fuck The Hamburglar - Mac Tonight is the one true McDonald's mascot to me, forever.

 

They did do a commercial to the tune of that song, with a chorus of kids kind of rhapsodizing the whole McDonaldLand Universe.

 

Do you believe in magic?

Hamburgers that talk...

Chicken McNuggets you can take for a walk...

 

I wish McDonald's would strike up a deal with adult swim to created a David Lynch-produced drama set in McDonaldLand.

[HipGuide 196]

Disco Demolition Night as racist could be one of the dumber things I've ever heard.

[Joe Lerini 7329]

Whenever I hear an actual person described as "moon-faced" my mind instantly goes to Mac Tonight.

 

Also, back when I was in Junior High, we had a band concert (I played trombone...I know you were wondering). Mack the Knife was one of the songs we played, but I don't think any of us had ever even heard it (we were 10-11 years old). I don't recall our rendition sounding anything like a song, let alone that particular song.