What's Funny About BK's "Square Butts" Ad? Nothing.
I’ve been trying to think of exactly what makes me feel icky about the new Burger King/SpongeBob commercial (Scroll down to watch the spot). And I guess my answer is: Pretty much everything.
In the clip, BK’s jolly frozen-smile King–a commercial character I happen to really like–sings a little parody rap remix of the already-a-parody Sir Mix-a-Lot gem “Baby Got Back.” As he dances, he’s surrounded by a bevy of hot women, all with big, boxy faux-butts. It’s all done to mark the fact that BK is offering 99-cent kid meals, with SpongeBob SquarePants-related toys as giveaways. At one point, the King is seen with a tape measure, sizing up one woman’s rectangliciousness. And Nickelodeon’s beloved porous, yellow innocent is seen shaking his boo-tay at one point while you hear lines such as, “I like square butts and I cannot lie.”
I could try to come up with 28 things that bug me about it (one for each gram of fat in a six-piece chicken tender kid meal), or even 6.5 reasons (one for each gram of saturated fat), but I’ll stick with these four, one for each corner of the women’s bottoms:
1. Burger King says the ad is aimed at adults and was shown during adult programming (the recent NCAA Men’s Basketball title game) and, therefore, not meant “for kids.” As an admitted adult (I’ll be 49 next month, not that THAT matters) with a pretty good sense of humor (just ask my friends), three kids and a belief that SpongeBob SquarePants is one of, perhaps, the five best, cleverest series on television, I find the association of SpongeBob and a predilection for big butts to be unbelievably counterintuitive. In other words, it doesn’t work. I didn’t watch this ad and think, hey kids, let’s go to Burger King.
2. Since the ad caused immediate controversy (as it was no doubt supposed to), BK decided to “clear up any confusion” about its intentions, telling Marketing Daily that the commercial was “intended to show that even adults can have fun, laugh and be silly with entertainment genres . . . that have become a part of everyday life.” Really? Can I? Hey adults: Have fun and be silly! Burger King says so! Reading this line made me think of the professional wrestling matches of my youth, where a bad guy would bring a “foreign object” into the ring and use it to gouge at the good guy, before hiding it from the clueless ref. It’s like saying, ‘We’re not linking a beloved kid icon with something overtly sexual-we’re being silly!’ Oh, NOW I get it.
3. I come into this, admittedly, with a bias: As much as some meals at a fast food chain can be highly inoffensive, nutrition-wise, many more are extremely offensive, and I believe the fast food culture contributes mightily to the obesity epidemic in this country. Sue me.
4. The clip shows a real lack of understanding of anything remotely funny about, or associated with, SpongeBob. I love things that play against type to mine the humor in them. So long as they’re funny. I know: I like my humor to be funny.
I’m not even getting into the argument that plenty of people DVR’d the game and watched it later, perhaps with their kids, perhaps in an attempt to get those kids excited about the wonders of college basketball. And those kids-remembering Sir Mix-a-Lot’s song used with perfect humor at the end of Shrek–might perk up and check it all out.
My five-year-old son watches SpongeBob and when the commercials come on, no matter the product, he instantly says, “I want that.” He does it, I’m convinced, in part because he’s an unseasoned consumer (we’re working on that) and in part because he knows it always cracks us up. No doubt BK wanted me to see this commercial, look at those boxy butts and make the long link, through the icky association with SpongeBob, to say, “I want that kid meal for my kids.” It didn’t work.
Scott commented:
Brilliant, Burger King! A recession, and you do a stupid stunt like this!
mister stress commented:
this is clearly aimed to adults. nobody eligible for the kids meal knows the song or artist. it's made for people who get a kick outta mix parodying his won song and seeing the king popping and locking with the weirdest dressed women i've ever seen. the dancing is funny. using a level on a shortys booty is funny. i dont want a kids meal nor have i ever watched spongebob. i love it just for the above stated reasons. that king can break it down
Display Name commented:
I saw this commercial while watching TV with my ten year old daughter and found it to be very offensive! To have those girls dancing like that, "square butts" or not and that creepy King measuring them up!! Come on!! For a KIDS MEAL!!! It's ridiculous!!!
M commented:
This commercial is so disgusting. I would be livid if I had kids who were watching it. I am very upset about it and I don't even have kids. It is so wrong and should not be on TV. I can not believe that it is still being aired! Oh and SmarterthanU needs to grow up as well because this commercial is not only being aired on adult channels! I have seen it on after school hours. It is about a kids meal and a kids cartoon,.. who do you think it is directed at,....KIDS!!!! Just because you think it is only being aired on adult channels, it is still being aired the times that children are watching TV so they are going to see it no matter what. Duh, it does not take a rocket scientist to figure that one out. It is so disgusting to see how our society has fallen. What is this world coming to?
Ron commented:
For those who think this commercial is funny. Wait until your kids and grandkids start calling you and your visitors, square butt, fat butt, booty butt. You'll still say isn't that cute
SMR commented:
What the hell were they thinking?!!!! The "Burger King" is creepy with or without the song. From what I've heard, Burger King's commercials are targeted at the 18 - 34 year old male; They were going for raunchy and racy. I don't understand their logic in associating a Kid's meal with the ad campaign. The marketing team lead at Burger King Corporate should have his or her BUTT whipped for signing off on this ad.
spongebob fan for 10 years commented:
why do you adults care so much i think its funny and you know what i know almost all the words to the song you i saw it one time when they played it urring the game and i had to find it again to listen to it and i found it here so thanks for getting all paraniod about it so i have somewhere to watch it other than youtube.com thx.
DisplayName commented:
This is extremely inappropriate! Why would you do this to YOUR children?? WHY! They say 'you're making me richa!' What is this world coming to?!
Mikey commented:
Im a thirty year old who grew up when the original song was popular...so i see the humor in the commercial...a 49 year old man would obviously not...calm down old man !
Devona commented:
I loved the commerical. It is funny and entertaining and people should stop taking things so seriously. Lighten Up!
HateBK commented:
I have not eaten at Burger King since they started those commercials with the Creepy Face King in Tights. They would torture kittens if it would get you to talk about them. I'll never eat there again - silly, but I hate their commercials (and I used to like their food)
SmarterthanU commented:
ohhh grow up! it's only being shown on adult channels! what,do you think kids are going to say anything? If your child is even watching an adult channel you have other things to worry about other than your kids knowing spongebob is at burger king. Spongebob appeals to both adults and kids... you need to have a happy medium. The only thing thats going "ON" in this country is that stupid people think their kids are going to be affected by everything in the world. If you raised your kids right then you should have nothing to worry about. Thee only problem you people have with this commercial is that , you're afarid you raised you kids wrong and you think they'll turn to something as little as this. SpongeBob is a brillant cartoon and the fact that you PEOPLE are even bothered by this is a problem itself! Your negative comments are "icky" in many ways! Grow up!!!
BJR commented:
I found the spots very distasteful and was shocked they were advertising kid's meals.
What the hell is going on in this country?
I usually like BK's spots. This one crossed the line.
KETaylor commented:
Excellent article. I agree. This commercial is icky in many ways.