Is the new Burger King "square butts" ad offensive?

You can see the ad here

I think it’s quite funny actually.

The fact that it’s so absurd is what makes it not offfensive. Who can (or even would want to) have a butt shaped like a phone book? It’s just silly. No way someone could say that this promotos “unrealistic body ideals”. No one can take this seriously.

The women (compared to those on music videos) are dressed more conservatively and there’s little sexual content. I don’t see what’s wrong with it at all.

Not “offensive,” but inappropriate for children.

Perhaps to sponges with grotesquely round asses.

I don’t like spongebob in a sexual connatation. It’s not offensive…but spongebob was specifically designed as an asexual character so it kind of bothers me.

Haha! I actually dig it. I don’t know what they’re selling to me but I guess SpongeBob is at BK.

I wouldn’t say they were offensive. I don’t think it’s very any more offensive than some of the cartoons they show anymore. I literally was watching cartoons with the kids the other evening and there was a parental guidance suggestion on before one of the shows-I think it was called 6teen. This wasn’t on the Adult Swim this was like at 6:30 or 7:00.

@knitfroggy

OMG I hate that show! Can’t stand it!
I remember seeing it once while I had mono and I was at home. I couldn’t believe the undertones and how every character looks like a model…it’s insane. Kids shouldn’t be watching that garbage!

well you see, commercials are based on one thing and one thing alone, to influnece you to buy a product. The times may change and fads and understanding of economy may change, but the main idea of lulling you into a sense of security and then introducing a product is still the same. Sex is something we all think about, something we all wish for, a medium to transfer ideas. The music is designed to be familiar and comfortable, but the imagery is desgined to get your attention. Now adays, you can’t sell a stick of gum without parading some whore about for attention. And since the mass perception of credibility is shot, it takes even more familiar and comfortable images to assertain the desired affects. That’s why you will start to see cycles of commercials that use sex and familiar characters (miniwheats).

If you seriously feel offended by that you really need to lighten up. It’s just a stupid and funny commercial. Some people just don’t understand satire.

I wasn’t offended. At all. I agree with @AstroChuck. Lighten up, there are worse things to stress over than a silly commercial.

Yeah I don’t really find the commercial offensive but I agree with knitfroggy and seekingwolf that that show 6teen show definitely does not impose good values for kids. I watched it with my girlfriends little sisters one night and one guy is like a blatant stoner and it was teaching everyone that ditching work is cool and it if you get fired for it it’s no big deal so you can lie to your parents and everything. I was like damn this is not really appropriate for little kids. I kind of think it was like a friday too at like evening time when a lot of kids are spending their friday night watching cartoon network.

Still I wouldn’t say I was offended by that show, just think it is inappropriate to the impressionable.

I’m not offended by it, but I find it very distasteful to combine a children’s cartoon character with women shaking their asses at the camera. Just… yech, you know?

I’m offended by the stupidity.

It’s pitching kid’s meals, isn’t it?More than a bit of relational dissonance.

I think there’s far greater things in the world that deserve our attention.
A brief resurgence by Sir Mix a Lot in a questionable ad spot is low on the importance scale compared to a lot of other things happening in the world today.

Right. But this happened to be the subject a few people out of billions took a few minutes to discuss.

True.
As we speak however there are grassroots efforts underway to have that commercial banned when that energy could be spent working towards greater causes. The commercial will be gone shortly enough on it’s own.

Burger King has now ruined that song for me!

IMHO it’s asinine

@mcbealer Do you mean ass-in-nintey degree angles?

I think it’s really stupid, but funny at the same time. Totally inappropriate for children though.
My son loves Spongebob, thankfully he isn’t into the commercial haha

@Randy ~ good one!

I think the commercial is hysterical. I’ve only seen it on TV once, well after the kids were in bed (after 9:00 I think). My husband and I both got a good giggle out of it.

That said, I wouldn’t want my kids to see it. My ten year old daughter I think would just laugh and roll her eyes, but my 5 and 4 year old boys would instantly commit the entire song to memory and sing it loudly in public places. They are already fascinated by words like “butt” and any kind of humor that involves private body parts. Thinking of them running around yelling “I like square butts and I cannot lie!” makes me want to have a few drinks and go back to bed.

I saw this yesterday, on Sunday morning at 8:30am. My 6 year old nephew was watching.
This features Spongebob Squarepants, a dancing, rapping Burger King, and an obsession over butt shape.
I don’t think I would care if they were only showing it late night. The fact the commercial uses a childrens beloved character, which makes them want to watch, pisses me off.

I don’t know that I find it offensive, but it’s incredibly dumb. Just like 99% of the commercials out there.

I think it is an effective commercial in that now everyone is talking about it, and, more importantly, we all seem to remember that it has to do with Burger King. A lot of really funny ads were great to watch but viewers could never remember what the ad was for.

It is a pretty silly ad, and I find it amazing how a square butt and brown shorts can make even the loveliest young woman look funny.

Personally, I dislike Burger King’s “King” and find him more offensive than most of the ad content. I also think Spongebob is offensive. Among other things he shows his underwear frequently, has a horrible, grating laugh, and is routinely mean to Squidward and Patrick both.

@Darwin LOL….You got it.

As someone with a square butt, i find it both demeaning and offensive.

Just because I have a box-shaped ass doesn’t mean i’m a sex object, nor that I’ve had “phone book implants”. This box o’ bum is all natural, ladies and gentlemen. 100%. All the things “squassed” people have had to overcome – getting the vote in ‘80, a special line of Gap khakis in ‘96 – and now this.

for shame, king, for shame.

Offensively stupid.

I’m only offended because Sir Mix-a-lot’s classic has been turned into a stupid commercial featuring a stupid cartoon character.

It’s a lame, lame commercial but it’s gotten us talking about it, so it worked.

@eponymoushipster what else is square on you??? :-D

@jbfletcherfan i’m completely square. L 7, man.

@eponymoushipster LOLLL, well…hmmm. Now that’s gotta hurt!!!

i just try to block it out.

LOLLL, I meant on HER end!!! Any female would try to block it out, too. Literally!!! What a visual! Hahahahaaaaaaaaaa

yeah, it rarely works out that way. you know round hole, square peg and all…

LOLLLLLL, Yeah, I DO know. Let’s just keep everything there that needs to match up in the round. ’-)

It’s stupid and annoying, culturally co-optive, idiotic. Did I mention annoying?

Because of this, I find it offensive.

Offensive? Barely. Stupid? Quite. Funny? Not particularly.

I’ve seen the commercial quite a few times, and I’m still pretty confused as to how the commercial has anything to do with what BK is selling. The ad just plain doesn’t make sense.

BK also has a long history of borderline offensive commercials, like the ones with the cows and the girls riding mechanical bulls…. I’m not a fan of their food, and I’m not a fan of their ads either. This is why I watch most of my TV online now, to avoid seeing this stupid shit.

I just want to know what you were watching when you saw the ad?

And if you’re offended by Spongebob, where were you when Bush was elected president, and then re-elected, and allowed to do things… I digress.

@alossforwords – If you are talking to me, I never voted for the man because I am from Texas and know him too well. I have been appalled at his need to make government secret. He is the primary reason I vote Democratic most of the time now.

And the ad comes on during sports broadcasts. My son is a fan of baseball.

I still find Spongebob offensive because the show is ostensibly for children but shows the “hero” treating even his friends badly.

I saw it on the show Ninja Warrior, which is a favorite of kids, big and small.

I only see the commercial on at night. It plays on VH1 and USA..from what I’ve noticed. I see it about five times a night.

@Darwin I’m not pointing fingers. I just think that if a person even considers Spongebob offensive, they’ve run out of things to stab with a pitchfork.

It’s a cartoon. Must we always search for a deeper meaning? Are kids really reading that much into it? I let my child watch cartoons that he enjoys. If he picks up bad behaviorisms from tv, I teach him better. It’s called parenting. Your children should be beyond the influence of a sponge telling them to beat their friends. I think the truly offensive message is that the characters can talk under water. What if kids tried to do that?

@alossforwords – I find Spongebob to be extremely irritating and I really don’t appreciate the extra work I have to do in order to cancel out the SpongeBob effect. My children see enough bad behavior without channeling a talking sponge who wanders around in his underwear, moons people periodically, and treats everyone terribly.

As far as talking underwater, my kids are very aware that land creatures such as the lady squirrel cannot speak or breathe underwater without special equipment.

Before SpongeBob it was CatDog. However, before that my kids loved Barney, who may be ditzy and purple, but at least he was nice to everyone.

I’m not looking for a deeper meaning. I am looking for characters to model decent behavior and keep their clothing on.

Sandy does have special equipment. She has a spacesuit on, and can flush water out of her helmut. And Spongebob doesn’t treat people poorly.
Now, I do know CatDog was pretty ridiculous, not as bad as Ren & Stimpy…but I grew up watching Beavis & Butthead and Ren & Stimpy and I turned out just fine ;)

Ugh. I hated CatDog & wouldn’t let my kids watch it. I felt the same way about SpongeBob when it first came out, but after watching several of the shows I relented. It’s not so bad.

<——- loved Ren & Stimpy… those were the days…. (sigh)

It’s kinda inappropriate, but very funny.