This past week, I was watching coverage of the Olympics when a Hardee’s commercial popped up on my television. I watched three well-endowed women in bikinis, covered in baby oil, fry bacon for the new “Bacon 3-Way Burger” they are trying to promote. However, instead of being encouraged to try a burger, I was infuriated at how my gender was being diminished to breasts and skin and sex appeal. So Hardee’s will never be given a penny of mine and I urge you to consider making the same pledge.
This is not Hardee’s first offense in using sex in order to sell their food. In fact typing in “Hardees commercial” into the YouTube search bar will pull countless videos of women in bikinis, many with the word “banned” in the title. Hardee’s is one of the first companies to actually show what some would consider to be pornographic images in an advertisement. You can easily search and watch them, they are not filtered for your children, because they are a food commercial.
As a woman, I take offense to the fact that a fast food company feels that they have some sort of right to use a woman’s body as a tool for sales. The purpose of these images is not to appeal to me, a female. Instead, Hardee’s is primarily appealing to men and images they feel would elicit a response from the intended customer. This has to stop. Bikinis and baby oil should not be used to sell burgers.
After seeing the commercial, I used my personal Twitter account to contact the Hardee’s corporation and express my feelings. In three tweets, I stated “@Hardees just wondering when you’re going to stop objectifying women’s bodies to sell food that would never make a woman look that”. I asked if this would end soon or if my future daughter would have to endure such sexism. Finally, I made the statement, “if you have to use sex to sell a burger, your burger’s not good.”
Here’s the truth of it: Hardee’s is profiting from the objectification of women’s bodies and from the men who choose not to look past the half-naked women. Because I am a woman, one who values her body and who will NEVER stop fighting the rape culture that makes commercials like this seem okay, I am taking a stand. I am begging women and men alike to take a stand as well. Stand with me and vow to refuse to give Hardee’s your business. The next thing I’m going to ask of you is to TALK ABOUT IT. Talk about what Hardee’s is doing. Bring attention to this deplorable use of the phrase “Sex sells.”
Let’s make sure that sex does NOT sell. If you won’t stand for yourself, do it for your sons and daughters. Do it for your nieces and nephews. Do it for your students, your youth group members, your friends, your cousins, and everyone you know. This is an issue. So don’t be afraid to shed some light and to raise your voice.
