Comments on: BK commercial redux: It’s not about the burgers http://blog.shrub.com/archives/tekanji/2007-01-27_506 Because we care about stuff Fri, 08 Aug 2008 00:10:08 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: annonymous http://blog.shrub.com/archives/tekanji/2007-01-27_506#comment-63832 annonymous Thu, 03 May 2007 02:44:16 +0000 http://blog.shrub.com/archives/tekanji/2007-01-27_506#comment-63832 I also hated that commercial. It wasn't wholly based on the illogical connection between consumption of meat and "manliness", though I did recognize and find the connection made irrelavent at best. I mainly disliked the industrial defining of what is and isn't "masculine" as a way of pandering to the consumer. It is an outright attack on common logic and common sense, and I can find no better term to describe it than propoganda. What's more, commercials like this are springing out of the woodworks lately. Miller Beer company's light beer brand, "Milwaukee Light" runs an advertising campaign, which my boss and my co-worker can't get enough of. In these ads, some group of men are portrayed as doing some traditionally "manly" activity, and one or more of these men deviates from the norms of manliness, only to be punished by being crushed by a giant beer can, after which, a rugged macho announcer voice proclaims, "Men should act like men! ..." This is pandering, plain and simple, and it utterly disgusts me that such an assault on our rationality and common sense could be considered smart advertising. I also hated that commercial. It wasn’t wholly based on the illogical connection between consumption of meat and “manliness”, though I did recognize and find the connection made irrelavent at best. I mainly disliked the industrial defining of what is and isn’t “masculine” as a way of pandering to the consumer. It is an outright attack on common logic and common sense, and I can find no better term to describe it than propoganda. What’s more, commercials like this are springing out of the woodworks lately. Miller Beer company’s light beer brand, “Milwaukee Light” runs an advertising campaign, which my boss and my co-worker can’t get enough of. In these ads, some group of men are portrayed as doing some traditionally “manly” activity, and one or more of these men deviates from the norms of manliness, only to be punished by being crushed by a giant beer can, after which, a rugged macho announcer voice proclaims, “Men should act like men! …” This is pandering, plain and simple, and it utterly disgusts me that such an assault on our rationality and common sense could be considered smart advertising.

]]> By: Canaduck http://blog.shrub.com/archives/tekanji/2007-01-27_506#comment-23437 Canaduck Sun, 28 Jan 2007 03:32:11 +0000 http://blog.shrub.com/archives/tekanji/2007-01-27_506#comment-23437 Hungry Man commercials are almost as awful. They feature large, overweight men drooling over the revoltingly unhealthy (even just once in a while) garbage that is the Hungry Man TV dinner and saying things like, "I'm a MAN. I need to be FULL." (What kind of double standard is that, by the way?) If it's manly to eat disgusting crap without any regard for animals, the environment, or one's own health, then I guess my husband is a woman. The BK commercial has taught me that it's every real man's dream to shake off the shackles of our repressive, feminist society by eating lard and running around grunting like a caveman. Who knew? As a vegan and a feminist, I agree with you--the BK commercial is insulting and stupid for all of us. Hungry Man commercials are almost as awful. They feature large, overweight men drooling over the revoltingly unhealthy (even just once in a while) garbage that is the Hungry Man TV dinner and saying things like, “I’m a MAN. I need to be FULL.” (What kind of double standard is that, by the way?) If it’s manly to eat disgusting crap without any regard for animals, the environment, or one’s own health, then I guess my husband is a woman. The BK commercial has taught me that it’s every real man’s dream to shake off the shackles of our repressive, feminist society by eating lard and running around grunting like a caveman. Who knew?

As a vegan and a feminist, I agree with you–the BK commercial is insulting and stupid for all of us.

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