I've had a word or two to say on the subject of the McRib, but after learning last night of its Farewell Tour, I hit up a former employee now doing our planning for some insight into theirs; he defended the near-yearly rotation by indicating that the sales spike at its return would always be followed by just as sharp a drop. I'd like to see those figures, honestly. They couldn't possibly justify the bland chicken sandwiches. No, there's more to this.

“The real conspiracy is the air of secrecy. If people knew what
was in the McRib they’d stop eating them,” [MU professor of
German Brad] Prager says. To him, the whole meaning of the McRib
is about consumption and how cleverly disguised McDonald’s
markets its products. “Once you set desire in motion people
respond — they feel like something is lacking in their lives.
Obviously something is lacking, but it’s not the McRib.”