McDonald's was forced to pull a European ad titled 'The Most Terrible Time of the Year' that satirized many of the activities people associate fondly with this time of year.Gene J. Puskar/The Associated Press

There’s a scene in the 2005 comedy Wedding Crashers in which the character played by Owen Wilson warns Rachel McAdams’ character that her snarky toast to the bride and groom will fall flat because it’s tone-deaf to the sentiment of the occasion.

People go to weddings because “they want to believe they’re in the presence of true love,” he tells her, and insulting the newlyweds, even if the barbs are true, is risky business. She doesn’t listen, and her attempts to be funny bomb, before she changes direction and embraces his advice.

This holiday season, McDonald’s Corp. lived its own version of that scene. The fast-food giant insulted tradition by making fun of Christmas in its advertising – and paid an embarrassing reputational price.

Earlier this month, the company was forced to pull a European ad titled “The Most Terrible Time of the Year” that satirized, in dark and sometimes violent ways, many of the activities people associate fondly with this time of year.

There........

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