'SquareButt' Burger King Hip-Hop Ad Under Fire

J-Banks · 04-14-2009, 11:48 AM

'SquareButt' Burger King Hip-Hop Ad Under Fire

Fast food giant Burger King and Seattle, Washington rapper Sir-Mix-A-lot have come under fire for a Hip-Hop commercial featuring Nickelodeon character SpongeBob.

The Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood is taking Burger King and Nickelodeon Television President Cyma Zarghami to task over the “SpongeBob SquareButt” commercial.

The spot features Sir-Mix-A-Lot reinterpreting his hit 1990 song “Baby Got Back” with new lyrics that start “I like Square Butts and I cannot Lie.”

The lyrics spoof the original song and feature Mix-A-Lot flanked by two scantily clad women on each arm.

Additionally, Burger King’s mascot, The King, is seen dancing along with women gyrating, cut with images of SpongeBob dancing.

At the end of the :30 second spot, Sir-Mix-A-Lot himself quips "booty is booty!"

More than 2,600 CCFC members have written to Nickelodeon and Burger King in the past 48 hours, complaining about the commercial, which promotes Burger King’s Kids Meals.

“Parents deserve to know whether Nickelodeon—the most popular children’s television network—signed off on the use of SpongeBob in a commercial that celebrates lechery and objectifies women,” CCFC director Dr. Susan Linn told AllHipHop.com in an emailed statement.

The advertisement ran during Monday Night’s Men’s NCAA Championship and has aired on several other stations since.

Burger King has stated that the ad was aimed at adults when it originally debuted on the West Coast at 6:00 PM during the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship.

In their letter, CCFC acknowledged that Burger King was after publicity, but questioned the decisions of Nickelodeon’s top brass.

“We wonder why a children’s television station like Nickelodeon would want to link one of its most popular and profitable characters to this sort of lechery and objectification of women,” the CCFC letter reads. “That’s why we are asking if you approved the use of SpongeBob in this commercial (and the longer Internet viral video, which is frankly even more disturbing).”

The full letter is below:

Ms. Cyma Zarghami,
President Nickelodeon Television
1515 Broadway New York, NY 10036

SENT VIA FAX

Dear Ms. Zarghami, We are writing to ask whether you or anyone at Nickelodeon approved the new “SpongeBob SquareButt” television commercial that is currently airing for Burger King Kids Meals. As you are probably aware, more than 2,600 members of the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood have asked Nickelodeon and Burger King to pull the commercial.

It’s bad enough when a character popular with children, like SpongeBob SquarePants, is used to promote junk food, but it’s absolutely egregious when that character simultaneously promotes objectified, sexualized images of women.

Yesterday, Burger King responded via a marketing trade publication to complaints about the ad. While their response was disingenuous – they claimed the ad for Kids Meals featuring SpongeBob was aimed at adults – at least they responded. We suspect Burger King, which positions itself as an edgier alternative to other fast food chains, actually welcomes the publicity from this controversy.

But we wonder why a children’s television station like Nickelodeon would want to link one of its most popular and profitable characters to this sort of lechery and objectification of women. That’s why we are asking if you approved the use of SpongeBob in this commercial (and the longer Internet viral video, which is frankly even more disturbing).

If you did – and do – approve, is this part of a new trend at Nickelodeon? Is there a plan at Nickelodeon to make your most famous characters edgier in order to maintain their appeal to children as they grow up?

We can’t help but notice the connection between this ad and the new tween Dora doll, which will distinguish itself from earlier incarnations of Dora by focusing on fashion and her appearance. We think parents of children who watch your programming would appreciate hearing answers to these questions.

We are attaching an email from the mother of two young children who were watching the NCAA championship when the ad was aired. We look forward to your response, and would be happy to discuss our members concerns with you.

Sincerely,

Susan Linn

Director, CCFC

Source: allhiphop

LooseCannon23 · 04-14-2009, 12:54 PM

..............
i wonder why

Witty Qwan · 04-14-2009, 12:56 PM

i been seen this coming.....them niggas had a commercial saying "i like square butts and i can not lie"...as a ad for spongebob burgerking....how u gonna advertise dat to kids?

jusanto93 · 04-14-2009, 01:04 PM

the commercial is funny ass hell , fuck macdonalds lol

quick19 · 04-14-2009, 01:38 PM

i saw dis 1 comin soon as i saw it. lmao

Firefly5 · 04-14-2009, 01:50 PM

LOL, Burger King is waiting to get sued. The one with the mexican wrestler is worse.

QBTrueG · 04-14-2009, 01:51 PM

LMAO, that commercial is the shit. Parents worry about the stupidest shit, ironic considering the kids of those same parents are probably doing something illegal behind their backs.

chickenwings · 04-14-2009, 04:30 PM

instead of worryin about the commercials your kids are watching how about you worry about the fact you let your kids sit in front of a tv and a computer constantly

MS DIOR · 04-14-2009, 05:10 PM

i knew parents were going to complain about that commercial.they complain over the stupidest shit ALL THE TIME.

Young A · 04-14-2009, 06:08 PM

lol i wonder why did it take them this long? I'm surprised that they didn't complain as soon as the commercial aired for the first time

DemonicSinn · 04-15-2009, 12:44 AM

Anybody complainin about this petty ass shit need to get a life or just go die in a corner somewhere.

04-14-2009, 11:48 AM	#1
J-Banks Super Moderator Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Providence, RI Posts: 21,015 Repped: 5,294 Repped 53,425 Times in 7,839 Posts Blog Entries: 1 Neg Reps: 53 Neg Repped at 93 Times in 86 Posts	'SquareButt' Burger King Hip-Hop Ad Under Fire 'SquareButt' Burger King Hip-Hop Ad Under Fire 'SquareButt' Burger King Hip-Hop Ad Under Fire Fast food giant Burger King and Seattle, Washington rapper Sir-Mix-A-lot have come under fire for a Hip-Hop commercial featuring Nickelodeon character SpongeBob. The Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood is taking Burger King and Nickelodeon Television President Cyma Zarghami to task over the “SpongeBob SquareButt” commercial. The spot features Sir-Mix-A-Lot reinterpreting his hit 1990 song “Baby Got Back” with new lyrics that start “I like Square Butts and I cannot Lie.” The lyrics spoof the original song and feature Mix-A-Lot flanked by two scantily clad women on each arm. Additionally, Burger King’s mascot, The King, is seen dancing along with women gyrating, cut with images of SpongeBob dancing. At the end of the :30 second spot, Sir-Mix-A-Lot himself quips "booty is booty!" More than 2,600 CCFC members have written to Nickelodeon and Burger King in the past 48 hours, complaining about the commercial, which promotes Burger King’s Kids Meals. “Parents deserve to know whether Nickelodeon—the most popular children’s television network—signed off on the use of SpongeBob in a commercial that celebrates lechery and objectifies women,” CCFC director Dr. Susan Linn told AllHipHop.com in an emailed statement. The advertisement ran during Monday Night’s Men’s NCAA Championship and has aired on several other stations since. Burger King has stated that the ad was aimed at adults when it originally debuted on the West Coast at 6:00 PM during the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship. In their letter, CCFC acknowledged that Burger King was after publicity, but questioned the decisions of Nickelodeon’s top brass. “We wonder why a children’s television station like Nickelodeon would want to link one of its most popular and profitable characters to this sort of lechery and objectification of women,” the CCFC letter reads. “That’s why we are asking if you approved the use of SpongeBob in this commercial (and the longer Internet viral video, which is frankly even more disturbing).” The full letter is below: Ms. Cyma Zarghami, President Nickelodeon Television 1515 Broadway New York, NY 10036 SENT VIA FAX Dear Ms. Zarghami, We are writing to ask whether you or anyone at Nickelodeon approved the new “SpongeBob SquareButt” television commercial that is currently airing for Burger King Kids Meals. As you are probably aware, more than 2,600 members of the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood have asked Nickelodeon and Burger King to pull the commercial. It’s bad enough when a character popular with children, like SpongeBob SquarePants, is used to promote junk food, but it’s absolutely egregious when that character simultaneously promotes objectified, sexualized images of women. Yesterday, Burger King responded via a marketing trade publication to complaints about the ad. While their response was disingenuous – they claimed the ad for Kids Meals featuring SpongeBob was aimed at adults – at least they responded. We suspect Burger King, which positions itself as an edgier alternative to other fast food chains, actually welcomes the publicity from this controversy. But we wonder why a children’s television station like Nickelodeon would want to link one of its most popular and profitable characters to this sort of lechery and objectification of women. That’s why we are asking if you approved the use of SpongeBob in this commercial (and the longer Internet viral video, which is frankly even more disturbing). If you did – and do – approve, is this part of a new trend at Nickelodeon? Is there a plan at Nickelodeon to make your most famous characters edgier in order to maintain their appeal to children as they grow up? We can’t help but notice the connection between this ad and the new tween Dora doll, which will distinguish itself from earlier incarnations of Dora by focusing on fashion and her appearance. We think parents of children who watch your programming would appreciate hearing answers to these questions. We are attaching an email from the mother of two young children who were watching the NCAA championship when the ad was aired. We look forward to your response, and would be happy to discuss our members concerns with you. Sincerely, Susan Linn Director, CCFC Source: allhiphop __________________ JBanksblog.com - check it out __________________

04-14-2009, 12:54 PM	#2
LooseCannon23 UserUSerUsErRUSRUSUEEUSEU Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Home Posts: 3,866 Repped: 1,176 Repped 314 Times in 156 Posts Neg Reps: 173 Neg Repped at 52 Times in 39 Posts	.............. i wonder why __________________

04-14-2009, 12:56 PM	#3
Witty Qwan # Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: My crib Posts: 3,053 Repped: 155 Repped 484 Times in 311 Posts Neg Reps: 21 Neg Repped at 82 Times in 75 Posts	i been seen this coming.....them niggas had a commercial saying "i like square butts and i can not lie"...as a ad for spongebob burgerking....how u gonna advertise dat to kids? __________________ [02:34PM] Lyrikcha FUCK THIS FAGGOT CHAMBERS NIGGA...IM A CUT HIS HEAD OFF AND PUT IT ON A STICK FOR MY NIGGA TIGER CAN DEFROST THE GAT AND SMOKE U

04-14-2009, 01:04 PM	#4
jusanto93 Veteran Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 1,015 Repped: 251 Repped 157 Times in 34 Posts Neg Reps: 0 Neg Repped at 1 Time in 1 Post	the commercial is funny ass hell , fuck macdonalds lol __________________ even fake niggas get pimp slap from the back of my hand. to all the fake rappers like game and lil wayne to get real bitchesssssssssssss

04-14-2009, 01:50 PM	#6
Firefly5 Droppin' Knowledge Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Sacramento Posts: 4,103 Repped: 1,100 Repped 680 Times in 242 Posts Neg Reps: 57 Neg Repped at 22 Times in 20 Posts	LOL, Burger King is waiting to get sued. The one with the mexican wrestler is worse. __________________ San Francisco 49ERS 2009 NFC West Champs

04-14-2009, 01:38 PM	#5
quick19 anointed One Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Tulsa Oklahoma Posts: 331 Repped: 117 Repped 8 Times in 5 Posts Neg Reps: 0 Neg Repped at 0 Times in 0 Posts	i saw dis 1 comin soon as i saw it. lmao

04-14-2009, 01:51 PM	#7
QBTrueG 1st & 15th Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: From NYC To Tha CT Posts: 1,571 Repped: 718 Repped 184 Times in 104 Posts Neg Reps: 0 Neg Repped at 9 Times in 9 Posts	LMAO, that commercial is the shit. Parents worry about the stupidest shit, ironic considering the kids of those same parents are probably doing something illegal behind their backs. __________________ [04:56PM] OFFiCiAL JAE ROCK - ima print her pic. off...n when im drivin down there..ima beat off to it multiple times..so i can be ready when i sling her ass to tha ground...n ram my monster insider her butt hole.... [04:56PM] OFFiCiAL JAE ROCK - oh yea nigga...u done fucked up

04-14-2009, 04:30 PM	#8
chickenwings Veteran Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 4,602 Repped: 608 Repped 679 Times in 404 Posts Neg Reps: 505 Neg Repped at 224 Times in 166 Posts	instead of worryin about the commercials your kids are watching how about you worry about the fact you let your kids sit in front of a tv and a computer constantly

04-14-2009, 05:10 PM	#9
MS DIOR ♥ IM A FEMALE ♥ Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: WITH 50 ;) Posts: 8,157 Repped: 967 Repped 717 Times in 241 Posts Neg Reps: 79 Neg Repped at 28 Times in 28 Posts	i knew parents were going to complain about that commercial.they complain over the stupidest shit ALL THE TIME. __________________ CHR!SSY:TH3 OR!G!N@L..HATING IS THE SINCEREST FORM OF FLATTERY....FUCK YOU! ;) Last edited by MS DIOR; 04-14-2009 at 05:13 PM.

04-14-2009, 06:08 PM	#10
Young A Veteran Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: N.O. Ya Heard Me Posts: 2,657 Repped: 753 Repped 84 Times in 60 Posts Neg Reps: 315 Neg Repped at 105 Times in 95 Posts	lol i wonder why did it take them this long? I'm surprised that they didn't complain as soon as the commercial aired for the first time

04-15-2009, 12:44 AM	#11
DemonicSinn AKA Ty-G Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Cincinnati/Hanover Park, IL Posts: 4,722 Repped: 1,116 Repped 640 Times in 171 Posts Neg Reps: 76 Neg Repped at 95 Times in 56 Posts	Anybody complainin about this petty ass shit need to get a life or just go die in a corner somewhere.

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode