Free Speech

Read the full story about the McRib’s brief history

Ah, the coveted McRib. Stealthily injected and then quickly jerked away from McDonald’s menus worldwide, this barbeque-ish sandwich is a classic example of “scarcity marketing.” Consumers are driven to believe that at any moment, the supply of pressed pork patties shaped to resemble something akin to a real pork rib may soon run dry.

The elusive “meat” sandwich comes with a form of barbeque sauce, pickles and onions. A website dedicated to the deconstruction of this delicacy shows the McRib dressed down to nothing but its naked patty. It ain’t pretty, so if you’re a McRib fanatic, proceed at your own peril.

But McDonald’s food has never been about style. It’s a carefully devised caloric assault of salt, high fructose corn syrup and and any number of flavor-enhancing ingredients. The fact that the McRib tastes something remotely like a barbeque sandwich is a testament to science.

And if it is a McRib that you crave, another website shows where the latest sightings of this highly desired snack have been made nationwide.