Does anyone remember the one Burger King did where they had the Playboy bunnies and Black Cowboys singing "Where breasts grow on trees"? lol That was wierd...and what about the one that says "Wake up with the KING"? lol  very wierd.

Here is that commercial about breasts grown on trees.

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wouldnt let me put it on there...o well.

This is a hilarious idea :)

Condoms are so small and postable, they can be used to fight more than STDs.  I've sent a few myself as an exclamation mark to "we get the message already!"  Pollsters here consider a personal action/letter to be worth hundreds of signatures on petitions. 

i just think if my wife finds the humor in it all anyone can.

Timothy, your comment was that we were taking it out of context and nitpicking. Now you're saying it's not offensive because it's (supposedly) funny. Picking one would make your argument (whichever one you pick) stronger.

Many people find humor in things I find either utterly stupid or utterly offensive.

I showed this ad to my husband, and he found it stupid and offensive. Should I expect you to have the exact same reaction he did?

no not the same reaction my wife actually showed me and said thats funny  but good thing kids don't know everything i never meant to p anyone off  i just dont know why some people dont take things as light as others,,,,maybe because of ones life experiences   i dont really know

"Good thing kids don't know everything"? Kids know a whole lot more than most adults think, sadly. Thanks, in part, to "funny" ads like this one.

I think you hit the nail on the head with life experiences. If you've seen enough ads like this, using women and sex to sell crap, and you see the effect this has on young women and young men, then you stop finding it funny.

Good suggestion.

Dear timothy - it is the connotation and the not-so-subtle implication of a woman being blown away with seven inches - would you like a breakfast ad with a man's face showing eggs and sausages with the wording 'ours didn't shrink' ... but it just got bigger?

On second thoughts, the person serving you at the counter might freak out.  Better to put it in an envelope addressed to the Manager, with a note that this is a response to the disenchantment felt about the latest ad campaign. 

Feels good to me.

Timothy, can you enlighten me as to what the correct context is?

Is this burger targeted to women, or to men? Who usually eats huge meat sandwiches?

BK's target customer is male. So why didn't they put a man being amazed by this long, hot, juicy piece of meat?

That poor little size 3 in the ad couldn't finish that sandwich if you gave her a week to get through it.

"it if it was a man on there you would have called it an act against gays if it was a child you would call it child porn if it was an animal you would have called bestiality," said Timothy.

And why is that Timothy?  Perhaps because the image is a sexual one.  This is a disgusting ad.  I think most women would be offended by it.  As a woman, it feels very exploitative, and doesn't exactly make me want to order a burger there.  Gross.

Its offensive to me because to my way of thinking, no one should be profiting or even want to profit at the expense of the dignity and well being of others.

Its also offensive to me because it reinforces steriotypes of women just being usefull for sex...Not to mention that all women want or need is a "big" one.

I used to do advertising. Early on I did mostly layout. I can assure you the extra large type used for the word “BLOW” was not chosen by accident. 

I work in marketing, and I agree, nothing happens by accident, people think these things out and they want people to react a certain way all the time.

"Timothy, can you enlighten me as to what the correct context is?

Is this burger targeted to women, or to men? Who usually eats huge meat sandwiches?"

Criss actually has a very good point here. Although I have not seen the commercial, from the descriptions above I do not find it particularly offensive. But then again, I wanted George Carlin for president. However; Criss' point that the commercial is obviously targeted mostly at men, I don't know. Maybe it is a slur on the gay community. Whatever their reasoning, I sure wouldn't sue them over it. Just let it pass. It'll be ok I promise. It's not the end of the world.

Mr. nichols...

Im surprised at you...

Your basicly saying its ok to market a product, in this case food, in such a way that it objectifies women sexualy ?

And in a male chauvinistic manner no less ?

Perhaps you might want to take another look at the ad and think about what it symbolises in regards to women's rights and/or their status in this world we live in.

OMG, I don't really know what to make of that site.

On the one hand it shows unrealistic expectations for the way women should look and act, coupled with shallowness.  On the other, the main character seems to look through these things, and also appears to struggle with different ideas of the different waves of feminism.

What do you think???

Yeah...I saw some of that on youtube and I dont know what to think either.

Yep...Ive always liked mcdonalds but I wish they would bring back their mascots and go back to being the family oriented restraunt they used to be...

WOW, Amanda, didn't know you had it in ya! Graphic.

Actually, I had a discussion with a friend earlier, that what would happen if Taco Bell had an ad of a man diving into a Chalupa.  Obviously that would be probably more shocking, because men are taught to idolize their genitals, while many women are ashamed of theirs.  Am I making sense?  What I'm trying to say is that it's probably more socially acceptable to have this ad from BK because bjs are more socially accepted now... I don't know how to word this right...

I agree with you Juan.  And I think that the "giver" of the oral sex is perceived to be in more of a submissive role than the "receiver."  So in keeping with our society's expectations of women, the ads continue to show women in submissive and sexual roles.  I think we should barrage Burger King with emails and possibly a petition so they know that their oppressive practices have not gone unnoticed.

Ewwwwww...

Gee Richard. Sounds like you could use some of that charity work yourself. What a waste of a comment spot...just sayin'

Richard, I agree with you that there are more pressing issues to fight in the world. I probably SHOULD sell my house and all my possessions and give the money to help end world hunger. And so should you, instead of trolling women's rights blogs.

But many of the issues those of us who read this blog choose to champion stem from the mentality that creates and promotes ads like the one above, and people like you who think there's nothing wrong with it.

Some people need to lighten up. Others need to open their eyes.

Women are being used as sex objects, to sell burgers (in this case). This ad sells more than a dumb burger, it sends messages to young women about their role in society. And that ticks us off.

I wonder what would happen....if that photo was of a man????? (Yeah, I would leave the red lip- stick too.)

Men are programed different than women, no doubt. We could all wear jeans and turtle-necks, and they would still be wondering what under-wear we have on. That's what makes them men though.

As for Juan up there,"idealize their genitals," are you kidding me? I love my breast, not ashamed to say it. And its adds like this that make bj's socially acceptable, and its b/s. FYI....most women don't really like giving them anyway.....and...most men sure aren't packing 7 inches....so not only are young girls going to get the wrong idea, they're going to be greatly disappointed!

I wonder what would happen....if that photo was of a man????? (Yeah, I would leave the red lip- stick too.)

Men are programed different than women, no doubt. We could all wear jeans and turtle-necks, and they would still be wondering what under-wear we have on. That's what makes them men though.

As for Juan up there,"idealize their genitals," are you kidding me? I love my breast, not ashamed to say it. And its adds like this that make bj's socially acceptable, and its b/s. FYI....most women don't really like giving them anyway.....and...most men sure aren't packing 7 inches....so not only are young girls going to get the wrong idea, they're going to be greatly disappointed!

OK I am aware I was not eloquent at all in my comment above.  I apologize if I offended you, L.S. Hope.

I think this ad is disgusting.  It cannot be excused under any circumstance, even if some people find it funny.  Ads like these promote the idea that selling sex through ads by objectifying women is ok, when it's clearly not.

Moreover, I don't know why you consider your breasts genitals, but what I mean by genitals are a penis and a vagina.  It is no secret that men, ever since they are young, are taught to be proud of their penises, wish to have great sizes, and openly talk about it.  Historically, though, vaginas have been considered a topic of shame .  Even when talking to my female friends about them, usually the words "dirty", "ugly", etc. will come up.  It is a stupid double standard that I don't agree with on any level.

Therefore, what I meant to say was that BK can only get away with publishing this ad (as opposed to a man diving into a Taco Bell Chalupa) because, socially, penises are shown in a better light.  Nevertheless, this should not be the case and we CANNOT allow them to get away with it, for all of the reasons we've been talking about.

Am I making sense now?

Also, I believe I should start backing up my arguments.  Here's some info:

"Shame about menstruation is often extended to the vagina and its surrounding areas, which are considered by many women to be unspeakable and upleasant (Braun & Wilkinson, 2001; Lee & Sasser-Coen, 1996; Reinholtz & Muehlenhard, 1995). Participants in Lee and Sasser-Coen's (1996) qualitative study spoke of menarche as an experience that "contaminated" their bodies, and their genitals in particular. Despite recent attempts to celebrate the form and function of women's anatomy, such as Eve Ensler's "Vagina Monologues," and the growing comfort some women have with their bodies, it is still common for women to feel shame about their bodies, to use euphemisms so as to avoid naming their genitals (Braun & Kitzinger, 2001), or to experience confusion about the makeup of their external genitalia (Kirby, 1998)."

You can read more here: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2372/is_4_42/ai_n15929177/

Juan, your crazy, but you me make me laugh. I didn't know there was so much written on vaginas. I've never thought about naming mine though. I don't feel shame for having one either.

 Men will always see women as sex objects, and I'm okay with that. Men are wired this way, and, "us women".....we get it. The problem with the ad; oral sex shouldn't be used to sell food. When I'm eating a sandwich, the furthest thing from my mind, is giving my husband a b.j.    (Now I want to puke just thinking about it.)

Juan, you didn't offend me at all. I was laughing as I read your post, at the fact, you were digging yourself hole. Now, I'm just scratching my head; wondering........why have you read so much on vaginas?

Lol... I'm glad you're finding something positive about my comments. You're right, I was digging myself a hole because I wasn't explaining myself well :-)

I've only read enough about feminism to know about vaginas (in more than a physical way).  I consider myself a feminist, so I'm aware of so many issues.  I also took some educational psychology and sociology classes when I was in college, to educate myself more on the matter.

Now, I will say that there are many men that don't see women as sex objects.  However, there comes a point where both men and women see each other as sexually desired partners, but that's only because of the lifestyle that we have adopted throughout our evolution.  And I don't think men are wired either... they learn this behaviour growing up, and it's encouraged by both men and women.  Some of us manage not to think this way, though it's hard when we're bombarded with so many companies selling sex (instead of their products or services).

Thin skinned ?

Dude...What makes you think every man wants to have sex associated with his food ?

Also...How is it being thin skinned to object to the sexifieng of women ???

Women are good for more than just sex...Say for example...Intelligent conversation...Friends...Fun companionship.

Sex is wonderfull but it aint all there is in the world.

Hey, Richard, I’ve done quite a bit of charity work, including volunteering with Remote Area Medical, the Red Cross, a week in Mississippi doing clean-up after Katrina with a non-Red Cross effort, wildlife restoration, animal issues, women’s shelters and lots more stuff. I just got my license in a medical field that will, I hope, allow me to do more. The same impulses that compel me to want to help the least advantaged and least empowered also make me react angrily when an exploitative ad like this is used in an effort to enrich a corporation no matter the harm to some. 

But I guess you’ve done your share of charity work, too, or you’d never have brought it up. So kudos to you for whatever you’ve done to help others; I believe in giving credit where it’s due. So what sorts of things have you done? Share with us so that we may have a less one-sided view of you. 

Individuals should do good for goodness sake, not to feel self righteous; but I must say that you have an absolutely great voluntarism resume, if you are being truthful, and I must commend you for that. The disconnect comes in where you state things like this ad is exploitative. If by exploitative, you mean that this ad was used to make a profit for BK, I agree. If by exploitative you mean that this ad is taking advantage of this woman or women in general, I disagree. I'm sure the woman in the ad was adequately compensated otherwise she would have not posed for the ad. Although this ad has high sexual connotations, it is not an exploitation (in the later definition) of women. I may agree that this ad is tasteless if it were posted on a public billboard or on the side of a public bus. But the ad in itself is just an ad. A clever one at that.

I don’t know why people do good, but I’ve always believed it’s better to do the right thing for the wrong reason than the wrong thing for the right reason. Maybe I felt I had things to make up for, or maybe, having spent many years as a “professional,” mostly freelance artist I just had a lot of time on my hands. I don’t why I’d not be “truthful” about it; I could offer a much longer list, but, as you say, it is unseemly. I was attempting to respond the the implication that those who complain about social issues probably aren’t doing anything about them. It’s possible to do both. 

Mr. georges.

How can that ad not be denigrating towards women ?

Even if the woman who posed in that ad did get paid well, it doesnt change the fact that burger king is still sending a subtle (or not so subtle) message that women are easily satisfied by a large piece of manhood and that all theyre good for is giving blow jobs.

Thats damned offensive.

This ad is obviously targetted at a younger audience, probably the dudebros.  You know, the kind of frat boy that always goes: "duuuude... broooo...".  People with no sensibility and an awkward sense of humour, born from their insecurity around women and probably an unhealthy relationship with older male role models.

Ah yes, I can see the marketing and advertising team hard at work on that audience!

Your right...It is disgusting.

And all the moreso because its food.

Im sorry burger king BUT my appetite aint stimulated by the thought of a blow job...

@Juan Dude... talk about stereotyping and demeaning, bro. Can you stand for women's rights without blatantly attacking men?

Dude, it doesn't seem so, bro!!

LOL, dude, I guess I had that coming.

However, I would like to clarify myself.  I don't intend to perpetuate any negative male stereotypes.  I don't mean to put people into boxes, but as a marketer I was looking at what BK is trying to do.

BK believes that their audience is this male stereotype.  Just like they have offended women in this ad, guys should be offended for BK's belief that their market is made up of "dumb" men.  It's not.  I'm not like that, you're not like that, none of us are like that, but BK believes there are some people out there that are like that.

My previous comment was supposed to be sarcastic but sarcasm doesn't translate well on screen.

( Red lip-stick, mouth wide open, and 7inches being inserted. No, I don't think this ad was intended to catch the eye of homosexuals.)

  Men are more inclined to be aroused from visual stimulation, than women. It's in your d.n.a. and marketing agencies realize this. I don't think they're implying your a shallow jerk. I think they are hoping, you see their ad, think about sex, and buy their sandwich. I don't think they ever even considered women's reactions, when they made this ad. 

 Mr. Mayer, we know, not all men are swine. We just want an even playing field. Ads like this, put us back in the bleachers.

"are they aiming this at suppressed homosexuals?"

I don't understand how you reached this hypothesis. Gay men are attracted to... men. In fact, in my experience in the vegan world, it seems as if more gay than straight men are vegan (or vegetarian), i.e. they wouldn't be eating dead animals at Burger King, nor turned on by women eating them. I can't imagine what this would have to do with "suppressed homosexuals."

The phrase "suppressed homosexuals" has negative connotations in my mind... whereas liberation is termed "coming out of the closet," disdain in my experience has assumed the status quo of "those freaks with their secret taboo desires." As one very conservative person I know once said in uncurious disbelief, "How can you not know you're gay?"

>sigh<  

It seems pointless to reply to this, but I will. The consensus, at least here, is that BK is aiming this ad at men. Men are often proud of their “manly appetites” (even though both obesity and processed meats have been shown to have a negative effect on male libido). Thus is it men they wish to entice to accept this seven inch phallic symbol orally. Ergo, they are appealing to suppressed homosexual urges. 

I can’t be responsible for what connotations any phrase might have in your mind. The phrase is neither positive nor negative. We might assume that allowing one’s sexual orientation to express itself would be a good thing, but it probably would not be in, say, Iran. Probably the men who would be most likely to respond to such an ad, though, would NOT want to be perceived as having suppressed homosexual inclinations.

Conservatives, certainly, are the most vociferous opponents of gay rights, but there seem to be far more homosexual scandals in the Republican party than any other. This would seem to be a case where suppressing homosexuality results in reaction formation and hostile actions toward those who have “come out of the closet.” Homosexuals in the democratic party, at least some of them, seem to be able to be straightforward (no pun intended) about their orientation and have no need to be seen to be vigorously anti-gay. 

I’m not sure exactly what you’re accusing me of, but I ain’t guilty. In fact, after I wrote this I saw Michele Rodriquez’ post wherein her husband seemed to be making the same point. Go pick on Michele. 

PS  If more gay men are vegan than straight men it’s probably because straight men often seem desperate to establish that they’re NOT gay and a vegan diet is being portrayed in our culture as girly. It’s the same reason a lot of Manly Men say they hate cats. Somehow, cats have become associated with women. (I happen to like both dogs and cats.) Or that men wouldn’t want to be seen watching, say, ballet or figure skating. There’s a commercial running right now where a man insists, urgently, “I like sports programs, too!” and the voiceover narrator says, “Surrrre you do, Ralph.” (Or whatever the name.) It seems to me a lot of men are still, subconsciously, just trying to avoid getting beat up on the playground. Which is one reason boys should be taught self-defense; it will help them learn to think for themselves. 

I’ve started a website on the topic of The Manly Vegetarian, linked from vset.net.

You shouldnt have to prove anything...The women in your life will know how you are by how you treat them and those of us on this forum will know by the consistancy or lack thereof of your posts.

I agree with the rest of what you say john although I gotta wonder how anyone could possibly think that a closeted gay would get the "intended" ? message.

I think THIS reaction is probably what they're aiming for... for people to be all pissed off and talk about it way too much. I mean, look... with all the really good causes on this site, an article about a BK ad is getting the most attention. I'm going to guess that's what they wanted... and, it's working. By continuing to talk about and be offended, you're just feeding their evil plan.

Because, the reality is... while this small subset of people will be offended by it, I think most people will just laugh or blow it off (pun kind of intended). But, those people would have probably never even seen the ad if we weren't making such a big deal out of it.

BK - 1

Feminists - 0

I thought the point of advertising was to get people to buy your product. Of all the people who are talking about it on this site, how many of us are going to buy this sandwich?

How many of us are never going to buy a BK product again? And go out of our way to convince others to take their money elsewhere as well?

You might want to revise that scoreboard.

Uhhhh, I said, "most."

I doubt "most" is even accurate. ;)

Nor do all men particularly enjoy receiving them.

I concede Ms. Lachapelle. I have no reasonable, sourced-data, to back up my comment. It was based on my own personal opinion; what I've heard from friends, and other women I've talked to. When I said, "they really don't like giving them," I didn't mean, "they don't give them." It's just not my, or their, favorite thing to do.

   I didn't mean to step on your toes. So, if performing oral sex, ever becomes a,"legal occupation," in the U.S. you can rest assured;  I won't fight you for it. Promise.

I didn't mean that they don't give them, either. Nor did you step on my toes. :) It takes a lot more than this to injure me. But thanks for admitting that not enjoying giving oral sex is your opinion, and not the opinion of "most" women. Much appreciated!

Miss hope...I have no idea how many women like or give blow jobs nor does it matter to me BUT I would like to point out as mr. mayer has that not all men like getting them.

Im not offended and I hope I havent offended you but I wouldnt want anyone thinking Im a "typical" male with all the negative connotations that might imply.

@Thomas I think it's sad today that men have to be ashamed and apologize for being men. Yes, for a lot of years women were mistreated and their rights violated... no one is denying that. That said, I don't think men should be ashamed of being men... that's what we are. A blowjob feels good and if a man likes getting one, does that make him a jerk? Yes, there are lines that sometimes get crossed, but I don't think the fact that a man likes to receive a blowjob makes him a "typical male with all the negative connotations that might imply"... whatever that means.

Ah, said like a true typical male... oh well!

Thomas never said that a man who DOES enjoy oral sex - being on the receiving end, that is - is thereby established as a jerk or a “typical male” in a negative sense. He just said he didn’t share that inclination and that, btw, that was one way in which he was not a stereotypical male jerk. 

I happen to be of a like mind. It’s just too passive for me. Just a personal inclination being only peripherally related to the topic at hand. 

Male pride or female pride are things that keep the genders separate, unequal and in some level in conflict too.

"Let a man be a man" is my least favourite expression.  As is "she's just being a girl...".  I think we should have a human standard, where we take the best qualties of both genders and mesh them together.

Oral sex should be pleasurable and equally accepted for both men and women.  It shouldn't be a "man" thing.  And you're right, no one should be ashamed of it either.

Then we need to teach them that its wrong dont we ?

For too damn long...Weve been letting corporations get away with using sex as a sells tool and its high time we work together to let them know that while sex is great...It shouldnt be put into every possible context.

I always thought that commercial was a little strange and freaky, too! I suppose the advertisement worked, because we are talking about it (and the one above). There should be a little more tact implemented with many advertisements. For example -- you ever notice that the vast majority of cleaning commercials contain women doing the dirty work? I really don't know if they are intended to offend, but they certainly offend some.

I’m not sure this is a case where even negative publicity is good publicity. Unless the commercials inspire not only discussion but a resulting trip to Quiznos, they have failed. Some of the greatest TV commercials of all time, in my view, were broadcast before the memory of, probably, most here. They were real little art films, one involving a pie-eating contest, one a very surrealistic, bleak landscape being traversed by a man in a suit with a sample case (Get rid of what’s coming), one a 30’s style animation and so on. I’d love to have a collection of them, but haven’t found them anywhere. They were widely praised, but were complete failures as people remembered their cleverness but not that they had anything to do with Alka-Seltzer. The ones that followed were the execrable “I can’t believe I ate the whole thing” series. Though awful they were a great success. 

It’s a little out of date, but a while I featured two commercials I found especially creepy (from a vegan point of view) at vset.net. I don’t know if they were regarded as successful or not, but they didn’t impress me none. 

Indeed...Nor should they always be targeting the subconcious.

No one wants to be evil.  Companies are just structured in a way that forces people to make wrong decisions, because all they're concerned about is the bottom line and how much money they're making investors.  This is an unsustainable model that doesn't have room for morals.

We should encourage corporations to change and take into account the stake holders (mainly us and the world).  We don't want to destroy them, but show them that doing good can also be good business.

Wow, that is the smartest thing I've heard anybody say on here.

I think you just hit the nail on the head... this ad insults EVERYONE.  And it insults our intelligence as consumers that we are going to respond to an ad about sex by running out and buying a sandwich.  They're assuming that guys will feel more manly by buying a 7-inch sandwich??  How stupid is that.  And as a woman, I can honestly say that a 7-inch sandwich does not turn me on.

Yep...Now that you mention it...Your right...It is an insult to us "little" men.

Indeed...I quite concur on the breast size statement.

Go vegan anyhow. It’s better for your health, better for the environment (meat production is responsible for more greenhouse gases than all forms of transportation, rain forests are cleared for cattle ranches, factory farm manure lagoons are breached and flood, causing massive fish die-offs and rivers of listeria, et cetera et cetera), and WAY better for the livestock and poultry which are treated like unfeeling inanimate objects. 

And, btw, Burger King has refused to follow McDonald’s lead in requiring “humane” meat production techniques.

Hey, the word is “misandrist!”

Thanks for reinforcing the stereotype. The fact is, near as I can tell, most men ARE jerks. If you’re at a bar, a sporting event, a party, at a red light, the loud, obnoxious morons present are almost certain to be men, who also make up about 90% of our prison population. And there’s that war thing... Actually, a world with 90% fewer men sounds pretty good to me.

I can only hope that the phenomenon is cultural and that I don’t have a genetic predisposition to goonishness. 

You completely missed the point! Alas, I can see why women think men are so dumb.

Men is today's society have been completely emasculated... we're led to believe that somehow all the things we do that feel right are somehow wrong.

It's wrong to be loud...

It's wrong to be boisterous and have fun...

It's wrong to desire a women sexually...

It's wrong to like to eat a big, juicy steak...

Who says? You? What makes you the authority? Or women? What makes THEM the authority?

Not only that, but women act like they're the only ones portrayed this way... what about the half-naked David Beckham's and their underwear commercials? What about the constant sitcom stereotype of the man as the relationship loser who just can't seem to figure it out?

Or, how about the other way... women complain about magazines, because the "perfect" women in their create this image they have to live up to in men's minds.

What about music videos that portray super wealth men that create a stereotype men feel they have to live up to in women's minds?

I'm not against women's rights... that's the mistake your making...

I'm FOR human rights... regardless of gender... and, whether you want to admit it or not, the BK ad...

You aren't forced to eat their food...

You aren't forced to watch their commercials...

You aren't forced to watch TV period...

YOU choose all those things... and, the fact that YOU have choice in the matter means your rights aren't being violated.

Yeah, you might be offended, but we all get offended every day by different things... does that mean we should have the right to FORCE others to do anything (like BK to change its ad)?

NO!

That is violating individual rights.

And, this is where it ties together...

"Being offended" has become a tool people use to get the government to force other people, businesses, organizations, etc. to change what they do. To do things they don't want to do.

More often than not, the "I'm offended" approach stems from someone trying to FORCE someone else do something because they don't like it.

Who's violating who?

So, I'm all for women's rights... but, not at the expense if individual human rights.

ESPECIALLY, when you all have a choice in the matter. Don't watch the damn thing! It's obviously not for you, anyway.

I, too, find it very easy to see why women think men are “dumb.” (Since I have done volunteer work with folks with various challenges, I prefer the word “stupid“ - willfully stupid - since we’re not talking about speech and hearing problems). 

I haven’t seen anyone demand that government step in and silence Burger King. Everyone seems to be in agreement that the best course of action is to let others know about how OFFENSIVE this ad is - and we all have the RIGHT to be offended - and encourage them to eat elsewhere. I’d think any libertarian or conservative would endorse that course of action. I also notice that the moderator of this Women’s Rights page is letting you have your say. 

As to men being stereotyped, yes, that’s offensive, too. Maybe not AS offensive because men have been in charge here for a long, long time; also, when men are mocked it’s a joke, when women are mocked it’s “more truth than wit.” But the stereotypes that offend me most are the ones perpetrated by other men trying to sell us something, the ones put forth by Maxim and The Man Show and Real Men Don’t Eat Quiche and most of Spike (which I watch for UFC as I’m involved in MMA myself, but which I find, otherwise, pretty disgusting [especially Manswers]). 

As to your examples of male behavior that only a “misandrist” would object to (love that word; thanks, Turk!), it would depend on the circumstances. Loud and boisterous on the field in a pick-up football game, fine; next to me in a movie theater, bad. Though I do refute the one about eating a juicy steak; like a number of successful MMA fighters - and the gladiators of old - I would never so indulge. 

"It's wrong to be loud...It's wrong to be boisterous and have fun...It's wrong to desire a women sexually...It's wrong to like to eat a big, juicy steak..."

These could all be both male and female behaviors...  John (Morris), you just illustrated a good example of gender roles and expectations.  Men are "supposed" to be all these things, while "ladies" are supposed to be quiet, demure, submissive, polite, dainty, etc. 

For the record, I don't care if anyone does all these things, male or female!  I haven't seen anyone on here telling anyone else they can't do these things.

I don't eat at Burger King, because I am a vegan.  I do choose to watch TV, altho I haven't seen this particular commercial.  And I do choose to protest the inappropriate nature of the ad.  The blatant sexuality of the ad is bad enough considering that children watch TV, but it is even worse with the picture of the petite, wide-eyed, innocent-looking woman and the big "manly" phallus-shaped sandwich thrust at her face.

If you are not offended by this, you clearly don't get it.  It's about more than sex, it's oppressive.

Romy, I have to say that I think your outrage might be misplaced. If BK is running this ad on a children's network, it is definitely inappropriate. If it is being run on a channel which has mostly male 18-30 demographics, it is perfect. Being outraged by this ad solely because of its content is like being outraged at the existence of strip clubs. Not everyone's cup of tea and I would hate to see one next to an elementary school but there's a market for it.

This is, plainly, a print ad. I don’t watch that much TV, but I’ve not seen a TV version. As to the point of where the ad appeared, I don’t accept that slyly assuring those of legal age that sexist attitudes are not only acceptable but natural is okay, any more than an ad showing a 30’s caricature of a black person with wide eyes and thick lips fleeing from a haunted house with the caption, “Feets, do yo’ stuff!” would be okay if it only appeared in a publication favored by a particular white, mostly racist audience would be okay. 

Thank god someone else sees this as some bored man haters boring rant. everyone has sex, everyone eats, so where is the problem. Maybe I am too much like a guy that I don't see this ad SOOO offensive.

Obviously a lot of people here that are trying to negate the right to be offended by the ad are:

a) Champions of traditional gender roles (they know how to play the game so well they are threatened by people who want to change the rules)

b) Not able to put themselves in the shoes of women (or anyone who's ever at a disadvantage in the world)

Too often do we hear: "so what?  Everything's good now, we have civil rights, we have this, we have that, nothing to worry about".  But it's not true.  So many people cannot see that different segments of the population are still going through a struggle (Be it women or minorities).  The problem is that it's harder to identify issues now, point them out, quantify them, etc.

So yeah, this ad is really offensive.  And most people will not understand truly why, especially men, because we have "special" status in most of society.  Still, no one should take away women's right to take charge and do something about the world's mentalities that undermine them, especially someone who probably has the most privileged status in the world.

Mr. morris...

Your argument would have much more merit IF it wasnt men who were in power for so long in this paternalist society where men are men and women are women in the same context of the long outdated thought pattern of "Me tarzan, you jane".

The fact is that for the better part of mankind's history, women have been subjugated by men so that now, when they and the few men who agrees with them, choose to stand up and fight for their rights to be equal...We still have to deal with those who would keep them subjugated through the use of many tools including the media as is seen in that ad.

I reckon you didn’t read Neal Stanard’s post in which he explained to us how the major Burger King owner HAS, indeed, used, bailout money. So, unless you know what you’re talking about, YOU zip it. 

So, now, stating my opinion in an open forum is "trolling"? That's a dysphemism (look it up)... and it's logical fallacy. That's what is so funny... those who don't believe as you believe are now somehow "unevolved"? LOL!

You're full of rhetoric, but no logical argument to be made.

When I REALLY find myself disgusted by a company, often my course of action is not to let them know about my concerns; that’s doing them a favor, giving them feedback they otherwise pay pollsters to collect for them. Instead I just try to let as many people as possible know about what a rotten corporation it is in hopes they’ll start to avoid them, too. BK (and its Goldman-Sachs masters) is such an offensive corporation that I think I like having this additional example to add to an overall condemnation of the company. I suspect the longer it runs the more business BK will lose, and the easier it will be to make the case against them. Maybe the management style that produced this ad is the reason Goldman-Sachs had to beg, very un-Libertarian like, for a public hand-out. 

Amen to the despicable corporate beggar tactics used by some of corporation. I'm pretty sure if you looked into the ownership of the fortune 500 companies, you'll find that the vast majority (if not all) of them are direct or indirect recipient of your money through government handouts. I always encourage letting your voice be heard and let your money speak even louder. I don't eat fast food for the most part because I don't even know if they can be classified as food; but this ad is no reason for a person to boycott BK.

Umm... yeah, I guess that means you are, too.

Hey, Mike, some of us are able to live full lives and still find a moment to comment on blogs. That’s because we don’t have to labor over spelling and struggle with vocabulary. So we can post comments like this much more quickly than you can.  

I think it'd be even funnier if it were a male. It just shows how out of touch BK is with men. But, what's funny is most of the people on here are just like BK in a sense. BK thinks men are dumb enough to let this innuendo "sub-consciously" fool us. And, most of the people on here agree with them... that is, that us "typical male" types will fall for it, anyway... not you, "evolved" men... no way.

How true. Thanks for recognizing that some of us are more evolved than others. 

“If you all truly care about women's issues so much, why don't you fight to have the government stop their taxation schemes so that families have more money to spend on what they need.“ Congratulations, Cliff! That is the biggest non sequitur in this whole thread. What I’ll fight for, though, is to have the government provide a government health option so that women’s medical needs can be dealt with proactively (to say nothing of my own), and they can receive proper pre-natal care so that their children have a better chance of being born healthy and placing less of a burden on them and the medical system.

I’m betting Cliff boasts of being a Libertarian (though he MIGHT be a conservative). Funny how consistent Libertarians are in their indifference to the welfare of others. It’s that social Darwinism thing. 

No John, I am neither a Libertarian nor a Conservative. My statement was to simply point out the fact that there are tons more important issues facing women than a BK ad. To say Libertarians are indifferent about the welfare of others is a very uninformed position to take but I suppose that is expected from you. I don't agree with your idea of a government health option but going into more details at this point will only stray further from the topic. I'm sure you are a very well intentioned individual but as the old cliche goes, the road to hell is paved in good intentions.

hehe, Clifford, you truly are amusing!  I do appreciate what you said about wanting your granddaughter to grow up in a society where individuals are judged by their abilities instead of their bra size, Amen to that!

While I understand that people respond differently to women than men, I don't recall consciously try to use my female-ness to get privileges.  I have experienced the frustration of trying to purchase a car, and having the salesman completely ignore me and address my boyfriend.  Any salesman who does this to me automatically loses a sale, and is informed exactly why on my way out the door.

As far as my concern about taxation and women's rights, I am more concerned about employers who suppress the career advancement of women and do not pay them equal wage (yes this is still happening), and insurance companies who will pay for male viagra, but not female birth control.  Clifford, I hope you are willling to spend more time on the women's rights sites, just reading and learning about what things are REALLY like.  I think your granddaughter will thank you one day for that.

Romy, firstly, I apologize for assuming that you were a male (I had a male friend named Romy). Believe it or not, we are more alike than different. As a black middle class male, I've experience some of the same discriminations that you have (buying a car etc...). My point is that those are opportunities to educate people. My favorite way to educate people is make sure I vote with my money. I make sure that my complaint is heard by someone in charge (ie. management/owner) and let them know that because of the incident, their competitor will be the beneficiary. So clearly we are in agreement. But I would say that such an instance is very different than this ad. This ad is clearly targeting high school/college aged men (and probably mid life crisis males as well). This is a Spike TV type ad. Clearly, this is not meant for a Lifetime audience. 

As far as the equal pay issue, my thoughts on that issue is way longer than this comment box will take.

Thanks for the apology, Clifford, about the name thing, but I did get a chuckle out of it...

So as a black middle class male, you have experienced oppression.  And you probably understand the concept of white privilege, those "invisible" rights that white people seem to take for granted.  The glass walls, the glass ceilings, and so forth.  And I bet you get really ticked when people say things about how there's no racism anymore; after all, slavery was abolished a long time ago and Obama got elected, etc. 

Well, women experience much the same thing.  As a white person, I have never walked in your shoes, and as a man, you have not walked in mine.  But there is such a thing as male privilege, and it too is mostly invisible to most men.  Until I studied oppression and racism, I didn't understand how I could ever be considered a racist, until I understood white privilege.  Then I realized that unless I was actively fighting racism, I was a racist.  I feel the same way about oppression against women.  To me, being a feminist means to fight oppression against women, it is not exclusive to females.  Men play an important role in fighting oppression.  There are also some great online communities of men who are working together to stop this sort of exploitation.

I'm glad we're at least able to find common ground.

Hey, Romy - I, too, must apologize for assuming you were male (and to Clifford for assuming he was white). I was raised extremely poor in Appalachia and, I fear, never got the full benefit of my white, male privilege. But late in life I decided to change careers and went to school to study nursing. I actually didn’t give my minority status in that field much thought; the only two male nurses I knew were strong, tough martial artists and I didn’t realize there was still a male nurse stereotype. Nor did I realize that many women in nursing would resent my intrusion into a “woman’s” field. Maybe their attitude, feeling that men should not intrude into one of the few areas where women are dominant, is understandable. But I got a taste of sexism during my studies - including being accused of being a product of white, southern male privilege - from a certain number of instructors. Happily, those, too, were a minority. 

Really, it's okay!  We all make assumptions at times, in spite of our best intentions, it's human nature. 

It's sad that you experienced resentment from women in your profession, and I think this shows a very unprofessional attitude on their part; women in non-traditional professions can relate to this as well, and it's not cool.  

It's interesting how most of us are victims of oppression at one point or another, as we move in and out of poverty and other life circumstances.  I ran into a friend the other day who used to be quite a mover and shaker, but is now walking with a cane and has gained weight.  She is so (rightfully) angry about how she is now treated because of her weight and her disability by people.

I guess this is why this ad feels so bad to women.  Some people might view it as hypersensitivity, but it's not.  It sends the message of subservience that is very inappropriate.  Thanks for all your posts on here.

Romy, I totally agree with many of your points.  I actually responded with a similar reply earlier today.

Now, Clifford, you are talking about women who have used the fact that they're women to get something out of life.  While this is true (and while it may grant certain short term benefits), this only works for people who "know how to play the game" really well.  There are so many stupid books written for women and for men about using traditional gender roles to get ahead in life, playing with the roles when it's necessary.

However, these "game tactics" only grant you short term benefits, and hurt all of us in the long run.  What needs to happen is a change in the rules of the game.  A game where we are all truly valued because of who we are as respectable human beings, not a respectable man vs. a respectable woman.

Example: my friend can take care of herself pretty well, she likes to be independent and has huge career aspirations.  However, she lets her boyfriend and her dad "feel like men" by letting them feel like they protect her, taking care of her a lot and doing things for her, like she's a little princess.  This will give her short term benefits, but it also perpetuates the idea that women somehow cannot take care of themselves, and therefore are probably less of a person than a man.  This mentality will carry over to her career choices, when she gets paid less for being a woman, or fired when she gets pregnant, because lo and behold, her daddy or her boyfriend will take care of her anyway so her employers don't have to take her too seriously.

Of course, I'm talking about very subtle mentalities and ideas, perpetuated by men and women who continue to play the game and get good at it.  Changing the rules, now that's hard, and it threatens all of the men and women that play the game and have used it for personal, short-term gain.

Turns out, somewhat paradoxically, I had to officially join this site before I could stop alerts to responses to my comments. I’m just too easily distracted and drawn into discussions (and arguments). But now I’m a member, so over and out. I’m off to do more good deeds!!

Your modesty amazes me.

*sarcasm*

How would US- or Europe-educated Singaporeans or expats not get the same message ? Are they speaking different English ? So just because the message goes outside of the US women are suddenly not supposed to be affected ?

They won't release the ad here because there'd be a backlash.  They will in asia because, although it has a strong traditional culture, that's being contaminated by the tourist dollars (being a bigger and better playground for the West and all the things we like, like Burger King).  

The idea that Burger King has an advertising strategy for the West and another for a place where the West goes on holidays, puts the choicees of Burger King in an even more terrible frame.

That's Asia with a capital "A" and choices with one "e".

Burger King is dodgier than ever in my books.  Hope it's marketing people are following this.

And it is being released in Singapore because the Euro nations do not get their panties in a bunch like us uptight Americans. I say that we follow their example and quit making every little thing a problem.

I think it's not right to assume that only people educated in Europe or the US would see the world the way you do.  You can grow up in Singapore, get a great education, learn English within your country, and have an opinion that matters just as much.

American education leaves a lot to be desired, btw.

WOW you took that way out of context. It is rather general knowledge that over on the other side of the world that they are not so thin skinned as to take everything as offensive if it has any sexual content to it. They know how to let it roll off their back. THAT is what my point was.....not that anyone is better educated than anyone else.

I was responding to Veronika, Nina.

Thank you.  Hope you have a Great weekend. 

Make sure you call or write them k.

May God Bless You and Yours.

@John Morris: It's not a logical fallacy, it's a cheap shot. However, there was no argument to address (or attack) in the post, just angry ranting and telling us we're stupid ("Take a Pamprin and shut up!!!!"? So elocuent and moving...) The cheap shots had already been fired by the poster, so we continued the conversation in that same vein.

Any points that could be extrapolated from the post have already been addressed in earlier comments, showing the poster did not care to engage in meaningful dialogue because she chose not to read what had already been said (or read it and didn't "get it," therefore saying it again would not really do much).

Online, your spelling and grammar are your only presentation. In person, you make sure to bathe, brush your teeth, wash your hair, and wear clean, matching clothes, right? If you were walking around with greasy hair, holes in your clothes, and two different shoes, most people wouldn't take you seriously if you tried to engage in intelligent debate over whatever issue. On screen, spelling, punctuation, and grammar are how you present yourself. If you want to be take seriously, present yourself seriously.

Me and John seem to be two of a few who actually have a different point of view, so if what you have to say is relevant, why isn't ours? Because we don't go with your sheepish flow? Story of my life. Oh and for AGAIN the lame spelling issue......to err is human. So please step off your high horse and get a real point.

Come on with the spelling corrections... those are cleverly disguised ad hominems. While you might be right about the aggressive nature of Nina's post, she brings up a very good point. It seems like so many people allow themselves to be victimized by stupid stuff like this ad. But, I'm sure you are a strong, fierce individual and no ad could ever make you inferior... so, why let it?

There's an enigmatic irony at work in the world today.  It was largely thanks to the singularly focussed Asperger specialist types that we endure a lot of what is around us today.  Now it falls onto the families to protect those very same people from what has been created - bright lights, loud noises, ambiguous advertising etc. etc.

how very childish to point out spelling errors, seriously are we still in school. Yes women nowadays are whinny and act like everything is offensive. I understand fighting for your rights, but do you have to make people feel sorry for you by acting the victim role? Women got rights in 1921 and we are still fighting for......? Equality is what we need to stand up for, but that covers everyone. I think people who are offended by the little things like this need to take a hard look at the reality of the world around them and quit trying to be so nieve!! The world is full of derogitory images, movies, music, ads, etc etc etc. and for people to think that this is the worst that is out there, well they really need a reality check. You can put huge billboards in Times Square of guys in nothing but there underwear and we don't hear them complaining that that ad makes them feel inferior or that the stand for which they have to live up too is impossible, yet it is okay for women to do it and to tell everyone else that it is 'bad'? yeah right....get real. The reason there is such a thing as free will is so that if you don't like it....don't look, and please quit whinning and complaining about it. Put on your big girl panties and just deal with it.

So... plastering sexual images all over creation for children to see is fine and dandy, but asking an adult to know how to spell is childish?

I don't see who's playing the victim here. Did you miss all the links and information posted asking readers to take action against this company for this ridiculous and offensive ad? (And there is a difference between a typo and rampant spelling errors, before we get into that catfight.)

I have free will, which I will use to change the channel every time a Burger King ad comes on TV and to stay away from any Burger King restaurants. Thankfully my free will is coupled with my free speech, which I will use to speak out against things that bother me. As has been stated repeatedly in earlier comments, this ad and the mentality behind it -- and that which it feeds -- are symptoms of much bigger problems. This is why we are "whinnying," like the proud, bold fillies we are.

John, for someone who gets so offended by the way men are viewed traditionally, I don't think you're being sensible towards women or putting yourself in their shoes.

Whatever Jen posts here allows us to exchange ideas that go deeper and beyond the actual post.  We're not obsessing with the ad, nor burger kind (at least not most of us), but we are trying to discuss serious, real issues that women face.  We can't deny anyone their right to take an issue and have a discussion about it.

As for Nina, I don't think you should tell people what to do.  No one is telling you what to do here, there is no need to feel threatened feminists (at least not 3rd wave).

@Criss. It's not that the spelling thing is childish, it's that it's a logical fallacy. It's attacking the person instead of the argument... when, the fact is, a totally screwed up person who can't spell "the" is still capable of making a sound argument. In order to refute someone's argument, you must disprove the logic of it... either 1) that the premises upon which the argument rests are not all true or 2) the conclusion derived from those arguments is not valid.

Attacking the person for their spelling does neither of those and ignores the issue at hand. It's called rhetoric and it's a clever way of winning an argument without addressing the argument or topic at hand.

@Juan. I'm not offended by the way men are viewed traditionally. I think some of it is not accurate... and, I think that saying that being a "typical male" is somehow wrong is judgmental. More than anything, I'm bringing up the point that typically women want equality at the expense of men and who they are. If you want equality... that means equality for everybody... including typical males. If you have the right to be offended by the ad and want me to accept that... that means, I should have the right to LOVE the ad and you accept it. That's equality.

Can I ask what children you know would look at this ad and say 'wow it looks like that girl is giving the sandwich a blowjob'? Even when I was a child I would be subjected to different media outlets which had sexual references in them and I didn't see them because my parents were doing their job in raising their children. I would watch In Living Color when i was younger and only got some of the jokes and none being the sexual ones, now being an adult I can go back and look at the same show and only now see the sexual jokes. I have a younger brother who will watch shows like Family Guy, The Simpsons, and Robot Chicken and while he laughs at some of the jokes, he doesn't get most of them, especially the crude ones that they do have on there. So really if children are getting this, you need to speak with the parents for not raising them correctly.

Criss, you say that you don't see who is playing the victim.....how? Oh they hurt my feelings by making an offensive ad....VICTIM complex. And really again with the spelling.....I type fast and make mistakes....big deal!! Back to the real point for all those distractors....

And for all those who think this ad is horrible and offensive.....that is why the consitution has freedom of speech, so that us as Americans can say what we think and put things out there whether or not everyone likes them. There is a saying that says: Opinions are like a**holes, everyone has one and everyone thinks that everyone elses stinks. So nobody has to like my opinion, but really I have to right to say it. I am not trying to pull my ideas on anyone, but more trying to make others see that being so up in arms over an ad is a little ridiculous...especially one that isn't even being shown in this country.

Can I ask what children you know would look at this ad and say 'wow it looks like that girl is giving the sandwich a blowjob'? Even when I was a child I would be subjected to different media outlets which had sexual references in them and I didn't see them because my parents were doing their job in raising their children. I would watch In Living Color when i was younger and only got some of the jokes and none being the sexual ones, now being an adult I can go back and look at the same show and only now see the sexual jokes. I have a younger brother who will watch shows like Family Guy, The Simpsons, and Robot Chicken and while he laughs at some of the jokes, he doesn't get most of them, especially the crude ones that they do have on there. So really if children are getting this, you need to speak with the parents for not raising them correctly.

Criss, you say that you don't see who is playing the victim.....how? Oh they hurt my feelings by making an offensive ad....VICTIM complex. And really again with the spelling.....I type fast and make mistakes....big deal!! Back to the real point for all those distractors....

And for all those who think this ad is horrible and offensive.....that is why the consitution has freedom of speech, so that us as Americans can say what we think and put things out there whether or not everyone likes them. There is a saying that says: Opinions are like a**holes, everyone has one and everyone thinks that everyone elses stinks. So nobody has to like my opinion, but really I have to right to say it. I am not trying to pull my ideas on anyone, but more trying to make others see that being so up in arms over an ad is a little ridiculous...especially one that isn't even being shown in this country.

Nina, I'm glad you and your brothers had parents who 1) knew what they were doing and 2) took the time to do it correctly. You are part of a small and select group.

I'm a former public school teacher, and even though the elementary school where I worked was in an upper-middle class neighborhood (with college-educated parents, still married, most of them children of stay-at-home moms), you would be amazed at the things those 8-year-olds knew.

When I was growing up, there was not near this amount of sex on TV and ads. We keep pushing the line just a little bit more, and putting more and more sex out there. Kids are seeing it, and they're absorbing it -- they're sponges after all, that's the way their brains are wired to work. They are constantly learning. Kids are much smarter than adults give them credit for being, and the sooner we figure that out the sooner we can start fixing a lot of problems in our society.

Are there parents out there doing a horrible job raising their kids? YES. Don't get me started on that. Does that mean that companies can feel free to put ads like this in front of those kids? No. Two wrongs still don't make a right.

I still don't see anyone here playing the victim. What I see when I read the posts is "This is disgusting and offensive, let's write BK and tell them we the consumers don't approve." I don't see any whining and "my feelings are hurt." That's you putting words in our mouths and/or projecting your own repressed feelings.

This country does have freedom of speech, which we are exercising right now by talking about this ad and speaking out against the company that produced it.

I don't give a flip whether this ad is being shown in this country or in other countries. The problem is not where it's being shown, the problem is that it's being shown at all. By your logic, should I stop caring about the children dying of starvation in Africa because that's not even happening in this country?

I am in no way saying that my parents were perfect, they were quite the opposite in my view, but they did teach us the basic priciples on how to treat others as a human. And in reality alot of people who grew up in homes with parents that were still married, upper middle class, college educated, have serious issues and unrealistic sights of the world. I have seen families that have parents that stay together 'for the sake of the kids' and it gives me a reason to thank god that I had a crazy family, and one that did not stay together. You learn valuable lessons when you have hardships in your life. One of which being that you don't make snap judgements, and one being that you treat people as human beings, not a man, a woman, a black, a white, etc. etc. etc. So to sit and actually fighting over a piece of advertisement including a girl with a shocked look on her face and a sandwich, seems ridiculous and that you should be focusing on more important womans rights. Why not be trying to help abused woman in the world, not complaing to BK about some model who is making a killing by making a conginative decision on being in a 'demeaning' food ad? This whole conversation would probably be non existant if the girls hands were on the sandwich. Or it had the catch line had been suprisingly large. That is why I see this as a ridiculous arguement. And I do think that larger issues should be addressed.

And I have children and I do know how incredibly intelligent they can be, but they don't see what you see. My example.....my children love Dora the Explorer. I approve because they are interesting in learning Spanish and they are learning as they are watching in general. But there is one episode in particular with a circus lion named Leon. Who speaks very gay, sees how many hot dogs he can fit in his mouth, loves all the circus colors. I can read into that easily and see GAY written in big words, but my children see it as a fun lion who is funny, loves to eat hot dogs just like me, and is going to be going the circus and playing all day. So again you don't see things the way that kids see it. And I am by no means telling you to not care about starving kids in Africa (pot calling the kettle black on putting words in someones mouth....), I am telling you that something as trivial as this should not be focused on so strenuously.

First off, kudos to everyone on here on the Fourth of July, trying to make planet Earth a better place!

I just finished raising three kids, and now have a grandkid.  I was a reasonably strict parent about the content of what my kids watched.  No gratuitous violence, sex, whatever.  By the time they were in junior high, they were teaching ME stuff!  Our kids are growing up in a MUCH more sexually nuanced culture than we did, they are bombarded with it.  And Nina, it would be nice if good parenting solved that problem, but it doesn't.  I believe you are the one being naive on this issue.  I used to think the same thing when my kids were little! 

Even if kids can't articulate yet what these ads mean, they are getting the message.  How many female doctors did you see on TV as a kid, especially starring in a TV show.  Most people conjure a male image when they hear the word doctor.  This is because we were told subtly (and not so subtly) by the media growing up that women weren't doctors. 

What kind of subtle (and not so subtle) messages about women are kids seeing when they see this ad?   

I believe as a parent and a grandparent, it's my responsibility to fight against this sort of ad.  If you want to view me as a victim and a whiner because of my convictions, that says a lot more about you than it does about me.

As far as Dora the Explorer, the lion on the show, if he is indeed supposed to portray a gay lion, doesn't sound like he's being sexualized in a demeaning way.  (There's a sentence I never thought I'd write...)

Nina, I encourage you to google the term "male privilege" and take the time to learn more about this issue.  I used to feel like you did, I really did.  Then I started to study and learn, and I realized all the little oppressive things that were going on around me.  It changed my life.  Juan is right on with his bar analogy, those little things add up to a huge systemic problem.  And if we don't take a stand, we are part of that problem.

This is obviously a "big deal" to the rest of us, and it must be on some level to you, because you have written quite extensively in this blog.

Nina, I've spent over a decade working with kids. When I started, like Romy, I was as naive as you regarding what kids do and don't think. But A) times have changed, and what the media exposes children to has changed, and B) after seeing what I've seenand heard what I've heard from the mouths of babes, I've begun to see the reality.

What are some of the "more important women's rights" that we should be focusing on (instead of telling BK off for this sexist and demeaning ad)? And how exactly should we be fighting for those "more important" women's rights, since we're doing it wrong? Please enlighten us, so we can start doing it right.

And I didn't put words in your mouth. You wrote that one of the reasons we shouldn't get upset about this ad is because "it isn't even being shown in this country." What do you mean by that, if not that we should only be concerned with issues that happen in this country?

oh god no....personally from an adverting point I think it is horrible. Alot of stuff in the general media today just makes me think, who is getting paid to put out that garbage and worse off who thought it was so good that it made it to print. No it is the issue of actually being offended by this and enough that we are discussing it. I think it maybe that I was raised in the country that stuff like that rolls off my back like a duck in water, but really it is just annoying to hear women play victims. You want to be treated as an equal to a man and yet we still have to hear you complain like a girl ('its not fair' 'oh that is offensive'). It all sounds like well I don't like it so you shouldn't like it.....sheep theory.

One correction: on my 3rd paragraph, I mean "Giving our views about it validity"... not validating the ad itself

I love the bar in a jailcell analogy. Excellently put.

It seems in all reality by fighting little things like this we are focusing our energies into miniscule problems and not working on taking care of the BIG issues. And quite honestly what about all the men and women alike that choose to do this everyday. Strippers, porn stars, models......should they be to blame because that is what the masses ask for. You are trying to keep all offensive material out of the views of society, so what we can go back to late 1800s/early 1900s views, so repressed that people are violent PRIVATELY, turn out to be psychotic, have petafile tendancies, etc, etc, etc the list goes on. Even a therapist will tell you that keeping feelings repressed is NOT a good thing, in fact it is a BAD thing, so to keep any sexually depicted or offensive material out of the masses would cause an underground movement, that would in turn cause chaos simply by not being there.

Go back and read Juan's post again. The way you take care of the BIG issues is by fighting the smaller battles that make up the BIG issues.

And regarding the repressed feelings... there's a time and a place for everything. It's healthy for me to have sexual urges, especially when the target of those urges is my husband, but does that mean I should strip naked and have sex with him in the middle of the grocery store if that's when the mood strikes me?  Yes, this is an utterly ridiculous example, but so are yours.

Nina, there is a big difference between repressing healthy sexual urges in an appropriate setting, and protesting an advertisement that is demeaning toward women in order to line some rich executive's pockets.  And a big difference between sexy and sexist.

Your argument about repression didn't make any sense.  Nobody is asking for repression, just an end to oppression.  And I don't think anybody on here is protesting sexual content in the right time and place, but they are protesting disrespectful and sexist advertising.

I'm pretty sure that if ads like this one disappeared, we would not all turn into frigid uptight sexless beings, there would just be a little more respect.  I'm wondering what kind of underground movement would be created if advertisers were forced to demeaning women in order to sell their products... I bet a lot of folks in the advertising business would have to use their imaginations instead of rolling out the same stale tripe.  Might be interesting, don't you think?

Love it, perfectly put.

John,

I agree that women are very strong and most of them will just blow this ad off.  No one here feels weak because of it.

However, the approach you're talking about is very personal.  You can not let it bother you, and the women in your life may be very strong and just dismiss it, but we are looking at it as a social issue, not a personal problem.

That is the difference: SOCIAL issue, not personal.  In the grand scheme of things, it does matter what we think about ads like these, and if you've noticed, we have all talked about many different things, not just the ad.  I think it helps to talk about it.

John I think it's great that you show respect for and acknowledge the women in your life.  I think it's also encouraging that you're on here and that we're having this conversation.  A single mom with six boys is pretty impressive!!

Where I feel you're missing the boat, however, is when you say that this ad is making us feel like "less of a woman" or "less of a human," etc.  It's doing none of those things to me.  And I'm certainly not a victim.

What I am is someone who believes in speaking up against things that are wrong.  And this ad is wrong.  It's offensive to both men and women.  And it crosses the line.  It becomes about gender when the ad portrays a wide-eyed submissive looking woman about to give a sandwich a blow job.  It is totally disgusting and insulting.

And powerful women (and men) are protesting that on this site.  It does take strength to stand up for what you know is right, even when people trivialize the issue, think you're being a victim or whiner, or assume this is just about one ad, rather than the mindset that created it.

John,

Where do you think the abusive husband and the sexist boss got the idea that they are right to behave the way they do? Where did they develop the mindset that women are sex objects, that they're less than men, that they're to be used because they are a lower-class citizen?

Ads like this promote that sick line of thinking. Looking at stuff like this and thinking, "Dude, that's funny," reinforces in your subconscious that women are for sex, and that they do not deserve respect. This is why we're spending so much time talking about this.

I've been through the abusive husband. And the sexist boss (ironically, she was a woman, but she felt so inferior to her male colleagues she felt the need to feed me to the wolves to save herself... even though no one was attacking her). I've been through those experiences and gotten myself out of them. This ad is not making me feel any less anything, but I know how it can affect young girls who were the way I was before I found the strength to divorce my ex.

If this ad were an islated incident, then yes, I would agree with you that we are "overreacting." But this ad is just one of many (and quite a slew of them coming exclusively from BK). We are being innundated with images like this, images that send this same message, and that is doing its damage on our youth. No, this ad is not affecting me personally. I think it's stupid and it reinforces my conviction to never eat at Burger King, but it's not me I'm worried about. I'm worried about my nieces, about the girls I taught last year (of my students alone, four got pregnant last school year -- and those are just the ones I found out about), and the boys who got them pregnant. These kids don't have strong female role models at home, they didn't grow up with a woman like your mother. I've met their parents. They don't have a strong family to instill values in them, instead they spend their time watching TV and playing video games. And these are the messages they're getting. (Yes, I know this particular ad is not printed in the US. But have you seen the stuff BK puts on US TV?)

As Juan said, it's not about ME, we're looking at the bigger picture.

Maybe I can help.  First of all, in response to your last sentence, ads like this STILL aren't acceptable.  That is why we are having this conversation.  I'm wondering if you've read all of the posts on here.  If you have, and still don't understand, I probably can't add anything.

I suggest you go back about four posts and read Criss Cox's last post, particularly the first couple of paragraphs. 

As for "if it were a man or a transsexual...," that won't happen.  The advertisers know that they aren't going to sell anything to men by showing sexual images of men.  So they use women to do it.

The sexual exploitation of women to sell products has become such a part of the status quo that you and others are posting on here not understanding why that is wrong.  Let me ask you this.  What does a woman about to engage in oral sex have to do with a sandwich?  That's right, not a damn thing.  It has to do with some adolescent advertiser's sick little fantasy about women, not about the product, and that is insulting.  Women deserve better than that, don't you think?

I too still love my daughter, sisters, mother and granddaughter the same after seeing this ad, that is not the point.  It insults our intelligence and reduces women to nothing but objects of sex.  And we're way more than that.

One more thing to think about, T K.  Would you have a better understanding if it were your wife's or daughter's or mother's face in the ad?  Maybe that will help you to understand why this ad is offensive to women.  I don't personally know this woman or what her financial motives were for posing for this ad, but it is still extremely offensive to women.

First of all, GQ and muscle/fitness magazines are predominantly read by men.  You won't see advertisements with images of men engaging in oral sex (simulated or otherwise). 

Women's underwear ads are also everywhere; good grief, Victoria's Secret even has a highly viewed fashion show, and of course there's Sports Illustrated's swimsuit issues.  I have never seen men in either of those.  And isn't it interesting that both of those are geared toward men, even though they're supposed to be marketing these products to women?

Male underwear ads are geared toward men.  Sub-consciously people are going to be drawn toward buying underwear that they think will make them look sexy or attractive.  Hence the protruding genitals.  I don't see too many women hanging men's underwear ads on their walls, but I've certainly seen my share of Victoria's Secret ads hung up by men.

As for bodybuilders, both male and female, I have never heard of anyone being "forced" to parade and flex.  Most of the people I've known who did bodybuilding were extremely proud of their bodies and were excited to pose and compete.  It makes me snicker to picture some cowering guy saying, "oh please don't force me to go out there on that stage and flex my bulging muscles!"

I do agree with you that advertising has become crude and tasteless.  I hate the Axe ads.  I've never seen an ad for women's cologne that insinuates that if you wear their cologne, men will sexually attack you and you'll like it.  Probably because women are sexually attacked anyway and DON'T like it.  Women have historically been sexually exploited and attacked for centuries.  We can argue that this is "human nature" but can't we rise above that?  Just because this is the way things have always been, doesn't mean they should remain that way.  That's why we are protesting the ad.  You are certainly free to not protest it, if you approve of it.

I don't approve of it.  I think it's crude, demeaning, and unnecessary.  And I do agree with you that fast food is trash.

If it were a guy, it would strike me as homophobic, and yes I would care, because I don't think it is funny.  I think it is gross and offensive no matter who is giving the blow job.

But the fact that it is aimed at women, with the emphasis on a male audience, makes me sick.

Mr. tk...

It aint human nature to denigrate women to being no more than sex objects...Its male chauvinistic nature that does that. 

And the fact that you find that ad funny says far more about your lack of respect for women as equals than anything good about you.