The Straw That Broke the Blue Collar Back

We have all endured Hardee’s blue collar, working man, ruff and tough advertising campaign for several years now. These are some of the worst commercials I have ever seen, especially when compared to Burger King’s. I appreciate their attempt to reach a certain target audience: White male high school graduates from the ages of 18-30. I will admit that Paris Hilton washing the car was O.K., and the pregnant woman eating a Thickburger in the waiting room while the narrator said she should enjoy it, because she will be "eating at McDonalds for the next 13 years" got a chuckle, the advertising agency that created this campaign was too focused on the stereotype of the “dumb white working man”, rather then remembering the liberal mantra that we live in a culture of sensitivity and understanding. Why is it that in America, all stereotypes are bad, unless they apply to white males?

Several weeks ago, Hardee’s (AKA Carl’s Jr.) started airing a TV advertisement that featured two young, uncouth, uneducated, bumbling white men in urban Philadelphia, whom seem to be cabbies taking a late-night break. The coup de gras is the subtitles. This is one of the most demeaning things I have ever seen in a modern advertisement:


If this kind of stereotyping was used with any other group in America, there would be riots in the streets and lawsuits thrown around like confetti! Imagine this commercial for Churches Chicken:

A young African American man pimp-walks into Churches, bopping like he’s the baddest nigga on Earth. He struts up to the counter, to place his order with the black clerk:

"Kin ah take yo owda?"
(May I take your order?)

"Yeahh, gimmie da muthafuckin taw piece meal, wit da mass potatoos and da cown."
(I would like the two piece meal, and for the sides, mashed potatoes and corn.)

"Tive atee."
(Five Eighty.)

"Shiiiiiiiit."
(Ok.)

Can you imagine what would happen if a commercial were to be aired using subtitles while a Black American was speaking? I’m guessing most black people wouldn’t care all that much, but the limousine-liberals would trip over themselves calling for the heads of the producers, the company, the TV stations, the FCC, Bush, etc. because they buy in to the collective guilt theory. They want to be seen as avatars of the downtrodden, and the protectors of minority rights; while advocating, tacitly if not actively, the continued demoralizing, discrimination, and feminization of the American white man.

I call for a boycott of Hardee’s until this advertisement is pulled.

-Masterson