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Carl Jr.'s 2014 Texas BBQ Thick Burger, Featuring Paris Hilton
Carl Jr.'s 2014 Texas BBQ Thick Burger, Featuring Paris Hilton
Synopsis:
Synopsis:
In 2014 Carl Jr/ Hardees advertised a Texas BBQ Thick Burger in an ad featuring Paris Hilton. The advertisement begins in an unassuming barn with a truck. Then a woman enters the barn in a two piece bikini and begins to wash the truck. As she is washing the truck, the camera cuts several different ways. Several times the camera will conduct close ups, usually when there is cleavage or if the butt or vaginal area come into view. The camera will pan out usually if there is a sexually suggestive pose. Toward the end another woman joins her who is also in a revealing bathing suit. If ever an ad followed Jean Kilborne's "Two Ways a Woman Can Get Hurt" Advertising and Violence, this would be one.
In 2014 Carl Jr/ Hardees advertised a Texas BBQ Thick Burger in an ad featuring Paris Hilton. The advertisement begins in an unassuming barn with a truck. Then a woman enters the barn in a two piece bikini and begins to wash the truck. As she is washing the truck, the camera cuts several different ways. Several times the camera will conduct close ups, usually when there is cleavage or if the butt or vaginal area come into view. The camera will pan out usually if there is a sexually suggestive pose. Toward the end another woman joins her who is also in a revealing bathing suit. If ever an ad followed Jean Kilborne's "Two Ways a Woman Can Get Hurt" Advertising and Violence, this would be one.
Sexual Innuendos:
Sexual Innuendos:
In one of the first scenes, it shows the woman sitting on the bumper of the truck bending over into the soap bucket. An unnatural body mechanic with the sole purpose of providing and unobstructed view of cleavage with an additional suggestion of sexuality by the spreading of the legs as she bends to soap up her sponge. As Kilbourne said, "Sex in advertising is pornographic because it dehumanizes and objectifies people, especially women, and because it fetishizes products, imbues them with erotic charge" (Kilbourne, Pg 489 Para 2). Part of the dehumanization can be seen in the simple positioning of the camera and of the placement of the woman. One of the simplest ways to convey empathy is to look at a persons face or into their eyes. In some scenes the woman's face is either not in the shot or off center, suggesting that the face is not important. If the face is not important then neither is the person, then they become identifiable as an object. The danger of an object is that you don't have to take in account an object's feelings. In essence this woman is now a thing just "washing your truck".
In one of the first scenes, it shows the woman sitting on the bumper of the truck bending over into the soap bucket. An unnatural body mechanic with the sole purpose of providing and unobstructed view of cleavage with an additional suggestion of sexuality by the spreading of the legs as she bends to soap up her sponge. As Kilbourne said, "Sex in advertising is pornographic because it dehumanizes and objectifies people, especially women, and because it fetishizes products, imbues them with erotic charge" (Kilbourne, Pg 489 Para 2). Part of the dehumanization can be seen in the simple positioning of the camera and of the placement of the woman. One of the simplest ways to convey empathy is to look at a persons face or into their eyes. In some scenes the woman's face is either not in the shot or off center, suggesting that the face is not important. If the face is not important then neither is the person, then they become identifiable as an object. The danger of an object is that you don't have to take in account an object's feelings. In essence this woman is now a thing just "washing your truck".
Sitting on bumper to bending down to soap sponge.
Laying on back eating? Not safe.
Crawling on hands and knees.
Male Domination:
Male Domination:
In another scene, the woman is laying on her back, on the hood of the truck she is washing, eating a hamburger. Is this to show how good the burger is, or is it more likely that it is a subtle show of submission? In most of the animal kingdom, of which we are a part, you have an Alpha member who is usually (but not always) male. A submissive member of the group will approach and throw themselves on their back, baring their most vulnerable aspect, their neck. Kilbourne also states "Male violence is subtly encouraged by ads that encourage men to be forceful and dominant"(Kilbourne, Pg 489 Para 3). Confirmation of this is seen in a later scene as the woman crawls across the floor on her hands and knees as if confirming her willingness if not her need to be dominated. Not only this, but if we delve a little bit deeper into the advertisement, the actual act of washing the truck. Is it her truck, not likely, it's a big 4 wheel drive looking truck with numerous amounts of lights. One that you more than like would see a young white male drive. So in that you not only have domination but also servitude being portrayed in this video. To take it even a step further, her dress, the black leather type bikini is not too uncommon of what you might see someone in while engaging in BDSM.
In another scene, the woman is laying on her back, on the hood of the truck she is washing, eating a hamburger. Is this to show how good the burger is, or is it more likely that it is a subtle show of submission? In most of the animal kingdom, of which we are a part, you have an Alpha member who is usually (but not always) male. A submissive member of the group will approach and throw themselves on their back, baring their most vulnerable aspect, their neck. Kilbourne also states "Male violence is subtly encouraged by ads that encourage men to be forceful and dominant"(Kilbourne, Pg 489 Para 3). Confirmation of this is seen in a later scene as the woman crawls across the floor on her hands and knees as if confirming her willingness if not her need to be dominated. Not only this, but if we delve a little bit deeper into the advertisement, the actual act of washing the truck. Is it her truck, not likely, it's a big 4 wheel drive looking truck with numerous amounts of lights. One that you more than like would see a young white male drive. So in that you not only have domination but also servitude being portrayed in this video. To take it even a step further, her dress, the black leather type bikini is not too uncommon of what you might see someone in while engaging in BDSM.
Type Setting
Type Setting
Another aspect to this video is two fold. In one instance you have an underlying message to women and girls of what beauty is. Tall, blonde hair with prominent bust and almost zero body fat.. But there is also an underlying message to men of what they should find attractive and beautiful, the same description as above. It's a set stereotype that goes back for decades. The toy doll barbie came out in March of 1959. This is what is supposed to be attractive. Is it because you find it that way? No its because that's what main stream media tells you, you should find attractive. And obviously they put in all of the hints, the barn ( you don't see those on many women focused advertisements), the nice big jacked up truck, cause nothing says manly like a big truck.
Another aspect to this video is two fold. In one instance you have an underlying message to women and girls of what beauty is. Tall, blonde hair with prominent bust and almost zero body fat.. But there is also an underlying message to men of what they should find attractive and beautiful, the same description as above. It's a set stereotype that goes back for decades. The toy doll barbie came out in March of 1959. This is what is supposed to be attractive. Is it because you find it that way? No its because that's what main stream media tells you, you should find attractive. And obviously they put in all of the hints, the barn ( you don't see those on many women focused advertisements), the nice big jacked up truck, cause nothing says manly like a big truck.
Conclusion:
Conclusion:
All through this advertisement video there are scenes that are sexually suggestive, and there are scenes that suggest domination. But above all is the underlying theme of, this is what you should want. For women you should want to be look and act this way for men you should want what she has. In short this is a pornographic film with the idea to sell hamburgers to males. This video is 54 seconds long, out of the 54 seconds, only 5 to 7 seconds that did not show breast, butt or vaginal area. Also out of the 54 seconds there was only 17 to 18 seconds where the product, that item they are supposed to be selling was actually in frame. How can I say its focused on males? Scantily clad women, cause just in case one didn't work, they added a second one at the end for good measure. Large boisterous pick up truck being washed by a woman who conducted poses that at times did not seem anatomically possible. And oh yeah there's a hamburger in there too.
All through this advertisement video there are scenes that are sexually suggestive, and there are scenes that suggest domination. But above all is the underlying theme of, this is what you should want. For women you should want to be look and act this way for men you should want what she has. In short this is a pornographic film with the idea to sell hamburgers to males. This video is 54 seconds long, out of the 54 seconds, only 5 to 7 seconds that did not show breast, butt or vaginal area. Also out of the 54 seconds there was only 17 to 18 seconds where the product, that item they are supposed to be selling was actually in frame. How can I say its focused on males? Scantily clad women, cause just in case one didn't work, they added a second one at the end for good measure. Large boisterous pick up truck being washed by a woman who conducted poses that at times did not seem anatomically possible. And oh yeah there's a hamburger in there too.
References:
- Kilborne, Jean "Three Ways a Woman Can Get Hurt" Rereading America. Eds. Colombo, Cullen, Lisle. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's P. 2013.
- Paris Hilton Carl’s Jr Commercial 2014 - YouTube, unknown, 2014, Web 31 March 2020
Picture References:
- Screenshots, "Carl Jr's Texas BBQ Thickburger Ad", YouTube, 2014, Web, 31 March 2020
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