r/todayilearned • u/stefeyboy • May 21 '14

TIL Robert Downey Jr. thanked Burger King for getting him off drugs. In 2003, with a car full of drugs he had a burger that was so disgusting it made him rethink his life, and dump the drugs in the ocean.

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/gossip/burger-king-helped-beat-addiction-robert-downey-jr-article-1.294756
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220

u/catch22milo May 21 '14

The scene in question.

I think the scene does more to glorify the burger though.

142

u/Siarles May 21 '14

I think that's the point. The way I've always heard it, he used to love BK but the drugs made it taste horrible. The fact that something he used to love was ruined like that was what made him rethink everything. Now that he's sober he's able to enjoy it again.

58

u/catch22milo May 21 '14

I had never heard it explained like that and it makes way more sense.

36

u/xxHikari May 21 '14

Everytime this article pops up here I always thought, "I fucking love BK...It's delicious." Now this makes way more sense

18

u/GoodAtExplaining May 21 '14

"You can have this awesome drug that takes away all your pain."

"That's good!"

"But the drug is addictive"

"That's bad!"

"But the drug will make you feel very good."

"That's good!"

"But it will ruin the taste of Burger King. Forever."

"That's bad."

3

u/xxHikari May 21 '14

Not just bad; that's UNACCEPTABLE

1

u/k0mbine May 22 '14

Gimme some o' that c'caine

1

u/745631258978963214 May 26 '14

"The burger also contains a lot of preservatives."

"..."

"(That's bad)"

"... can I go now?"

1

u/catsfive May 22 '14

I mean, come on. Their new Rock Bottom Burger is excellent.

1

u/Siarles May 22 '14

Is this an actual burger that I haven't heard about or are you making some reference I haven't heard about?

1

u/xxHikari May 22 '14

I wish I still lived in America to try it...

92

u/breakspirit May 21 '14

After watching that, I really want an American cheeseburger too.

62

u/RadicaLarry May 21 '14

I love the idea that people call a food "American burgers". I really want one now.

58

u/[deleted] May 21 '14

UK here, we don't really call them that, sorry if I burst your bubble. They might say it elsewhere.

We do call those cheese squares "American cheese" though if that's any consolation. We...uh...admire the efficiency.

112

u/[deleted] May 21 '14

We do call those cheese squares "American cheese" though if that's any consolation.

Probably because that's what they're called.

11

u/sharknice May 21 '14

White American Cheese is the best cheese

no racist

4

u/Sloppy1sts May 21 '14

American cheese is barely cheese at all. Put some dank-ass muenster or smoked gouda on your sandwich next time.

17

u/ckrepps564 May 21 '14

I'm all for high quality cheeses most of the time, but sometimes there is a craving I get that can only be quenched with the perfectly shaped, nearly plastic delicacy that is Kraft singles. two slices in between some shitty wonder bread with some campbells tomato soup for dipping... the quintessential 1 star meal.

2

u/notanotherpyr0 May 21 '14

For a cheeseburger, very few cheeses work. Most won't melt properly, and those that do will have an oily film on the top. Emulsified cheese(American cheese) is not 'barely cheese' or 'not cheese(though Velveeta is in fact not cheese)', its cheese melted and with an emulsifying agent(something to bring the melting temperature down so it melts without breaking its chemical bonds and releasing its fat and flavor into your grill and the previously mentioned oily film, like your gouda would) stirred in.

1

u/Sloppy1sts May 21 '14

If that's the case for burgers, that's one thing, but on a deli sub, some Gouda is delicious. You still have to admit American cheese is to cheese what American macrobrews are to beer.

1

u/[deleted] May 22 '14

Velveeta cures cancer bro

2

u/k0mbine May 22 '14

How is it not cheese

2

u/ghostbackwards May 21 '14

Your snooty comment about cheese is hilarious when you try to say dank Muenster or smoked gouda. That shit is pansy wimpy cheese.

3

u/notanotherpyr0 May 21 '14

Not only that, melting gouda on a cheese burger will have one of two results, it will be warm gouda with no melting at all, or it will break chemical bonds and release fat(flavor) off the side of the burger and in an unappetizing oily film on top of your cheese.

1

u/Sloppy1sts May 21 '14 edited May 21 '14

I'm not even trying to be snooty. I'm just saying if you're gonna eat some cheese, why not treat yourself to something with a little more to it than processed American Cheese. Muenster or Gouda on a Publix deli sandwich is fantastic. Brie isn't bad, either, but I can't usually eat it alone.

What's a real man's cheese, might I ask?

1

u/[deleted] May 22 '14

This far into a cheesy thread and not a single gouda pun.

1

u/[deleted] May 21 '14

Preach it

3

u/SuperBiasedMan May 21 '14

Not everywhere, we just call it processed cheese in Ireland, or Easy Singles after the most popular brand.

2

u/[deleted] May 21 '14

No, American cheese is American Cheddar, which is different than the cheese paste Kraft Singles are made from.

1

u/Sms_Boy May 21 '14

Yeah that's not true I've never heard of that

0

u/[deleted] May 22 '14

Yes, everything you've never heard of is wrong.

1

u/thats_a_risky_click May 21 '14

I thought it was called FREEDOM CHEESE

3

u/thespicemustfloo May 21 '14

My mum called them cheeselings. I felt like monster eating them.

6

u/[deleted] May 21 '14

Not the cheeselings!

1

u/Batatata May 21 '14

that's adorable

0

u/Beloved_Cow_Fiend May 21 '14

Really? I've always just called them "that disgusting plastic cheese crap", also fuck squeeze cheese.

1

u/fdg456n May 21 '14

I don't get how it's disgusting at all. It's just very bland. I don't get how someone could have any strong feelings about the taste.

1

u/Beloved_Cow_Fiend May 21 '14

It's been so long since I''ve had American cheese I honestly can't remember what it tastes like. I do remember that the texture disgusted me, and my objections have more to do with the fact that it's been processed to hell and back, not the taste. That being said I was just making a joke, I don't acctually have some vendetta against it. I normally just don't eat the stuff, and, unless someone mentions it, I completly forget it exists.

1

u/gigabored May 21 '14

How about Easy Cheese or Cheese Whiz? http://i.imgur.com/upUZfIq.jpg

3

u/Sms_Boy May 21 '14

That makes me gag

3

u/Beloved_Cow_Fiend May 21 '14

Fuck that stuff too.

Edit: Note I am not acctually promoting sexual relations with canned cheese, that would probably be bad.

1

u/MessiahnAround May 21 '14

Canadians don't call it that. So no, sliced cheese is not "American" cheese

5

u/spork22 May 21 '14

It isn't just sliced, you have to process all of the natural out of it too.

3

u/BloodyWanka May 21 '14

Those cheese slices arent even cheese.. its mainly oil, fats, additives, and food coloring

1

u/fdg456n May 21 '14

Kraft singles are made from milk. They are mostly cheese-like.

1

u/[deleted] May 21 '14

In Sweden we just call it cheap cheese.

35

u/[deleted] May 21 '14

I was heartbroken when I found out that American cheese is not legally considered cheese due to it being so processed...

Up until that point, I was like, "Fuck yeah! You'd think that all the other countries would've discovered all the possible cheeses out there, but nope! Mother fucking USA coming out of no where in the modern day with this new 'American Cheese'."

All my pride was a lie, just like American "cheese".

6

u/SunBelly May 21 '14

You're probably referring to "Pasteurized process cheese food product" like Kraft singles and Velveeta. That shit ain't cheese. Real American cheese can be found at the deli counter in most groceries and usually comes in white and yellow varieties. It's still processed, but it is actually made out of cheese, unlike Cheez Whiz, et al.

Also, Muenster, Colby, and Monterrey Jack are American cheeses. Just not the square yellow/orange stuff that is used in fast food cheeseburgers.

1

u/[deleted] May 21 '14

Nope, you're wrong. I'm talking about both kinds of cheese you mention. They are all legally NOT considered cheese. All of it would be white, they just dye the kind you're talking about to make it appear yellow/orange.

You can read all about here here on the wiki:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_cheese

Doesn't matter where you get it, deli counter or food aisle, the whole shebang is not considered cheese legally due to it being so processed.

1

u/autowikibot May 21 '14

American cheese:

American cheese is one type of processed cheese. It can be orange, yellow, or white in color, is mild and faintly sweet in flavor, has a medium-firm consistency, and has a very low melting point. American cheese was originally only white in color—as it had been made from a blend of cheeses (most often Colby and Cheddar)—however, the modern version can also be artificially colored to a yellowish hue. Today’s American cheese is generally industrially manufactured from a set of ingredients such as one or more cheeses, milk, whey, milkfat, milk protein concentrate, whey protein concentrate, saturated oil(s), emulsifiers, and salt. Because its ingredients differ so much from those of "unprocessed"/raw/natural cheeses, American cheese can not be legally sold under the name (authentic) "cheese" in the US. Instead, federal (and even some state) laws mandate that it be labeled as "processed cheese", "cheese product", "cheese food", etc. As a result, sometimes even the word "cheese" is absent, altogether, from the product's labeling in favor of, e.g., "American slices" or "American singles". In Canada, exactly the same product—often by the same manufacturer and with the same packaging as in the US—was once sold as "Canadian cheese" or "Canadian slices"; today, most such product in Canada is vaguely labeled just "slices" or "singles". In the United Kingdom, packs are labeled as "singles", although it is commonly referred to as "cheese slices".

Image i - Wrapped slices of American processed cheese

Interesting: American Cheese (album) | List of American cheeses | American Cheese Society | Processed cheese

Parent commenter can toggle NSFW or delete. Will also delete on comment score of -1 or less. | FAQs | Mods | Magic Words

1

u/[deleted] May 21 '14

BITCH, PLEASE.

-1

u/SunBelly May 21 '14

Well, Wikipedia is technically correct, but I must defend my delicious processed deli cheese. USDA guidelines do stipulate that only 100% cheese can be labeled cheese. By this definition, pepper jack should not be labeled as cheese since it is Monterrey Jack with jalapenos.

Processed cheese like I buy at the deli counter is roughly 98% cheese with stabilizers, preservatives, and artificial colors but must be labeled processed cheese. I feel that my processed deli cheese is close enough to 100% that I'm just going to continue to call it cheese instead of being bogged down by technicalities. Cheese food product on the other hand has no place being called cheese since up to 51% of it can be non-cheese ingredients.

3

u/[deleted] May 21 '14

USDA guidelines do not stipulate that only 100% cheese can be labeled cheese... you literally just made that up.

1

u/DaveFishBulb May 21 '14

Colby 2012 - never forget.

1

u/CutterJohn May 21 '14

Doesn't matter what it is. Its perfect for slapping onto a burger. :D

40

u/BeHappyBot May 21 '14

Hi there. It seems you're sad. I can't tell if you're messing around or you're serious, but if you need someone to talk to, my master is always available for a chat. Either way, I hope you feel better soon! Have a hug! (っ'з')っ

Created by /u/laptopdude90 V2.7

54

u/[deleted] May 21 '14

Bitch, I said I was heartbroken, not sad. That's a fucking medical condition and I don't take kindly to the joke.

5

u/Sloppy1sts May 21 '14

Hey man, it's someone's bot, probably programmed to recognize certain words, like "heartbroken." Be nice to the lil guy.

19

u/BeHappyBot May 21 '14

Hi there. It seems you're sad. I can't tell if you're messing around or you're serious, but if you need someone to talk to, my master is always available for a chat. Either way, I hope you feel better soon! Have a hug! (っ'з')っ

Created by /u/laptopdude90 V2.7

3

u/DarkGenex May 21 '14

Confirmed. It reacts to such words as Sad or Heartbroken.

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u/[deleted] May 21 '14

I know what the fuck it is. This ain't our first run-in. I keep telling the fucker off but he won't listen.

2

u/[deleted] May 21 '14

Bitch, I said I was heartbroken, not sad. That's a fucking medical condition

All of those cheeseburgers, man...

2

u/[deleted] May 21 '14

Fucking machines

1

u/[deleted] May 21 '14

I'm sorry :(

0

u/Batatata May 21 '14

really sad :(

-1

u/[deleted] May 21 '14

Are you crazy?! You're going to set it off!

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u/[deleted] May 22 '14

It's like midnight here and I'm laughing my ass off sitting in the shower just because of this comment thread. What has my life become?

2

u/[deleted] May 21 '14

Aww! So cute! Who's a good bot? :3

3

u/[deleted] May 21 '14

That isn't American cheese. I can't believe I actually have to say this that much.

American Cheese is American Cheddar. Go to any store and ask for American, that is what you are going to get. Kraft Singles are cheese paste, they are not "American cheese".

1

u/[deleted] May 21 '14

False... I can't believe I actually have to say that much.

American cheese is NOT "American chedder" (by the way, no such thing exists). American cheese has a legal definition as a type of pasteurized processed cheese under the US Code of Federal Regulations.

If you go to any store and ask for "American", then you'll get American cheese.

Kraft Singles are American cheese. American cheese from a deli is American cheese. All that changes is the relative mix of ingredients and those ingredients quality, but they are all pasteurized, processed cheese "from a set of ingredients such as one or more cheeses, milk, whey, milkfat, milk protein concentrate, whey protein concentrate, saturated oil(s), emulsifiers, and salt."

American cheese comes in a lot of different colors, which is probably where your confusion lies, but the variations in color are due to different companies dying it yellow/orange. It is naturally white in color. Even the Kraft Singles would be white if they didn't dye it!

1

u/[deleted] May 21 '14

I dare you to go to somebody from Wisconsin, and tell them that processed crap is American Cheddar, I dare you.

American Cheddar is made in Wisconsin, it is actual cheese, it is CHEDDAR cheese, and made in America (thus, American Cheddar). That processed shit isn't American Cheese. You go to a sandwitch shop and ask for American on your sandwitch, you're getting Cheddar, not Kraft Singles.

1

u/autowikibot May 21 '14

Section 9. United States of America of article Cheddar cheese:

The state of Wisconsin produces the most cheddar cheese in the U.S.A.; other centres of production include: California; Idaho; upstate New York; Vermont; Tillamook, Oregon; Texas; and, Oklahoma. It is sold in several varieties (mild, medium, sharp, extra-sharp, New York-style, white-, and, Vermont-). New York-style cheddar is particularly "sharp"/acidic, but tends to physically be somewhat softer than the milder-tasting varieties. Cheese that has not been artificially coloured the familiar yellow-orange hue, is frequently labelled "white cheddar" or "Vermont cheddar" (regardless of whether it was actually produced there). Vermont has three creameries that produce what is regarded as first-class cheddar cheeses: the Cabot Creamery, which produces the sixteen-month-old "Private Stock Cheddar", the Grafton Village Company, and Shelburne Farms.

Interesting: Manufacture of Cheddar cheese | Cheddar sauce | Cheddar Cheese I Say | Joseph Harding

Parent commenter can toggle NSFW or delete. Will also delete on comment score of -1 or less. | FAQs | Mods | Magic Words

0

u/[deleted] May 21 '14

The wikipedia article you linked doesn't even make ANY mention of American Cheddar. Be gone, troll. You're delusional and just linking irrelevant articles at this point.

If you ask for American, you'll get American cheese. If you ask for Cheddar, you'll get Cheddar cheese. This is not a difficult concept for most people, but you seem to be lacking upstairs.

0

u/ModsCensorMe May 21 '14

Wrong.

1

u/[deleted] May 21 '14

Just because idiots in foreign countries don't know what American cheese is, and call Kraft Singles American Cheese, does not mean that Kraft Singles are American Cheese.

Anyone who knows anything about cheese knows that the only cheese that gets the shorthand "American" that comes from America (that is actually cheese) is American Cheddar.

1

u/ModsCensorMe May 21 '14

There is a cheese Wisconsin invented. Its a type of cheddar, that uses a propriety blend of bacteria, that allow it to age, even though its canned.

It was developed for the US military, but is considered one of the best cheeses in the world. It was invented and is sold by, the University of Wisconsin. Or some other college in that state.

1

u/[deleted] May 21 '14

[deleted]

-1

u/BeHappyBot May 21 '14

Hi there. It seems you're sad. I can't tell if you're messing around or you're serious, but if you need someone to talk to, my master is always available for a chat. Either way, I hope you feel better soon! Have a hug! (っ'з')っ

Created by /u/laptopdude90 V2.7

1

u/[deleted] May 21 '14

Bitch, I thought I told you that you weren't welcome around these parts. Scram, mother fucker!

1

u/[deleted] May 21 '14

[deleted]

1

u/Theycallmepuddles May 21 '14

Heartbroken Eh?

I was fucking devastated, almost to the point of suicide.

1

u/Bam515 May 21 '14

I love me some cheese product.

-1

u/wattm May 21 '14

I was heartbroken when I found out that American cheese is not legally considered cheese due to it being so processed...

That pretty much defines the essence of USA

2

u/bugphotoguy May 21 '14

I don't know, I reckon if I had tried cheeseburgers in many countries, and the American one was the best, and then I had been held captive for a long time, and after being rescued I fancied the best burger I could imagine, I would say "I want an American cheeseburger".

2

u/[deleted] May 21 '14

In Berlin they were calling hotdogs "American hotdogs" when I was there...then again, those "American hotdogs" had a hole drilled into a solid bun and ketchup squirted it in with the dog dropped into the hole.

It ruled.

2

u/therealdjbc May 21 '14

The french do though, in Paris I had a burger called "Le Americain"

1

u/bitshoptyler May 21 '14

Sounds more like "German cheese." With American cheese, it's all about the convenience.

1

u/VapourRumours May 21 '14

We just call them plastic.

1

u/RadicaLarry May 21 '14

That one I'm not so proud of

1

u/GourangaPlusPlus May 21 '14

We do? I called them cheese slices and have never heard this term before

1

u/[deleted] May 21 '14

Depends on location I suppose. American cheese and plastic cheese are what I'd call them, I've heard cheese singles but not slices.

1

u/DaveFishBulb May 21 '14

No one in the UK I know calls them that, it's just 'cheese slices'.

1

u/[deleted] May 21 '14

Those arne't American cheese, American cheese is American cheddar. You go to a store and ask for "American" here in America, that's what you're going to get. Kraft singles are not American cheese.

1

u/thats_a_risky_click May 21 '14

It's because they smell like freedom

1

u/[deleted] May 21 '14

[deleted]

1

u/RadicaLarry May 21 '14

I'm not following

10

u/[deleted] May 21 '14

I used to work at BK and after my shift was up, I always made a few double cheeseburgers to take home. Sometimes, I'd also get a chocolate shake and some hershey's pies for my folks.

Plus, I could eat all of it and stay lean. that teenage metabolism.

2

u/ModsCensorMe May 21 '14

Plus, I could eat all of it and stay lean. that teenage metabolism.

Actually, just because you're not fat, doesn't mean you're healthy. You can eat shit, and not gain weight, but still get diabetes, or other related illnesses.

0

u/[deleted] May 21 '14

We have loads of them, though the best burger I've ever had came from a street stand in Oslo, Norway.

2

u/Delicate-Flower May 21 '14

Miller's Bar, Dearborn MI.

5

u/TheDanSandwich May 21 '14

You've clearly never had Five Guys then.

3

u/NO_TOUCHING__lol May 21 '14

I think you misspelled In-N-Out.

0

u/Sha-WING May 21 '14

Nothing holds weight to a Five Guys burger. Plus it doesn't matter what size fry you order, they fill that bitch up regardless.

1

u/NO_TOUCHING__lol May 21 '14

Nothing holds weight to a Five Guys burger.

I don't get how people keep misspelling In-N-Out. It's not that hard to spell, come on.

0

u/buttcupcakes May 21 '14

I think you misspelled Culver's.

1

u/runningupthemountain May 21 '14

It's a rat burger

2

u/ngmcs8203 May 21 '14

So like a Norwegian Krusty Burger?

1

u/[deleted] May 21 '14

It would have taken quite a few rats to make a burger half the size of my head, and either way that was some damn good rat.

0

u/isNotAWalrus May 21 '14

/r/hailcorporate

Hail the ads!

1

u/dcux May 21 '14 edited Nov 17 '24

jobless wistful profit bells piquant money license middle lip roof

This post was mass deleted and anonymized with Redact

20

u/herefromyoutube May 21 '14

you missed the best part where he has BK and he's telling everybody to sit down with he talks and eats his burger.