offensive commercials

When Hardee's (known to us West Coast-ers as Carl's Jr.) launched a new dessert last month and called it biscuit holes, no one was shocked that the product inspired yet another offensive ad campaign. After all, Hardee's has made a name for itself by shilling gross food with even grosser commercials (usually complete with a bikini-clad woman covered in ketchup). However, apparently this most recent campaign-o'-unbelievable-bad-taste has gone too far for Hardee's largest franchisee. But why on earth could that be?



Creamy sweet holes? Hole munchers? Hmmm... Could these phrases be construed as somewhat sexual? (Yes.) Of course, it's interesting that the franchisee that is calling for a ban on the Name Our Holes campaign didn't bat an eyelash when Paris Hilton lathered up her breasts in the name of the Spicy BBQ Burger. Are "A-holes" somehow more offensive?

Belinda Luscombe over at Time Magazine sparked an online debate yesterday regarding an internet-only Budweiser commercial that makes light of pornography purchasing. Says Luscombe, because it [the commercial] comes from a highly respected American brand, it seems to mark some kind of cultural tipping point, where pornography has soaked so far into the fabric of mainstream culture that it's no longer seen as a stain.

In my humblest of humble opinions, the porn is not what's wrong with this commercial. Check it out and then we'll discuss:

Americans love our fast food, and you know what we like most about it? It's not the trans fats, or the corporatization of farming, or even the ridiculous amount of waste the packaging generates (so if you guessed one of those, you're out of luck). Nope, our favorite thing about our favorite type of food is... offensive commercials! If it weren't, then why would EVERY f*ing fast food chain in the country advertise its plastic-y foods with a ridiculously offensive ad campaign?

So, in honor of America's apparent love of offensive fast food commercials, we're having (wait for it...) AN OFFENSIVE FAST FOOD COMMERCIAL SHOWDOWN! The contestants for this showdown include a date-rapey toaster oven, a Warrant-loving park pervert, and a booty-shaking creeper in a king mask. Four ads enter, one ad leaves! Which will reign supreme as the most offensive fast food commercial? YOU MAKE THE CALL! (Oh, and warning: These ads contain ads)

Our first contestant is an ad for Jack-in-the-Box smoothies:



I'm sorry, did that man in the bobble head just call menopausal women "street rat crazy"? WTF? More, after the jump!

It's been a long, bizarre, offensive battle, but the results from last week's Offensive Commercial Showdown are in! With 27% of the vote, which ad reigns supreme as the most offensive? (Drum roll sound here, please...)



And the loser is... ORANGINA!!!



Thanks to everyone who voted! Watch (or re-watch) the video, see the uber-creepy "making of" the commercial, and nominate your picks for the next showdown, after the jump!

I came into the office today prepared to blog about just one creepy, sexist, bizarre television commercial, but since that time three more have been brought to my attention. You know what that means, right? It's time for a commercial showdown!

In this showdown, four commercials will compete, but only one can be named the most offensive! Will it be the Carl's Jr. ad featuring Padma Lakshmi sucking on a strip of bacon? The Orangina ad featuring anthropomorphic animals getting busy in the jungle? The Schick Quattro ad asking women to mow their "lawns"? Or the Axe Body Spray "Dark Temptation" ad that takes black face to a whole new level? YOU make the call!

Vote for the most offensive ad after the jump, and add your own submissions as well! Four ads enter, one ad leaves! It's showdown time!

To kick us off, Padma Lakshmi hearts Carl's Jr.: