Carl Jr. is notorious for its use of women as sexual symbols in their fast food ads. Over the years, some of their noted models have been Paris Hilton, Heidi Klum, and Kim Kardashian. Their commercials are of girls wearing lingerie and seductively finishing a Carl’s Jr. meal.
Carl’s use of models and skinny women eating their meals gives the assumption that women with “model bodies” are eating fast food. In reality, to achieve a slim waist, toned thighs, and all around fit body, one doesn’t eat Carl’s Jr burgers. One 1/2 lb regular burger comes in at a staggering 1080 calories. This excludes the fries and drink with it. This is not to say that these women aren’t indulging in a burger once in a while, but no healthy person consistently eats those burgers. Use of women and skimpy bikinis gives other women and girls the impression that this is the body that they are to strive for, whilst also indulging in fast food.
The next big issue with the Carl’s Jr ads are the depiction of women. Paris Hilton was filmed washing a car in a black swim suit whilst devouring a burger. Ads that portray women as sexual objects further the impression that women can be treated as such. Paris Hilton belongs to a hotel empire as well as running several of her own businesses. Yet, she’s depicted as a sexual icon. This is sending the message to young girls that being sexy is more important than being smart or business savvy. This practice doesn’t just stop at Carl Jr’s.
In women’s magazines there are countless articles about how to fix our hair, do our makeup, and shopping tips. There aren’t as many headlines about empowerment, being smart, or being a leader. Girls are being taught at an easy age that what they look like will be a deciding factor of how well likes they are. The people of today don’t want to see a powerful woman in a suit eating a burger, they want to see a swim suit model in her underwear eating a burger.
U