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NewsSeptember 22, 2002

COEUR d'ALENE, Idaho -- Community colleges had it their way. Burger King has decided to pull a television commercial that poked fun at students in two-year schools. In the ad, two students are shown chatting with a talking menu, which decides they probably don't have a lot of money and likely never will because they attend a junior college...

The Associated Press

COEUR d'ALENE, Idaho -- Community colleges had it their way. Burger King has decided to pull a television commercial that poked fun at students in two-year schools.

In the ad, two students are shown chatting with a talking menu, which decides they probably don't have a lot of money and likely never will because they attend a junior college.

A Burger King spokeswoman confirmed Thursday that the spot is being pulled because of complaints from numerous junior colleges and community college officials.

Michael Burke, president of North Idaho College, said he recognized when he saw the ad Wednesday that it was supposed to be funny, but it didn't work for him.

"It implies that community college students don't receive a quality education," he said. "Our students leave here and are very successful at university work. Those who leave our professional-technical program enter the work force making an excellent salary. It certainly doesn't reflect reality."

He shot off an e-mail to Norma Kent, vice president of communications for the American Association of Community Colleges, who wrote back that she registered the complaint -- as well as lots of others she received from other schools -- with Burger King in Miami.

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"They are pulling the disgusting 'junior college' spot. Will take a couple days to get it out of the pipeline, and then it goes into the trash heap of ad history where it belongs," Kent wrote.

Burger King spokeswoman Michelle Miguelez said the students didn't know they were being filmed, then were asked if they'd be willing to be in an ad and were shown the film.

"They found the ad to be funny," Miguelez said. "They were not offended in the least."

The ad was also tested in focus groups, she said.

Nonetheless, "we understand some people are offended," Miguelez said.

From now on, she said, the talking menu will choose its words more carefully.

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