Hooters: Food vs. Woman

Advertisements such as this one created by the Hooters restaurant chain subject women to being treated as pieces of meat. This woman makes it seem as though if it is okay to put herself in what most women would consider an uncomfortable situation by using specifically chosen words that can easily be put into a sexual context. The effect of wind blowing in the woman’s hair and she slowly moves her hand down her neck causes the men in the commercial to blatantly stare at her as well as make the viewers realize that food is no longer the focus of this commercial. This advertisement is a true and literal example of the saying “sex sells.” Although the woman is listing the items the men could possibly eat for dinner it is very clear that the men are more interested in staring at her than any food she could bring them. For example, she introduces the chicken meal by saying ”plump juicy breasts of chicken” as she moves her hand towards her own breasts that are bursting out of her scanty top. Similarly to the Burger King advertisement, this one attempts to place a humorous twist on the sexualization of women. The over the top effects, such as the wind blowing in the models hair and the over the top music, allow the viewers to understand that it is supposed to be funny, but the men in the commercial still gawk at the "waitress." The humorous twist fails to work for this commercial because Hooters is known for its stereotypical larger breasted waitresses. The action of making fun of sexualizing women is even more demeaning than other commercials and visuals the portray women as sex objects because the comical aspect makes it seem as if it is okay to poke fun at the growing problem. Adding a mocking nature to the sexualization of a woman not only demeans women further, but also serves to inform all of society that this is supposedly okay because it is "funny."