Rodney Allen Rippy (b. circa 1968) was a small black boy who appeared in the early Jack in the Box commercials of the 1970s. He was quite often seen trying to eat a large Jumbo Jack hamburger with the contents of the burger spilling out as he tried to insert the enormous sandwich into his mouth. His famous catch phrase for each commercial was "it's too big to eat!" 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1968 calendar). ... A jack-in-the-box is a childrens toy that outwardly consists of a box with a crank. ... Hamburgers often contain lettuce, onions, and other toppings, as shown here. ...