This month’s guest post to The Man Files comes at us from Jonathan Felix — college student, drummer, sports fan, and astute social critic. In Jonathan’s words, “Me and my dad sarcastically laugh at the sequence of commercials during ‘guy’ shows on TV: beer, burgers, military. Beer, cars, televisions, military …†Here Jonathan takes on Carl’s Jr. ads asking why they portray guys as kind of stupid.
Masculine, Jr.
In true corporate marketing fashion, Carl’s Jr. depicts demoralizing stereotypes of men and women in efforts to attract consumers.
The fast-food chain’s current commercial shows a beautiful skinny blonde girl wearing make-up and a nice blue dress. She enters her boyfriend’s apartment expecting a classy night out, and finds him on the couch playing video games. The couple talks about a steak dinner, and the guy implies they are going to Carl’s Jr. for their new steak sandwich. The motto after the commercial is that Carl’s Jr. is “How guys do fancy.”
This is NOT how I do fancy.
Commercials like this give good guys a bad reputation. Hey Carl’s Jr. — Listen up! A lot of us actually have our lives together and enjoy taking women out to nice places and good dinners.
Or what about the ad with the guy and the avocado? It makes men look like total barbaric meatheads, who can’t even use a spoon to eat an avocado, and we somehow need Carl’s Jr. to make guacamole for us because we’re too stupid to figure it out.
Now I happen to like Carl’s Jr. But for them to portray guys as that lazy and ignorant is offensive. I can only hope my peers would agree that we have to do better than a #4 Combo if we plan on making good boyfriends and future husbands.
These commercials project a message to the world that men are lame and losers and unable to appreciate even the smallest bit of romantic effort. Far too often our society depicts “real†men as barbarians who love sports and beer and total sexual dominance. And although plenty of men have some of these traits, pop culture insists on exploiting our more obtuse characteristics to sell their products.
These ads completely ignore a man’s intellectual or emotional capabilities. This hurts men who actually have their lives somewhat together. It perpetuates negative stereotypes and affects women’s future opinions about men, be they Prince Charmings or Ronald McDonalds.
Show Jonathan some love and welcome him to Girl With Pen by posting your comments here. Or reach him directly at johnnylbeach at yahoo.com. Until next month! -Shira
Comments 8
Milton — March 6, 2009
Mr. Felix,
First, I love me some Carl’s jr and most of all I love the manner in which women are portrayed in carls jr ads. I always know I can count on Carl’s jr to make me hungry and horny, which is what every man is at all times. I don’t see the negative stereotypes your talking about because when I’m not playing video games I usually am using my caveman strength to get what I want. Now you may claim that carls jr is perpetuating a negative image of men by portraying them as meatheads and aimless I say so what? that’s what we as men are. ALL of us. Some may claim they are more put together than others but at the end of the day we all want us a pretty skinny little thing and a burger.
Sincerely a sarcastic student and masculine social cirtic
Deborah Siegel — March 6, 2009
Welcome to GWP, Jonathan - we are TRULY psyched to have you! Props on your post - excellent points you make there. I just checked out the videos and I'm feeling mighty glad we don't seem to have Carl's Jr out here on the East Coast! BLECH.
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gwp_admin — March 6, 2009
Milton: Are you friend or foe? I can't tell if you're a troll or if you are actually a masculinity critic who is masking himself behind a veil of sarcasm. Please let us know?!
Milton — March 6, 2009
I am Most Definitely a friend. Jonathan and i both realize the serious nature of such seemingly harmless ads. Carl’s JR advertising may try to appeal to a certain demographic andclaim that these messages are meant to be funny or provocative, but they need to realize that it isn’t JUST a commercial. Its not JUST fun. Its more than that, and Jonathan got it right on.
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curt — April 14, 2009
Who is the girl who plays the in the Carl's Jr who is wearing rge blue dress?
Dave — March 5, 2015
Corporate America has learned that one way to gain more customers is to follow politically-correct popular culture. they also know that women hold much of the purse-strings when it comes to making purchasing decisions. And, they are not ignorant of the presence of feminism. So, they turn to so-called feminist tropes ("men = bad") to increase female-dominated purchasing, while intentionally or inadvertently make males look like idiots or sexist In reality it is they, corporate America, which need to have their intensions eamined.