Aurora Starchild
Jon Stewart has beef with Arby’s — but it’s probably not the kind of beef you’re thinking of. Call it a Love-Hate relationship with the sandwich shop. The comedian and the fast-food chain sort of thrive off of their feud. Stewart makes terribly funny jabs at Arby’s, and Arby’s sends him lunch. It’s a win-win.
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It all started when Stewart made fun of the fast-food chain while hosting The Daily Show back in 2013. He’d say things like:
“Arby’s: It’s like shock and awe for your bowels.”
“By the way, that process brought to you by Arby’s. Arby’s: You think pain and grief are hard to digest.”
“…the only food classified as a war crime.”
And
“technically…it’s food.”
The Only Bad Publicity Is No Publicity
After Stewart’s first rip on the fast-food joint, Arby’s had a meeting to discuss the bad publicity. Amazingly, instead of seeing the mention as a negative, they decided to go with the “no publicity is bad publicity” mindset.
Stewart later admitted that he’d never actually ever tried Arby’s. He just thought it would be funny to make fun of the restaurant.
Arby’s reaction? They sent lunch to The Daily Show, along with a friendly note from vice president of branding and communications, Christopher Brown.
The restaurant’s reaction was unexpected, and it led to The Daily Show producers sending a note back to Christopher Brown.
“Usually when we make fun of people, they send us nasty letters. You sent us lunch. That’s awesome,” wrote the producers.
And after that, the Jon Stewart-Arby’s battle became an ongoing thing.
When Stewart finally retired from The Daily Show, Arby’s tweeted:
“Jon, feel free to reach out to us at [email protected]”
The comedian never broke character, though. He viciously declined the offer—but of course, it was all in jest.
“To work there would I have to handle, serve, touch eat or even look at what you so generously describe as food. That’s right, Arby’s, this motherf—ing thing ain’t over. I do not accept your peace offering. We shall always be enemies! For while you are a worthy adversary, you shall be vanquished.” (via Hollywood Reporter).
It’s true. Years later, one of Jon Stewart’s first tweets on the platform directly spoke to Arby’s. Arby’s actually sent him a friendly “Hello” tweet, to which he responded:
“Yes…” he wrote. “I’ve come back up on you…much like one of your nasty nasty sandwiches….
