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You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/jan/03/what-do-you-mean-a-bum-burger-isnt-appetising
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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
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| What do you mean, a bumburger isn't appetising? | What do you mean, a bumburger isn't appetising? |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| As someone who loves and has purchased many burgers in my lifetime, I couldn’t tell you how many times I have been staring at the delicious hamburger I’m about to consume and caught myself thinking, “Gosh, if only these brioche buns were the buttocks of a human female instead.” | As someone who loves and has purchased many burgers in my lifetime, I couldn’t tell you how many times I have been staring at the delicious hamburger I’m about to consume and caught myself thinking, “Gosh, if only these brioche buns were the buttocks of a human female instead.” |
| Well actually, I can tell you that. It is zero times. At least it was until I saw the advertisement from the Australian burger shop Goodtime Burgers. An ad for their new Bondi Junction location featured in an issue of a community magazine pictured a woman in swimwear lying at the beach on a towel. So far, so good – I’ve seen many women lie on towels at the beach. But what I haven’t seen before is said woman with buttocks stuffed with hamburger fixings. | Well actually, I can tell you that. It is zero times. At least it was until I saw the advertisement from the Australian burger shop Goodtime Burgers. An ad for their new Bondi Junction location featured in an issue of a community magazine pictured a woman in swimwear lying at the beach on a towel. So far, so good – I’ve seen many women lie on towels at the beach. But what I haven’t seen before is said woman with buttocks stuffed with hamburger fixings. |
| That’s right: in between her "buns" (hilarious and clever wordplay) are ingredients that would usually go between hamburger buns. Also very subtle is the tagline “the freshest fun between the buns”. Please let me know if you don’t quite grasp the concept; I realise it is quite a subtle and ingenious idea. | That’s right: in between her "buns" (hilarious and clever wordplay) are ingredients that would usually go between hamburger buns. Also very subtle is the tagline “the freshest fun between the buns”. Please let me know if you don’t quite grasp the concept; I realise it is quite a subtle and ingenious idea. |
| Of course, the combination of the image and the innuendo garnered some complaints to the Advertising Standards Board from readers who felt the ad was degrading to women. | Of course, the combination of the image and the innuendo garnered some complaints to the Advertising Standards Board from readers who felt the ad was degrading to women. |
| The people at Goodtime Burgers did not see it this way, however. In their defence to the ASB, they said the model's gender was not predominant and the subject could easily have been male without changing the meaning of the ad. This was because, as they state, the woman’s buttocks were in the foreground, and her chest was in the background. | The people at Goodtime Burgers did not see it this way, however. In their defence to the ASB, they said the model's gender was not predominant and the subject could easily have been male without changing the meaning of the ad. This was because, as they state, the woman’s buttocks were in the foreground, and her chest was in the background. |
| Leaving aside the fact that I couldn’t have imagined typing any of these sentences when I woke up this morning, there are a couple of issues. That "the woman’s chest is in the background" does not actually mean anything, nor does it trick us into forgetting that this is a woman. By that logic, it would only be gendered if they pictured chicken breast burgers using the breasts of the woman. | Leaving aside the fact that I couldn’t have imagined typing any of these sentences when I woke up this morning, there are a couple of issues. That "the woman’s chest is in the background" does not actually mean anything, nor does it trick us into forgetting that this is a woman. By that logic, it would only be gendered if they pictured chicken breast burgers using the breasts of the woman. |
| It is almost certain that this company would never have considered using a man for this ad. The woman’s body could not be more of an object; she is portrayed not even as a piece of meat, but as the bun used to house a piece of meat. The "freshest fun between buns" slogan is clearly sexual innuendo (which the company admits), and combined with the image of a mostly-naked woman with her bun-buttocks displayed prominently, it implies the women’s body parts are to be consumed. Some of us may find this confronting or offensive – except, you know, for the many women who really enjoy putting lettuce and tomatoes between their buttocks as they lay on the beach. | It is almost certain that this company would never have considered using a man for this ad. The woman’s body could not be more of an object; she is portrayed not even as a piece of meat, but as the bun used to house a piece of meat. The "freshest fun between buns" slogan is clearly sexual innuendo (which the company admits), and combined with the image of a mostly-naked woman with her bun-buttocks displayed prominently, it implies the women’s body parts are to be consumed. Some of us may find this confronting or offensive – except, you know, for the many women who really enjoy putting lettuce and tomatoes between their buttocks as they lay on the beach. |
| In any case, the ASB upheld the complaint and the ad was pulled. Yet I cannot ever forgive Goodtime burgers. Besides everything else, it has effectively ruined my appetite for hamburgers forever. | |
| Of course, some will argue that all publicity is good publicity, and that this article is perpetuating it. If you see that ad and it makes you hungry for a Goodtime burger, I’m afraid you probably could never be helped to begin with. Also, we can be happy that at least someone will enjoy Soylent Green. | |
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