Noose at Wendy’s in NC takes ‘Wednesday’ TV series promotion too far
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- A Wendy’s in Cary added a noose to a promotion tied to the Netflix show “Wednesday.”
- Corporate headquarters confirmed the noose display was unauthorized and removed it.
- The noose sparked concern because of its racist and violent historical ties.
Wendy’s wanted to make a spooky splash with its new “Wednesday”-themed chicken nuggets meal, decorating its restaurants with spiderwebs and eyeballs in a nod to the ghoulish Netflix series.
But one Wendy’s in Cary took the horror props a distasteful step too far.
“I was out there Tuesday, munching a lunch, and I look up and there’s a noose over my head,” said Ed Funkhouser, a regular at the Harrison Avenue restaurant. “I thought, ‘Huh! That’s a noose.’ Of course, a noose is associated with racism and lynchings, and it’s very much a symbol of hatred and certainly offensive to many people.”
Funkhouser explained his objection to the workers at the counter, but the noose remained on Wednesday. So he called Wendy’s customer care line, which led to a call back from corporate headquarters expressing agreement, and by Thursday afternoon, the noose came down.
“That is not approved decor,” said a Wendy’s spokesman.
Wendy’s did not approve of the noose
The Harrison Avenue Wendy’s acted on its own without corporate approval and was the only known restaurant to add a noose to its “Wednesday” adornments.
The hit Netflix show starts a new season this week, and its macabre imagery has include noose-shaped braids on Wednesday Addams, the lead character played by Jenna Ortega.
For its “Wednesday” campaign, Wendy’s is offering a “Meal of Misfortune,” which involves “Rest in 10-Piece” nuggets and sauces labeled “Dips of Dread,” according to USA Today.
But the stark piece of rope tied in a hangman’s knot unnerved Funkhouser, and based on the response from his Facebook friends once he posted a picture, he wasn’t overreacting.
“I spoke to a very nice man and said, ‘This is something you want to do something about,’ “ Funkhouser said. “This isn’t right.”
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Anti-Lynching Awareness Month in NC
Earlier this summer, Gov. Josh Stein proclaimed June as Anti-Lynching Awareness Month in North Carolina, noting that historians have documented at least 173 victims statewide since the Civil War. No charges were ever filed in those cases of vigilante violence directed toward minorities.
In 2015, a Duke University student issued a public apology after leaving a handmade noose around a low tree branch on campus, blaming a “lack of cultural awareness and joking personality.”
“My purpose in hanging the noose was merely to take some pictures with my friends together with the noose, and then texting it to some others inviting them to come and “hang out” with us — because it was such a nice day outside,” the student wrote in a letter published in Duke Today. “If there was ever a pun with unintended consequences — this was certainly one.”
In this case, whatever the intentions, the incident serves as a cautionary tale: Know your history.
This story was originally published August 7, 2025 at 6:32 PM.