Capitalizing on Stereotypes

In the chapter “Having It His Way” the authors Carrie Packwood Freeman and Debra Merskin detail the different ways fast food companies use the connection between masculinity and meat as a marketing tool. Meat is typically viewed as more manly whereas vegetables are linked more to women. Most men feel this pressure to be masculine out of fear of being ridiculed by others. The authors use the example of a man checking out of a store with tofu and vegetables while the guy behind him is buying a full rack of ribs. The guy buying the ribs probably doesn’t even notice the guy in front of him buying non meat items but this pressure to be masculine gets to the guy who is buying the vegetables instead of meat. Fast food companies are well aware of this need for men to feel masculine and use it to their advantage. Examples of this are companies like Burger King using taglines such as “Eat like a man, man.” Or when fast food companies insert women in their commercial as silent, submissive figures comparable to a piece of meat.

Viewing meat as more masculine and comparing women to pieces of meat is a stereotype that has been around for a long time. Fast food companies use this stereotype and will do whatever it takes to sell their food and make money. The evidence of that is clear when you look at their marketing campaigns geared towards what many people view as masculine traits. What’s interesting is that most people, male or female, aren’t outraged by this or may not even notice this marketing tool fast food companies use. Sure if something was incredibly obvious and blatantly sexist people might be more outraged but both genders are generally just accepting of this stereotype fast food companies use. “People on both sides of the stereotype tend to agree with the stereotype itself” (Prejudice and Discrimination: Crash Course Psychology #39
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7P0iP2Zm6a4 )

The fact that most people tend to agree with this stereotype helps fast food chains tremendously. It’s not a bad thing that fast food companies use this stereotype, after all they didn’t create it themselves. They are just merely trying to sell their foods by any means necessary. As the world evolves and adapts I believe so will the ads marketing companies create. We are already seeing that with companies inserting nontraditional couples into ads or even those with disabilities. Companies want to do whatever it takes to make money and will perpetuate whatever view the world has at that time to continue to sell their products and foods.