Mark Stevenson, AP, April 14, 2009
Mexico is protesting what it says is a whopper of an insult. An advertisement for Burger King’s Texican Whopper burger that has run in Europe shows a small wrestler dressed in a cape resembling a Mexican flag. The wrestler teams up with a lanky American cowboy almost twice his height to illustrate the cross-border blend of flavors.
“The taste of Texas with a little spicy Mexican,” a narrator’s voice says.
The taller cowboy boosts the wrestler up to reach high shelves and helps clean tall windows, while the Mexican helps the cowboy open a jar.
Mexico’s ambassador to Spain said Monday he has written a letter to Burger King’s offices in that nation objecting to the ad and asking that it be removed. Jorge Zermeno told Radio Formula that the ads “improperly use the stereotyped image of a Mexican.”
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One of the things that most angered Mexican officials was a print edition of the ad showing the wrestler wearing what appear to be a Mexican flag as a cloak.
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Mexico has very strict rules about using the flag. In 2008, the government fined a foreign-owned publishing house, Random House Mondadori SA, for showing disrespect to the country’s flag in a video posted online.
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[Editor’s Note: Burger King’s ad can be viewed here.
Original article
(Posted on April 14, 2009)
Comments
If I weren’t already boycotting Burger King for supporting gun confiscation, I’d have to boycott them now for promoting a unified destiny with Mexico.
First the Frito Bandito, then Speedy Gonzales, then the Taco Bell Chihuahua, now this.
When will all the whining end?
Grobbbbbbbbbb
“Mexico has very strict rules about using the flag. In 2008, the government fined a foreign-owned publishing house, Random House Mondadori SA, for showing disrespect to the country’s flag in a video posted online”
Who cares!!!! Mexico doesn’t mind disrespecting our immigration laws, their government actually encourages it and produced a pamphlet on how to break into the USA.
…”wearing what appear to be a Mexican flag as a cloak.”
Mark Stevenson needs a new job street sweeping or something such because he doesn’t know grammar and fails to understand the Mexican character is wearing a Mexican flag designed serapi.
Who made all those American flag T-Shirts I’ve seen for years?
Does mexico also have strict rules about running drugs accross the border into USA or is that far more lucrative to worry about? Now there is a real stereotype, perhaps the little fat fellow in the picture has just been arrested for failing to secure his wagon wheel properly, or perhaps he is drunk and is propped up for his own safety. I wouldn’t eat one of those heaps of junk anyway, so thanks to the ad for reminding us all to eat healthy food and live longer!!
Burger King is not a mexican company. Mexicans have a strict code for use of the mexican flag, so what? I was in a New Jersey turnpike rest stop last weekend and all the illegal mestisos working there were less than 5’2”. What stereotype? I’ll bet most cowboys are twice as tall as the typical 5 footer from south of the border.
The more pathetic a group of people are the more sensitive they get about any perceived insults. The Mexicans are a proud people, the only problem is no one can figure out what they are proud of.
“Mexico has very strict rules about using the flag.”
Really? you wouldn’t know that after watching them cover their cars, bodies etc. with them, sometimes holding them on by closing the trunk lid or hood over their edges.
I can see how it can be insulting, but it’s funny.
Go into Mexico see how they live, how can this be insulting? The way they live is what should be insulting to them?
Now that the add has been pulled, the lawsuits, payoffs and groveling can begin.
I don’t understand why the Mexican Ambassador would need to get involved in such a trivial thing. The American Ambassador to Great Britain (Burger King is British owned) didn’t complain when they ran that disgusting BK ad with the black cowboys and White women in it a few years back which is why I don’t eat there anymore.
“I don’t understand why the Mexican Ambassador would need to get involved in such a trivial thing. The American Ambassador to Great Britain (Burger King is British owned) didn’t complain when they ran that disgusting BK ad with the black cowboys and White women in it a few years back which is why I don’t eat there anymore.”
—Posted by Charles at 4:54 PM on April 15
Of course; it’s all about double-standards. Only Whites can’t complain about unfair treatment!
Mexicans (including even their government official) get a cute little ad pulled, just for political correctness. Yet, Whites are condemned as “very evil,” if they don’t like deliberately pro-race(-)mixing advertisements (whereby White males are emasculated).
I also noticed there weren’t any complaints about the “stronger” Mexican wrestler opening the pickle jar for the “weaker” Texan cowboy.
“Mexico has very strict rules about using the flag.”
And, btw, did the Mexican Ambassador to Sweden complain when “Absolut” Swedish vodka ran its ads few months ago showing a large part of the USA as Mexican? Funny, I never heard anything about it.
Aren’t THEY already insulting Americans with their total disregard for our immigration and other laws? The problem isn’t that we insult them, the problem is we don’t insult (speak the truth) often enough.
it’s all about double-standards. Only Whites can’t complain about unfair treatment!
Mexicans (including even their government official) get a cute little ad pulled, just for political correctness. Yet, Whites are condemned as “very evil”
It happens only because whites take it. Others don’t. Very simple.
We have been taught to turn the other cheek, to be tolerant, to be “nice”. Americans weren’t always this way. But those old-fashioned Americans are considered intolerant old fuddyduddies by today’s more “enlightened” generation. Apparently, being “enlightened” means being willing to take abuse and keep smiling.
It calls to mind the Ann Landers saying: “Nobody can abuse you, unless you let them.”
We let them!
I just viewed the ad, and it just seems to be some sort of love story, set in West Hollywood. As to the ‘Mexican Flag’, all I saw were red, white, and green stripes. Should Italy be getting all prissy about this, too?
