The Weird Connection Between Burger King And Ellen DeGeneres
Who doesn't like Burger King with its endless variety of Whoppers and fries? The restaurant is perfect for days when you simply must munch on a meaty burger with a huge cup of Coke, especially if you're trying to kill a hangover and need something loaded with carbs. Despite the fact that Burger King has been around since the 1950s, there are still interesting things about the outlet that aren't as well-known.
For example, Burger King was started after Keith Kramer, its founder and his wife's uncle, Matthew Burns, were motivated by the original McDonald's outlet in San Bernardino, California (via The Balance SMB). They named their new eatery, "Insta-Burger King" at first. Yes, no jokes here. They had a special grill on their premises that was called the Insta-Broiler and well, they were excited.
And guess what? Comedian and TV personality Ellen DeGeneres has had a strange, interesting connection with Burger King, right from her early days in the industry.
Burger King's food gave Ellen DeGeneres a head start in comedy
Ellen DeGeneres, interestingly enough, got her first major break thanks to Burger King. When she was in her 20s and trying to find her niche, she supported herself through odd jobs in New Orleans (via Huff Post). Her friends felt that she'd be a good comedian. At a fundraiser, her pals encouraged to get herself on stage and entertain the crowd. There was only one problem: She had no jokes and she was very hungry on account of not having eaten that day.
DeGeneres shared more details from the event on Oprah's Master Class, explaining that she had a Burger King meal with her: a Whopper, fries, and a shake. She proceeded to start eating while on stage because she couldn't control her hunger pangs and told her audience, "I didn't know what I was going to say, and I realized I hadn't eaten all day, so I hope you don't mind, I stopped and grabbed something to eat on the way" (via Inquisitr). The now-star tried talking and would say something like, "But what I wanted to talk about was..." and pause to take a bite. She was enjoying her food so much, DeGeneres involuntarily said things like, "Oh, that is good," and ended up entertaining her audience. She'd attempt to begin her sentence one more time but struggled, inadvertently finishing her meal on stage.
Well, it worked and the audience lapped it up, enjoying her dedication to the food. And the rest is history.