The Slutburger Campaign and the Objectification of Women in the Fast Food Industry
The concept of “sex sells” and the hyper sexualization of women in advertising is a tactic that has been used by various major brands and companies throughout time, only facing backlash and controversy in the last few years. Though this advertising tactic was (and still is) particularly widespread with fashion and apparel companies, it could be seen applied in various other markets such as the fast food industry and even with non profit organizations. Though there are many things to be said about the “sex sells” strategy in relation to fashion companies like Victoria's Secret or nonprofits like PETA, I will be focusing on the use of this tactic in the fast food industry and its effects on societal treatment of women.
Carl's Jr, an American fast food chain, released its first sexually suggestive ad in 2005, marking the start of their "Slutburger" campaign, which would go on to feature various female celebrities seductively eating their products. The 30 second ad consists of various slow motion shots of a scantily dressed Paris Hilton washing a car, displaying her squeezing a soap sponge all over her body and crawling on the ground. Surprisingly, despite advertising Carl's Jr's new “Spicy BBQ Six Dollar Burger”, the actual food item is not shown until the video is 18 seconds in. Of the 30 seconds that the ad takes up, 20% of it is made up of the actual product being sold (in this case a burger), with the other 80% of the video being hypersexualized clips of Paris Hilton washing a car. Since the release of that 2005 ad, Carl's Jr. would continue to put out its objectifying ads until 2017 after receiving widespread backlash as a result of the rise of 3rd wave feminism during the #metoo era. These hypersexual ads would reach wide audiences, getting Carl's Jr’s “name all over the country -- even places where we don't have restaurants” and going as far as being featured during the Super Bowl.
Though Carl's Jr’s sexualization of women in its advertisement would have a large positive impact on the company over the years, its effects on the perception and treatment of women was incredibly harmful. These advertisements contributed to the harmful stereotype that women are easily dominated, submissive, and ready to be consumed by men. In their ads, Carl's Jr presented women as the true product, rather than what they were actually selling, which was a much less appealing item: an unhealthy burger. By presenting women as objects Carl's Jr contributed to the dangerous notion that women are something to be devoured like one would do to a burger or other food item. This specific type of objectification puts women in increased danger of experiencing sexual harassment, as it strips them of all human traits and displays them as mere pieces of meat to viewers, as “prey, objects to catch and consume”. In their pursuit to sell burgers to their target demographic of “young, hungry guys”, Carl’s Jr. blatantly dehumanized women and presented them as a commodity, in turn, contributing to the societal mistreatment and harassment of female presenting and identifying individuals across the nation.
I never knew this even happened, that a fast food restaurant used hypersexualized clips to help gain profit. I completely agree with you saying that this is wrong as it help fuel the bad stereo type of submissive women. What I'm still curious about is how much did that commercial really help the company and it's profits?
ReplyDeleteThe idea of a major Fast Food company releasing ads so sexual for so long is absurd to me and I'm surprised they didn't get taken down long before 2017. They quite clearly were objectifying and dehumanizing women in these ads and the fact that the company still stands by them and talks about how proud of the ads they were is bizarre. I wonder what the board meeting introducing this vile idea was like. How much did the commercial actually financially benefit the company?
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you on everything you’ve said. I’d like to note that burgers are supposedly a very manly food, if that makes sense. You grill burgers and drink beers with your bros, and I think that this ad forwards that idea. “Manly men” like to eat burgers and watch women eat burgers, though like you said, this trend isn’t only seen in fast food ads.
ReplyDeleteI am glad you choose this topic as it is relevant in so much of pop culture today. Ads such as these also lead me to wonder about the effect on the women who participate in them. It seems to be that when a woman is perceived in a sexual way in some part of their life, men will not let them live it down and it essentially consumes the public opinion of the woman herself (an example being when the AT&T commercial actress Milana Vayntrub was sexual harassed repeatedly online by chronically online incel boys who found a picture of her in a bikini). Great post!
ReplyDeleteI remember seeing these every now and then growing up, usually they would play during football games or other sports stuff and it kind of made me wonder why other fast-food companies didn't do this, but mainly why they chose to do this. As it stands, I think it was probably more for publicity because if you ask someone where they want to eat, no one ever says Carl's Jr, but if people talk about their ads and about how they made them feel, they are bound to gain publicity. Good post!
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