A recent Denny's television advertisement, offering unlimited pancakes and fries to mark the 150th anniversary of Ireland's potato famine, has provoked the unexpected ire of Irish-Americans across the internet. The ad, which ran in late February and has since disappeared online, touted unlimited starchy treats to customers in celebration of the Great Hunger's end. The potato blight that caused the famine in the late 1840s resulted in the death of one million and the emigration of another two million, mainly to Boston's South End.
Just days after the ad first aired, a "Boycott Denny's" Facebook page appeared, demanding an official apology from the chain. We tracked down the campaign's leader to see what the fuss is all about.
"They were poking fun at a tragedy that took millions of lives," says Sarah Conaghan, who administers the Facebook page.
It's not the first time the "Moons Over My Hammy"–slinging restaurants have run afoul of rights groups, but it is apparently the only instance of name-checking mass starvation to sell fries to stoners at 1 a.m.
Denny's quickly pulled the spots and issued a statement saying, in part, "Denny's has a history of using humor in its television advertising," and that it had no intention to offend.
But Conaghan called the response: "Generic, very insincere."
The Facebook page continues to add fans and encourages fellow Hibernians to lodge complaints directly by calling a Denny's 1-800 number. Conaghan says a good old fashioned street protest is not out of the question.
"Our goal is to get the apology now, but by St. Patrick's Day would be a nice gesture," she said.
Kyle Dyer Recovering After Dog Bite On Face During Segment


























The Money Man Behind Rick Santorum: Who Is Foster S. Friess?
Can You Guess This Famous Face?
Boss Indifferent To My Suicidal Impulse, Says Stock Trader Who Lost Millions
Savings Experiment: Snow Removal
Katy Perry Divorce: With No Prenup How Much Will Russell Walk Away With?
It's Pink!
Savings Experiment: Tissues vs. Toilet Paper
Hiroshi Ishiguro's android mannequin creeps out Japanese shoppers (video)
James Sturm Boycotts 'The Avengers' Film over Marvel's Treatment of Jack Kirby
Dozens Of D.C. Workers May Lose Jobs Over Alleged Unemployment Fraud







Comments:
Add a comment
Saturday 13 March
By jess
oh whatever...im irish and it didnt offend me at all...made me a bit hungry...but not offended...i want some dennys now!
Reply
Sunday 14 March
By MandiP
Its fine that it doesn't offend you, but it does offend a majority of the Irish. Denny's has a LONG history of offending minorities and this doesn't suprise me one bit...does it Sambo's Resteraunts...? History is something many Americans should take more stock in.
Sunday 14 March
By Kelly Colleen
It didn't offend me either & I seriously doubt it offended a "majority" of the Irish.
Sunday 14 March
By ashleigh
Seriously, people need to get a grip! Celebrating the END of the potato famine, being glad that it's over, in no way is making fun of a terrible time in Irish history! Like Thanksgiving, for example -- are we poking fun at all the Pilgrims who starved to death, and froze to death, and were killed by Indians? No! Of course not! When we celebrate Thanksgiving, it's celebrating the END of the famine & the END of freezing to death, and the START of survival of the harsh new land, and starting friendships with the Indians, and so we celebrate the ending of the bad and the beginning of the good, and that's all Denny's was doing: celebrating the END of the famine and the START of their new survival... What's so awful about that?? Very Thanksgiving-ish to me...
We, as an American society are so hyper-sensitive, looking for prejudice everywhere, even when it's truly not there!!! Buck up people... Otherwise, those of you who are so offended, then please do NOT have Thanksgiving this year, because clearly, you'll be committing the crime of making fun of the plight of the starving to death and freezing to death Pilgrims, and that's just as offensive as what you think Denny's did...
Sunday 14 March
By francisco juarez
sheesh! what has happened to our sense of humor? i could understand if a person who went through the Irish potato famine was still alive. and he would object. but i think if he heard denny's was having a special on potatos. he would be one of the first in line. get a life, you bunch of idiots.
Sunday 14 March
By steelponycowboy
What a bunch of crap. Doesn't matter what the subject, there is somebody always trying to get their 15 seconds of fame by crying discrimination, racism, etc. I have Irish roots and am not offended. We have become a nation/world of sissified whiners........another order of pancakes please!
Sunday 14 March
By Richard
The Irish are all pigs ... I would never have thought of eating at Dennys before but now ... you bet ... every day!
Sunday 14 March
By Wench
didnt offend me..however what DID OFFEND ME...was the author of this piece when he said "but it is apparently the only instance of name-checking mass starvation to sell fries to stoners at 1 a.m"
Im not a "stoner", and i often frequent Denny's in the early morning hours, there are many hard working people out there working the late shift at bars and restaurants, and we too are hungry when we get off work!
So, Mr. Dougherty next time you're getting served your potatoes at a bar or restaurant.......maybe consider where you'd be without the 'stoners'......and dont forget to tip!
Monday 15 March
By Trish aka Patricia
With all that is going in the world...........we need to worry about Denny. There was nothing offensive about it. My dad came from Galway Ireland everyone get a life...don't go to Denny if you don't want to who the heck cares.
Monday 15 March
By Matt
If it offends you, don't eat there! Why is it, in this country, that just because a small group becomes "offended" at something, it has to run away with its tail between its legs. Also, if Denny's put out an apology, who made this woman judge on whether or not the apology was good enough?
This country is getting way to politically correct, and because of it, out freedoms are going away.
Monday 15 March
By mark turner
I guess ALL of the various national origin groups have a small contingency of whiny, easily-offended members. In this day and age we NEED to have thicker skins! Otherwise we'll ALL be sympathising with the drooling, wild-eyed Muslim terrorist who yes, want to kill you. Grow a spine!
Monday 15 March
By Al Schrader
The potato famine is a hoax. I grow potatoes here on my estate.
Ireland has some of the richest grass growing soils on earth used mainly for raising sheep and of course for roast lamb.
Also, Ireland is surrounded by very fertile seas loaded with fish. And in 1840 trillions of them. That famine idea was cooked up by some drunken Irishman that came here looking for an excuse to get American tobacco & whiskey wholesale. Al-
Monday 15 March
By kevlar02
My God the sickness is spreading. Now it's affecting my Irish family. I would think that we are immune to the whining and crying because of what someone or some entity says. Don't you people know that you are in 100% control of what you feel inside and to give someone else the power to control you is very weak. Come on!
Monday 15 March
By Sal
Unbelievably stupid on Denny's part. Say, let's mark the anniversary of the British Government inflicting genocide on the people of Ireland.
The problem is, history isn't taught truthfully anymore and people don't have the facts to make good judgement calls. Garbage in, garbage out.
Monday 15 March
By Dawn
Oh PUHLEEEZE Did any of these people suffer in the famine?? Are they still sooo overwhelmed with grief that to poke fun causes them PAIN??? Jeez we need to stop dwelling on the negative pasts and live right now !! I HATE morons like this!!!
OMG 500 years ago my ancestor stubbed his toe and it turned purple....NOW your wearing purple nail polish and it OFFENDS me!!!! LMAO!!
Monday 15 March
By Turd Furguson
Maybe if they offered free drinks with them 'taters, everyone would be happy.
Wednesday 31 March
By Cotton
This is a gimmick that has been around a while now and has morphed into "political correctness". Most probably this person was hired by Denny's to do exactly what was done. Create a big hub bub about nothing with the result being much free advertising for Denny. This has been going on for years and years in one form or another. Another favorite business practice is to become your own competetion as some fast food joints have done. Read the prospectus of some and be really for a real eye opener. If you will notice celebrities and businesses do this all the time to increase their "face time" before the public. For celebrities its usally something like rehab or relationship problems etc. but the results are the same....more face time.
Sunday 14 March
By ED
The ad is pretty dumb but not offensive. Needless to say we Irish have had the last laugh. We are the most affluent group in the US, and we don't have to go to Dennys.
Reply
Sunday 14 March
By Anne
People get offended much to easily. By the way, Little Black Sambo was east Indian not African American and I loved that story as a child. I especially remember the tiger running in circles and turning into butter. Somebody decided it was offensive, so naming a restaurant Sambo's became politcally incorrect.
Sunday 14 March
By s
You damn Irish alway's think you're so great don't you. I suppose your arrogance and cocky-ness is to make up for the fact that you originated from a worthless spit of rock off the coast of Europe.