Action Alert: Tell Burger King To Quit Airing Hyper Sexualized “Booty Is Booty” Ad Aimed At Children

I’ve never been a Burger King fan, even in my pre-vegetarian phase, something about the monarchal claim to culinary superiority that just didn’t jive with my concept of gastronomical satisfaction, but even being ever so charitable about the merits of their product, you really have to wonder what they had in mind when they came up with this advertisement:

Booty is booty? Measuring square butts? B-grade juvenile humor that at best might appeal to pubescent boys and make young girls feel they need to eat BK to measure up–oh wait, that’s exactly the problem… According the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood (CCFC), the ad has run at various times, including during the recent NCAA national championship.

“It’s bad enough when companies use a beloved media character like SpongeBob to promote junk food to children, but it’s utterly reprehensible when that character simultaneously promotes objectified, sexualized images of women,” said CCFC director Dr. Susan Linn.

“No parent watching a major sporting event with their children should have to worry about being assaulted by sexualized imagery,” said Joe Kelly of The Dad Man, a CCFC Steering Committee Member.

Not something you want your kiddies or anyone else’s kiddies watching? As CCFC puts it, “It’s bad enough when companies use a beloved media character like SpongeBob to promote junk food to children, but it’s utterly reprehensible when that character simultaneously promotes objectified, sexualized images of women.” Click here and help CCFC send a loud and clear message to Burger King that this ad is unacceptable.

Meanwhile across the pond… a recent ad for bedding makes us just drool with jealousy–imagine the major tizzy fit the babies-must-be-delivered-in-hospitals lobby would throw if this aired here:

According to Birth Activist via OBOS,

The slogan of this new ad campaign by Spanish company, Flex, is “Tu cama, el lugar más importante del mundo,” or “Your bed, the most important place in the world.” This commercial spotlights the home birth of Waira, daughter of Carolina and Nicholas Umpierrez of Barcelona, Spain. In the advertisement, they claim that their bed is special to them because it is where there son was born and they would like for their daughter to be born in the same bed.

Imagine, you can actually sell stuff using life-affirming, body and gender positive advertising instead of attempting to make your customers feel insecure and inadequate if they don’t run out and buy your product. Who knew.