The McGangBang: a McChicken Sandwich Inside a Double Cheeseburger [a chronicle]
January 30, 2009: Photograph from gree(blue)n, also on Flickr.
The McGangBang ranks up there in the holy pantheon of WTF. It's a sandwich made from a double cheeseburger and a McChicken sandwich — where you put an entire McChicken sandwich inside a double cheeseburger. It's a creative manipulation of existing menu items, and an exercise in frugality: taking two items off of the Dollar Menu and creating an entirely new sandwich for a total of $2.16. Truly, it's a sandwich that's more than the sum of its parts.
The naming, of course, is somewhat obscene — "gangbang" is defined as "sexual intercourse with multiple partners in turn or at the same time." It's illicit in more ways than one — chicken and beef most definitely make for an unnatural pairing.
In addition, it's sort of a subversive act for people to order it by name, as well as a thrill to confound the McDonald's employee with an order for a McGangBang — so much so that people are documenting their experiences at drive-thrus and counters on YouTube (see the many, many videos after the jump).
November 22, 2008: Photograph by bdaddyja
In some locations, the McGangBang appears to have become part of the McDonald's employee lexicon — explanation is unnecessary — they know how to make it, much like the off-the-menu items at In-N-Out.
An oft-repeated quote from user DasKosmischeVonUT on the VWVortex forums sums it up:
It's kind of like having a threesome with two ugly chicks. While it's happening you're stoked, because hey threesome!!! But once you're finished it kinda sinks in about what you've done.
We just had to do some research — we searched high and low, with Google, messageboards, YouTube, Flickr, and Twitter. Its origins are elusive — even how it's made varies — but what we do know is that it dates back to at least 2006. Herein we collect every bit of information we could find:
Update: McDonald's got back to us and provided an official statement (after the jump).
The Earliest Appearance of the McGangBang
The earliest appearance of the term McGangBang was May 26, 2006, on a page on Urban Dictionary devoted to the McGangBang. User jenifurr wrote that it was "originally started at Daytona Beach ISB McDonalds" — but this version used two cheeseburgers and a spicy chicken sandwich (total of $3.21). User McWayne posted on October 19, 2008, saying that it was made with a double cheeseburger instead of two cheeseburgers.
Incidentally, October 19 was the same date that the first video of the McGangBang appeared on YouTube (see below).
McGangBang on MySpace
The McGangBang even has a MySpace page — the earliest comment is from July 11, 2006. Oddly, there's a whole political theme, as though the McGangBang is running for office: "Mcgangbang is working hard for you!!!! VOTE MCGANGBANG-2008"
There's even a video of a commercial urging you to vote for the "loyal friend" that's "always fulfilling" (it also includes an appearance by Barbara Bush).
Successfully Ordering a McGangBang by Name
On November 21, 2008, a thread was started on the Nike Talk forums ("The ultimate online sneaker community") — user tmay407 in Arlington, Texas, posted pictures after successfully ordering a McGangBang by name:
The person working the drive-thru said, "Wait...did you just ask for a McGangbang?" I replied, "Yes...yes I did."The guy says, "That's a double cheeseburger with a McChicken in between, right?"
The same photographs and text later appeared on the forum Houston Imports (a car forum).
The Spread of the McGangBang on Messageboards
What's interesting is how knowledge of the McGangBang spread mostly via messageboards, sprouting out from the passionate subcultures of video gaming, sneaker-lovers, and car enthusiasts. Here are the earliest mentions on forums we could find:
- October 1, 2008: the blog Geeks Crossing wrote about it.
- October 2008: It was asked about on Yahoo! Answers.
- November 6, 2008: The blog Slave Pit Escape wrote about it with pictures.
- November 21, 2008, It hit the above-mentioned Nike Talk forums.
- November 30, 2008: It hit Club RSX (an Acura RSX forum).
- December 2, 2008: It hit the RX8 forums (a Mazda RX-8 forum).
- December 3, 2008: It hit the S2KI forums (a Honda S2000 forum).
- December 6, 2008: It hit the NeoGAF forums (a videogame forum).
- December 8, 2009: It hit the Horsepower Junkies forums.
- December 12, 2008: It hit the ScionLife forums (a forum for Scion enthusiasts).
- December 15, 2008: It hit the 3GN Media forum (a forum for "breakbeats, hip hop and babes").
- December 26, 2008: It hit BodyBuilding.com.
- And on and on.
McGangBang on YouTube
The popularity of the McGangBang also spread through YouTube. Here's a selection of videos of people ordering and enjoying the sandwich:
October 19, 2008: The First McGangBang Video on YouTube (Drive-Thru)
December 1, 2008: The "First" McGangBang in New York City (Drive-Thru)
December 1, 2008: Eating a McGangBang
December 1, 2008: Another McGangBang Eating Video
December 4, 2008: Ordering a McGangBang at the Counter (Successfully)
December 6, 2008: Failing to Get a McGangBang, Going to Burger King for a WhopGangBang
User Flip4lfe19 on YouTube documented their two of their three attempts to get a McGangBang at different McDonald's drive-thrus (attempt #2 and attempt #3). They gave up, and went to Burger King instead, and successfully ordered a WhopGangBang:
January 4, 2009: The McGangBang and the All-New 'McWhitey'
Innovation never stops: user Frost2ko uploaded a video where people got together and ordered McGangBangs and the their own invention, the McWhitey: a Filet-O-Fish patty in between two McChicken patties with the Filet-O-Fish white sauce:
McGangBang On Flickr
As of this writing, surprisingly, there are only 14 images of the McGangBang on Flickr.
The earliest appearance of the McGangBang, however, was on November 15, 2008, uploaded by drewgstephens:
November 15, 2008: left, right (note the Obama posters in the background)
November 22, 2008: Photograph by bdaddyja
November 26, 2008: Photograph by grockpilot (note inner buns removed)
December 7, 2008: Photograph by dskillzhtown (note the vodka bottle in the background)
December 13, 2008: Photograph by dc5dugg
February 16, 2009: Photograph by namillionairee, who claims that they "ordered it like that."
McGangBang on Twitter
Mentions of the McGangBang on Twitter have only recently picked up steam — but the first mention of it was on December 21st, 2008 by _CyC_.
McGangBang on This Is Why You're Fat
What will likely break the McGangBang into the big-time is appearing on This Is Why You're Fat in a reblog of a post from gree(blue)n from January 30, 2009.
Official Statement From McDonald's
We contacted McDonald's to get an official statement regarding the McGangBang, and this is what they emailed us:
“McDonald’s loves to hear from our valued guests, especially when they customize and create meal combinations to fit their personal taste preferences – no matter how unique!
Whether it’s requesting an Egg McMuffin without cheese or a Big Mac with extra secret sauce, McDonald’s is proud to satisfy our customers’ requests and provide them with a variety of great-tasting meals every time they visit our restaurants.”
Danya Proud, Spokesperson
McDonald’s USA
Bonus: the Unprotected McGangBang
There's also an "Unprotected McGangBang" — Urban Dictionary calls it "different than McGangBang because there is a spicy mcchicken instead of a mcchicken."
—Raphael Brion
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