What the hell is wrong with Carl's Jr.? Their newest ad features a clucking chicken (only shown below the neck) walking around with a black bar over its chest (to censor giant breasts) while stripper music plays. WHAT THE HELL?!? The ad with the chicken going in to get a boob job is bad enough, but this is beyond bad. (if I were Carl's Jr, I don't know that I would want to hang a light on the fact that chickens are fed so many hormones in order to get breasts the size of TURKEYS, but I guess the world has come to the place where big boobs = good no matter what).
When did it become a great idea to sexualize a CHICKEN that is about to be killed and EATEN to sell a SANDWICH? Is it working? I'm afraid to find out. I thought the Paris Hilton eating a hamburger in a bikini commercial was pretty ridiculous, but I could understand how it might appeal to their target demographic (which is the same as everyone's apparently -- men age 16-34). What demographic thinks stripper chickens taste better? Ugh! It just grosses me out. They're exploiting these disturbing sex-violence-fast-food messages in a really egregious way. I know it's probably supposed to be Dude Humor, but it's just not funny. (I'm not a dude, but I'm saying it's not funny as someone who has watched and enjoyed JACKASS on more than one occasion. I don't think I'm being missish!)
When did it become a great idea to sexualize a CHICKEN that is about to be killed and EATEN to sell a SANDWICH? Is it working? I'm afraid to find out. I thought the Paris Hilton eating a hamburger in a bikini commercial was pretty ridiculous, but I could understand how it might appeal to their target demographic (which is the same as everyone's apparently -- men age 16-34). What demographic thinks stripper chickens taste better? Ugh! It just grosses me out. They're exploiting these disturbing sex-violence-fast-food messages in a really egregious way. I know it's probably supposed to be Dude Humor, but it's just not funny. (I'm not a dude, but I'm saying it's not funny as someone who has watched and enjoyed JACKASS on more than one occasion. I don't think I'm being missish!)
There's an argument to be made that Paris Hilton is pretty ridiculous, but I get your point about Carl's. Their ads generally don't appeal to me, but I guess that's because I'm not a horny, beefeating 17 year old boy.
ReplyDeleteThe whole drippy sandwich thing kind of squicks me. Food on people's faces is also almost buttonesque in my warped world. I am given to understand that when I was little, I would walk around the house muttering "Out, damned spot! Out, I say!" when I got something on my dress. Ok, not really, but I would cry and demand to be changed, but I don't mean to derail the Just Say No to Chicken Hooter Train.
Those ads ARE as twisted as you say. They're no Foster Farms ads. I used to love the Foster Farms chickens, which just goes to show that while it's bad to sexualize a chicken you're about to eat, it's somehow ok to laugh at it and identify with it slurping a big while on a road trip in a very messy car with its best chicken buddy.
I do not really "get" Carl's ads, but I am not the target audience. The commericial that really gets me currently is one for Downy, I think. They have this lovely african american girl child that is wearing a white dress...and the commercial is all about how you should keep your whites white...I am not sure, but I would say that the subtext is pretty crazy...but maybe it's just me?
ReplyDeleteI am totally aghast! I have never seen those and hope that I don't. Gross.
ReplyDeleteMartina: I know! The Foster Farm's ads were a little disturbing in the "puppet chicken heading cheerfully to its doom" way, but they were funny and didn't have the skeezy nasty vibe that these have.
ReplyDeleteBBD: I haven't seen that ad, but it sounds nasty subtext-o'riffic.
Leslita: they are gross!!
ION, all this commercial talk reminds me of the really stupid commercials with cartoon bears selling TOILET PAPER. I guess if a bear DOES shit in the woods, you don't have to worry that it is being unsanitary. so stupid!!