Prime Ribbing

Wendy's jingle jangle jingle

It has quickly become the most famous question in America. In schoolyards children gleefully taunt each other with it, and in many households it has replaced "What's for dinner?" as the leading mealtime query. People in long lines at movie theaters, grocery stores and gas stations mutter it with a smile. Even presidential candidates have succumbed to its charm. The question: "Where's the beef?"

All the queries began on Jan. 9, when Wendy's Old Fashioned Hamburgers launched a new, $8 million television ad campaign. The first 30-second spot features three elderly ladies who have walked into a fictional "Home...

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