Is It Because Women Supposedly Don't Have Quickies?
I sometimes feel kinda dense when presented with some image or phrase that's supposed to be terribly offensive to women, because it sometimes takes me a while to figure out what the problem is.
It's happened again, this time in my old college town of Ann Arbor. Somebody opened a joint called Quickie Burger, and put up signage with a cartoon image of a burger-riding hot chick holding a beer. (Photo at the link.)
Jillian Berman, who wrote the story for the college newspaper, The Michigan Daily, calls her "a busty woman in a tight shirt," but she looks like a C cup to me, tops, for whatever that's worth. Well, it's enough to get the PC people testy. Berman writes:
The Stonewall Democrats, a lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender caucus of the University's College Democrats chapter, has taken offense with the restaurant's logo and recently began circulating a petition to sway the owners to change the logo.LSA senior Kolby Roberts, a member of the Stonewall Democrats who has led the effort, said he finds the logo's message inappropriate and offensive.
"I have a problem that you take a women riding a hamburger and you put it next to the word 'quickie,' " he said. "It just seems like it's not putting a good message out there for the objectification of women."
Oh, eat me.
(How's that for objectification of women?)
Clearly, Kolby spends his nights curled up with Andrea Dworkin (the printed version, that is, since the old cow mooed her last not long ago).
But, back to the dreaded "O" word that so many nitwit feminists toss around.
Let's all turn in our syllabi to today's biology lesson, courtesy of Donald Symons, author of The Evolution of Human Sexuality. Who objectifies women? We all do. Men fantasize about women as sex objects, and women fantasize about themselves as sex objects. To put it more bluntly, when women see porn, they imagine themselves as the fuck object. Men imagine themselves fucking the fuck object. It's parallel to how men's and women's bodies are physically. The guy does the entering, the woman gets entered. Unless, of course, she wears the strap-on in the relationship.
Back to Berman's story:
Maria Arman, whose family owns the restaurant, said the logo was meant to invoke a cowboy theme."We were thinking beef, rodeo, so instead of putting a cowboy, we just picked a cowgirl," she said. "It's a rodeo-style cowgirl riding a bull, but instead, it's a burger. It was put together to be funny and different. No offense was meant to anyone."
Before selecting a logo for the restaurant, which features a maize and blue color scheme with televisions tuned to ESPN on the interior, the owners showed the logo to more than 100 people and none of them objected, Arman said.
"The people who we talked to told us, 'It's a college town and the kids will think its funny,'" she said.
LSA freshman Dan Yeomans said while he wasn't personally offended by the logo, he could see how others might interpret it in a negative way.
"I could see the same people who were offended by the South Quad T-shirts taking offense to this," said Yeomans, referring to a batch of dorm-sponsored shirts that featured lyrics from the popular, but controversial Soulja Boy song "Crank That."
Roberts said he believed the image was distasteful, regardless of the person.
"Basically, what it has is a provocatively dressed woman straddling a hamburger, and she's very busty and its kind of really horrible," he said.
Uh...why?
via ifeminists
UPDATE: Kolby is big on "diversity" -- except if you're a...(eeeeuw!) Republican. Roberts writes in The Michigan Daily:
For the first 19 years of my life, I lived in Bryan, Ohio. You may ask, "Where?" To which I say, it doesn't really matter. The point is that I lived in a small podunk where Wal-Mart was the place to be seen. To make matters worse, Bryan is a haven for racists, homophobes and Republicans.
Why is it that the "tolerant" people who are so often the most bigoted, and the least able to identify it? This guy's just Archie Bunker with "Spice Girls, ponies and glitter."
Uh, Why? Because we're all supposed to be deathly ashamed of ourselves for wanting Paris and Britney all the time. It's a manufactured schizophrenia manifesting itself in low-grade phobia, like vegans terrified that someone somewhere might actually be omnivorous, or the sheltered hoplophobe cowering at the idea police must be armed trying at every turn to make sure their neighbors are defenseless, too.
Jeff Cooper called it polypragmatism: an urge to rule by the busybody.
Radwaste at March 27, 2008 2:05 AM
I tend to find that people who are really intense about their tolerance and such like have no sense of humour. They think they do but they really really don't.
For me it makes having a conversatoin with them really hard.
Simon Proctor at March 27, 2008 2:49 AM
Kolby's a college kid? I thought this kind of wailing and gnashing of teeth was strictly for the 80-and-up set. No one with an actual life would get so worked up about this harmless sign. I hope the owners leave the sign right where it is. Every time some pinhead like this Kolby jerk scores a victory, it just encourages the other pinheads. People need to start ignoring these weenie crusader wannabes.
Pirate Jo at March 27, 2008 4:43 AM
Offensive? No. Funny? No, not really my taste. Honestly, sex sells so tossing some sexy woman in an ad is really the easiest way to go. That is my only problem with this kind of advertising - it's tedious and boring. It just doesn't seem terribly creative to me because it's so done over and over again. It's usually neither cute nor funny. It's just another ad using some sexy chick to grab your attention. Um. Yawn.
I thought Roberts comment was funny. lol! I don't see why anyone would be offended by his joke any more than I can see why anyone would be offended by that advertisement. Sure - not everyone will find it funny (you don't lack a sense of humor just for not finding EVERY joke funny) but to be offended?? That's taking everything a little too seriously, no?
SecretMe at March 27, 2008 5:54 AM
Egad, with all that's going on the world that actually needs attention, these people are bitching about a freakin' sign?? Quickie Burger, I should be so lucky - I could use a burger and a quickie right about now, but not necessarily in that order. o_O
Flynne at March 27, 2008 6:07 AM
So he finds the logo personally offensive. Fine, don't buy their hamburgers. What's the problem? Why he thinks he has any right to make them change their logo is just beyond me.
This reminds me of the Mexican restaurant that opened up a branch in Arizona, under the name "Pink Taco". If you know what a taco looks like, you may understand that this is delicate slang for a vagina. A very slightly racy name, and anyone who could be offended by it probably wouldn't recognize what it meant.
But someone explained the joke in the newspaper, and then the brown stuff hit the whirling propeller. Prudes could no longer stand the idea that a restaurant with such a name could exist.
Of course, justice is served in such cases. The free press that this kind of stuff generates is the best gift the prudes could give the businesses. I'll bet Quickie Burger has seen their turnover double!
bradley13 at March 27, 2008 6:09 AM
Ah, college, when one has plenty of time and resources with which to manufacture OUTRAGE!
"'Basically, what it has is a provocatively dressed woman straddling a hamburger, and she's very busty and its kind of really horrible,' he said."
Am I being bigoted and horrible if I suggest that the reason this guy - who, as a male member of the campus GLBT group, is very likely gay - finds the ad horrible because he finds busty women, in the flesh or in pictures, to be horrible? I've known gay men who were sickened at the idea of associating women with sex - maybe that's what's really going on here.
marion at March 27, 2008 7:22 AM
Kolby must be quite the budding dimocrat. He is well on his way, by telling people what should offend them, instead of addressing any real issues. Now - if she was being penetrated by a hamburger, he might have something [gross that is]. Should a cow be riding a hamburger, or would that offend the animal rights people? Should a dude be riding a hamburger, or would that just not sell? How about a gender neutral mannequin, or would everybody hate the sign then? Maybe he is not comfortable with the female body and should join the burka-brigade and enjoy all the restrictive freedoms of Islamabad!
kbling at March 27, 2008 7:34 AM
I'm giving some credence to marion's post.
marion - "I've known gay men who were sickened at the idea of associating women with sex..."
Some of my gay friends would refer to the female reproductive organ as a dirty hole.
kbling at March 27, 2008 7:43 AM
People who get attention mainly by claiming to be victims tend to be the first people to look for things to back those claims up.
And they LOVE the easy targets.
Without those, they would have to accept that they're not as victimized as they think, or admit that they might possibly be as bigoted as those they accuse. That'd suck, I'm sure.
Jamie at March 27, 2008 7:50 AM
I thought Roberts comment was funny.
I don't think Republicans are weeping about this, either. But, Mr. Sensitivity oddly isn't so sensitive to the feelings of others when they aren't on the PC hotlist.
Amy Alkon at March 27, 2008 8:01 AM
>> since the old cow mooed her last not long ago...
LOVE that line. Anyone remember Texas Lucies? It was a hamburger joint in Orange County where the waitresses wore bikinis with leather chaps. They also served burgers, chili and beer. I really loved that place.
eric at March 27, 2008 8:35 AM
Actually, also from the guy's piece, found this bit hilarious:
Growing up in Bryan sucked, but I'm glad I did - if only because encouraging gay people like my classmate to embrace sexuality and identity is perhaps the most meaningful work I could do.
Guy's got a funny way of embracing sexuality!
Amy Alkon at March 27, 2008 9:05 AM
Sex is best when it is intensely selfish, for both people.
eric at March 27, 2008 9:09 AM
Maria Arman, whose family owns the restaurant, said the logo was meant to invoke a cowboy theme.
"We were thinking beef, rodeo, so instead of putting a cowboy, we just picked a cowgirl," she said.
I'm not offended by anything but the feigned innocence of the owners. Cowboy theme? Oh please. The owners knew exactly what their logo was meant to invoke: it's a woman in a shirt open to her navel, wearing spurs, and riding a big hunk o' meat - in a place called, Quickies. Let's not pretend they innocently hit upon a name and logo that could just as easily have been used to refer to a strip joint.
The people protesting it need to get a life. It doesn't objectify women any more than the Brawny towel guy or Mr. Clean objectify men.
Sex and sexual innuendo have been used to sell products for hundreds of years. That's not going to change.
Intersting that the ojections are being led by the "Stonewall Democrats, a lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender caucus" since, if you really want to see sexual inneundo used prolificly in naming and logo-ing businesses, hit the gay section of town some time.
By the way, how're the burgers? 'cause that's all that really matters in a burger joint.
Conan the Grammrian at March 27, 2008 9:58 AM
Amy,
I agree that sometimes those who pride themselves on their "tolerance" are, in fact, intolerant of anyone who disagrees with their world view.
I just had a discussion with a co-worker about gay marriage. He's for it. I'm undecided. I have no problem with gay people, gay relationships and/or gay sex.
However, I am worried about the continued attack on the traditional family. I'm concerned that gay marriage may further weaken the institution of marriage, which I think, overall, is good for society and is the best environment in which to raise kids.
Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe gay marriage is a benefit to society. I'm just not sure and need to think about it some more.
Not good enough for my co-worker who immediately labeled me a "fascist" and told me that I "hate" gay people.
Tom at March 27, 2008 10:49 AM
heh, I hope the owners tell the guy that they are not offended by his obsessive control issues, but they are also not going to change anything, since you know, this is private property and the sign is to code. I think it'd be funnier if they upgraded the sign to a cowgirl in daisy duke's riding a chicago-style hotdog... they could innocently call it quicky tubesteaks...
The reason they think she's busty, is where her shirt is buttoned to...
essentially this is offencitivity, where for anything that exists, you will be able to find somebody offended by that.
SwissArmyD at March 27, 2008 11:08 AM
Whatever happened to Lena? Still out there being in love or something?
Crid at March 27, 2008 11:08 AM
I've been curio- ah, wondering about that too.
eric at March 27, 2008 11:25 AM
Bah-dum-Pum! His name's eric, he's here all week! Tip your waitress! Try the veal!
Crid at March 27, 2008 11:28 AM
> she looks like a C cup to
> me, tops, for whatever
> that's worth
It's worth enough to build a weekend around....
By the way, Amy's to be admired for calling bullshit on the Ohio-hater. It's precisely the sort of faux sophistication seen in "What's the Matter with Kansas?", discussed here.
'Archie bunker with Spice Girls' and 'gays who hate sexual women' are fun ideas.
Crid at March 27, 2008 12:29 PM
This is definitely people looking to be offended. I'll bet if, instead of a "busty woman", it had been a hairy-chested flannel-shirted guy in the exact same pose, they'd be up in arms about the phallic implications of this brute of a male with a big slab of meat between his legs, obviously intended to intimidate and oppress women through overt masculine sexuality.
Lauren at March 27, 2008 12:55 PM
Thanks, Crid. Nice somebody noticed.
Amy Alkon at March 27, 2008 12:55 PM
"It's worth enough to build a weekend around...."
I don't know where lena is, but I'm right here and I love your style.
Offencitivity ... I must remember that.
You have to wonder who is in charge of this group, who could be fighting for gay rights, gay marraige and all other pressing acceptance issues. Instead are wasting their time and ruining their credibility by being offended (and, no surprise, disgusted) at an animated image vaguely suggestive of hetero sex.
dena at March 27, 2008 12:56 PM
Thank God feminists and prudes are keeping us safe. Now I can sleep at night.
Jay R at March 27, 2008 1:02 PM
"Thank God feminists and prudes are keeping us safe. Now I can sleep at night." - JayR
make sure it's in your own damn bed, bubba!
SwissArmyD at March 27, 2008 1:28 PM
Hey, wait a minute! Where is this gang's outrage at Hooters™?
They even have scantily-clad waitresses - although it's tough to imagine being offended by cute girls, I'm sure someone can muster the ire.
Radwaste at March 27, 2008 2:45 PM
"However, I am worried about the continued attack on the traditional family."
I keep hearing this, and always draw a blank. How do you define a traditional family, and who is attacking it, and in what way(s)?
Pirate Jo at March 27, 2008 3:00 PM
This clown is what I call "hyper-gay". Not merely satisfied to live his life, he has to not only flaunt it (I'd bet he saunters everywhere and speaks with an exaggerated effeminate voice - for effect of course), but literally beat everyone over the head with it.
It's not enough for him to be offended that someone wants to kill him for sucking dick. Anything at all that references "heteronormativity" must be destroyed.
His type needs to be kicked in the balls eight or nine times.
brian at March 27, 2008 5:36 PM
Late to the ball again. sigh. ah well.
Um, just wondering, what is wrong with a quickie? Assuming of course that it is a quickie cuz that is what both want and not a quickie for one? Some of the best sex ive ever had has been some very intense quickies. Now I am supposed to be offended and bothered by those wonderful leg shaking vitamin-O memories? dumbasses
Im glad people arent mindreaders because some of my thoughts and memories would definitely get me picketed by those fools.
rsj at March 27, 2008 9:05 PM
I agree with Marion. I wonder if this same guy saw a hot dog shop in a gay district called Long Dogs with a sign of a guy drooling over a footlong in an obviously sexually suggestive pose would be just as offended? For some reason, I don't think so.
When I lived in west Michigan, there was a small burger joint franchise called Quicks that was pretty good and they were pretty successful. It didn't have a hot chick on the sign though. I'm wondering if this is another venture by the same owners who changed the name a bit?
Bikerken at March 27, 2008 9:35 PM
Yet the GLBT crowd (yes, it stands for Great Bacon Lettuce and Tomato) isn't up in arms over the names of gay bars.
The White Swallow and The Chute, for instance. How can they be allowed to stand while a burger-straddling babe is an outrage?
Then again, the burger joint serves the flesh of dead animals. I suppose a gay vegan biker bar that shares one Harley gets the equivalent of carbon offsets, socially speaking.
Gog_Magog_Carpet_Reclaimers at March 28, 2008 7:37 AM
Growing up in Bryan sucked, but I'm glad I did - if only because encouraging gay people like my classmate to embrace sexuality and identity is perhaps the most meaningful work I could do.
Hahahahahaha, I love that first sentence - before the dash. Oh, to be glad to grow up sucking in Bryan. Like I need another reason to hate the fucking wolverines.
dr kill at March 28, 2008 4:45 PM
"Tolerance" = I support people, provided they agree with me on all things.
Jeff R. at March 29, 2008 7:17 AM
So now my wife wants a t-shirt that reads, "I'm very busty and its kind of really horrible"
ronbo at March 29, 2008 7:27 AM
"To make matters worse, Bryan is a haven for racists, homophobes and Republicans."
Used to be even worse, but they gave all the assholes a bus ticket to Ann Arbor.
Lost My Cookies at March 29, 2008 7:47 AM
"I have a problem . . ." (Roberts starts)
No kidding. End of story.
Vinny Vidivici at March 29, 2008 7:54 AM
Eric at Classical Values has pictures. He talked to the owners and they say business is booming.
M. Simon at March 29, 2008 8:37 AM
"I thought this kind of wailing and gnashing of teeth was strictly for the 80-and-up set."
No, we find buxom cowgirls quite alluring. We just don't always remember why.
Texpatriate at March 29, 2008 9:54 AM
I wonder if Kolby Robert's family still lives in Bryan, Ohio? Kolby does seem attracted to the limelight, and maybe Bryan needs to be educated in its manifest deficiencies. They do have a newspaper, I assume.
SC at March 29, 2008 9:59 AM
"Bryan is a haven for racists, homophobes and Republicans."
So, logically, all the homophobes and racists are Democrats or independents?
docweasel at March 29, 2008 10:00 AM
I'm only offended because the logo is so poorly drawn. They should have commissioned Robt. Williams, The legendary Lowbrow artist and master of rendering hot chicks sitting atop hot food.
COOP at March 29, 2008 10:34 AM
Quickie Burger owners are going, "Wow. Thanks for the free advertisement!" I think they showed extraordinary good taste in foregoing the hot dog version of the ad. Credit where it's due. I want one of those T-shirts.
Bour3 at March 29, 2008 11:18 AM
A few words about Bryan, OH. It is a big town relative to others in the corn belt between Toledo and Chicago, but small about 10,000 folks. Bryan is home to Ohio Art "Etch a Sketch" and Spangler Candy Co makers of the Dum-Dum suckers. Beatiful Christmas lights hanging from the Courthouse is a fond childhood memory.
35 years ago it was isolated from the popular culture. Cable tv changed that forever in the 80s in good ways and bad. Funny to see a bunch of German - Polish teens thinking themselves to be hip-hop but it did dry out the Klan. Prejudice can not survive open discussion.
I wish the young person well and hope he can find out that life is more and less than what is preached on campus.
Rollo at March 29, 2008 2:53 PM
"she's very busty and its kind of really horrible"
What kind of man--gay or otherwise--thinks this? One with weaning issues?
Kate at March 29, 2008 3:21 PM
When these stupid PC police do something about the real mistreatment of women under Islam, I'll give them the time of day.
Why don't these idiot protest against, say, Ahmadinejad?
Tood at March 29, 2008 7:26 PM
"This clown is what I call "hyper-gay". "
Perhaps an introduction to Islam would be beneficial to him.
Tood at March 29, 2008 7:33 PM
Doesn't this Kolby clown realize that one day he's going to want a job, and that any potential employer is going to Google his name and realize what a dumbass he is?
Chester White at March 31, 2008 6:27 AM
Amy Alkon
http://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2008/03/27/is_it_because_w.html#comment-1536714">comment from Chester WhiteI suspect he'll be snapped up fast by the women's studies department as their resident eunuch or get a job in some other arena of what I call the Victim Industrial Complex. People like this can't work at IBM. Even the lightswitches there seem to be harrassing them.
Amy Alkon at March 31, 2008 6:48 AM
test
test at March 31, 2008 10:03 AM
If you have time, peruse the links at the
Feminist Carnival of Sexual Freedom and Autonomy where they discuss all sorts of issues regarding why so many mainstream feminists are stuck in an anti-sex victorian mode.
Click the link if only for a very tasteful, NSFW, subvert the dominant paradigm pic.
jerry at March 31, 2008 10:21 AM
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