Where's the Beef?

Well MY "beef" -- as it were -- is squarely at the doorstep of Burger King. Have you seen their latest tasteless ad? The "king" is singing a parody of Baby Got Back while scantily clad girls bop and grind to the music with phone books stuffed in their already-too-tight pants...so they have square pants. Promoting the new kids' meal that features a Sponge Bob Square Pants theme.

This ad has been controversial. Many are voicing a negative reaction, while others are saying, "Oh, lighten up. It's just in fun." Burger King says its ad is not aimed at the children, but at the adults who take them out for fast food.

I was going to weigh in this morning and give them the advantage of seeing things from my point of view. Well...I went to their web site and after searching for a bit I finally found a "contact us" link. But when you click on that link, you get their mailing address (????) and several department phone numbers. There is NO e-mail link to share your opinions with them, even though the page opens up to say, "We're listening". I guess I would rather it said, "We're reading".

So I'll just tell you what I was going to tell them. First of all, their latest king mascot is creepy. I'm not sure what he's doing in this picture. Possibly propositioning this young boy. I would think he's the stuff of nightmares for young children. Compare him to Ronald McDonald. Not only is "the Ronald" a happy, fun loving mascot...but you associate him with the Ronald McDonald houses and all kinds of community support and wholesomeness. What's the king done for us? I am always glad to patronize McDonald's because I'm a fan of the way they conduct their business.

I'm also a fan of Wendy's. You know her...cute little red head with braids. Wholesome. I will be a loyal fan of theirs for a long time because even though it's commonplace now, they were the first that I knew of to offer the options of mandarin oranges instead of french fries in the kid's meal and milk instead of a Coke. Now they also have yogurt. Speaking of good-for-you foods for kids...McDonald's also has the apple slices. The closest Burger King comes is fried apples. (????)

And if BK thinks their ads aimed at the adults is a wise move, then they clearly don't know their target audience. When Savannah was about 3 I told her I'd take her out for lunch. She clearly let me know that she wanted to go to the "W" (Wendy's) and not the "M" (McDonald's). She doesn't always get her own way, but when she told me it was because she wanted yogurt, I was fine with her decision. The parents, many times, take the kids where they want to go.

So here's to you, Burger King. I think I'll just "have it my way"...and have it someplace else.