They had a long history of objectifying women, but it’s time to go back to Carl’s Jr.
It all started in 2005 when Carl’s Jr. featured Paris Hilton in one of their ads. She was gyrating and getting all sexy with a hamburger. Controversy ensued and the ads continued to get more and more risque. This had led many to boycott Carl’s Jr. and say they wouldn’t go back to Carl’s Jr. until they cleaned up their act.
This day has finally come.
Truthfully, the change was made by outgoing CEO Andrew Puzder. Puzder was the one behind making Carl’s Jr. the Axe Body Spray of fast food, so he’s no saint. His reasons for the switch weren’t that altruistic either based on his interview with Fox Business.
“Young hungry guys aren’t as affected by the ads, the racy ads, with the swimsuit models, because you can get a lot of that on the internet now,”
Andy Puzder, CEO of Carl’s Jr.
Still, the focus on “food, not boobs” is something we should support.
It’s Time to Go Back to Carl’s Jr.
Many boycotted Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s because of their ads. The girls over at Beauty Redefined launched a campaign in 2014 to #CutTheCarls. My wife and many of her friends had abandoned the franchise until they changed the practice. Greg Trimble also joined the conversation with an open letter to Carl’s Jr. from the perspective of a Dad with young children.
Now that they have, it is time to put your money (and their burger) where your mouth is. Many are still refusing to offer their patronage to the restaurant chain, even though Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s have given them what they demanded.
@CarlsJr ah yes, who among us hasn’t gone through our “objectifying women” phase? Boys will be boys! #NotBuyingIt @RepresentPledge
— Nikki Levy (@Nikki_Levy) March 29, 2017
Pudzer went on to say “racy ads could one day be back.” If we want to show Carl’s Jr. that you support their new direction, we should again be voting with our wallets.
For Family Night tonight, we went back to Carl’s Jr. for dinner. I love Carl’s flame-broiled patties and massive burgers. We also used it as a teaching moment to talk about objectifying women and also forgiveness. The kids had a great time and totally enjoyed the food.
So, what will you do? If you want to show your support of Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s I’d encourage you to go back to Carl’s Jr. When you do, tell the world and use the hashtag #GoingBackToCarls like my wife did.
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