In 2010, Carl’s Jr. casted Kim Kardashian to promote their new Cranberry Apple Walnut chicken salad. Kim Kardashian walks around in a transparent robe and makes sexual metaphors “pertaining” to the salad. She states how “everything has to be clean, crisp and tasty” as she seductively eats the salad. Towards the end, Kim Kardashian appears to be in a bathtub with her back facing the camera. Kilbourne would be very disappointed if she saw this video, she would most definitely have a lot to say.
Throughout the commercial, the audience barely sees the actual salad that is supposed to be advertised. In figure 1, it shows Kim Kardashian eating her salad as she says that she is a "neat freak". With this being a food commercial, it is ironic how this is advertising for food but they rarely show the salad. This method appeals to the audience through sexual appeal. There are many instances in the video when she looks at the camera inappropriately . Kilbourne states, "Sex in advertising is pornographic because it dehumanizes and objectifies people, especially women, and because it fetishizes products, imbues them with an erotic charge" (Kilbourne pg. 489, para. 3). Based on how the cameras are angled throughout the commercial, the salad is not the center of attention. The attention is drawn solely on Kim Kardashian, the object of the video. She's being objectified in the video because they focus mainly on her body and what she does in the video. In many ways, this is degrading to the women.
As mentioned earlier, this commercial appeals to sexual desires in order to drive people into buying a product. In figure 2, she lays on the bed showing off her body. As the scene goes on, she begins to eat from the salad glazing at the camera sexually. Sexualization in ads change the focus to what the product is and more so what the person in the video does. Women are the ones who are sexualized most in commercials, such as this. This tactic intrigues consumers into wanting the product, even though they rarely see the product in most of the commercials. Kim Kardashian lays there in a sheer robe, with parts of her breast revealed. The way in which she is dressed has nothing to do with the salad, it is more so to grab the attention of the audience. By using sexualization in ads, the authors know that people are going to enjoy seeing a woman that they adore in the commercial. Many of these commercials have very limited dialogue from the women in them. Kilbourne informs us that this method is mostly used simply because it makes the men feel in charge. She states, " the main goal, as in pornography, is usually power over another..." (Kilbourne, pg. 489, para 2.). Men would not even think that this type of advertising is a problem, if women spoke out about it. It has been going on for so long, with no end in sight.
Figure 2: Kim lays on the bed with the salad in front of her.
Figure 3: Kim Kardashian sitting in the bathtub.
There is a huge disconnection between the food and the ads. In this commercial, Kim Kardashian does not touch the salad or eat it as much as you would expect in an ad to promote a new salad. In figure 3, she glances over her shoulder eating an apple off of the salad while she is in the bathtub. This only adds on to the fantasies of anyone who is completely focused on what Kim Kardashian is doing. The salad makes about four to five appearances in the ads. That is ironic because the actor is supposed to show how much they enjoy the product. Kim does the bare minimum of that and only eats the additives found on top of the salad. As Kilbourne asserted, "sex in advertising is more about disconnection and distance than connection and closeness" (Kilbourne pg. 489, para. 2). This advertising is more about adhering to the sexual imagination of the men who watch it. It does not focus on the salad as much. This shows how sex in advertisement, does not do much but appeal to the audience through emotions and imagination.
In conclusion, the commercial industry constantly objectifies women and use them as the main focal point of their ads. It has been an issue for many years and there is little belief that it could end. Since it has been so normalized, people may not even see that this is a serious issue. The continuation of advertising like this, gives men the idea to not only sexualize women they see on tv but those they see in public also. Commercials should focus mainly on the product and steer away from sexualizing women or men to appeal to the viewers. Food ads should show people eating the product and talking about what they like about it. Instead of a big star or a half-undressed woman as the spokeperson for the ads. If sex is taken out of ads that appear towards a certain gender, there will be a more significant and positive aspect of the viewers watching them.
Kilbourne, Jean "Three Ways a Woman Can Get Hurt" Reading America. Eds. Colombo, Cullen, Lisle. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's P. 2013.
Kim Kardashian Carl's Jr. Commercial 2010, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzmFrcuwuuo. Accessed 17 Oct. 2020.