(From Reuters -- By Nichola Groom)
A watchdog group known for its campaigns against on-air indecency is protesting a popular fast-food commercial featuring celebrity heiress PARIS HILTON seductively sudsing both a car and herself.
THE PARENTS TELEVISION COUNCIL said it is encouraging its more than 1 million members to voice their disapproval of the ad to CARL'S JR., a hamburger chain owned by Carpinteria, California-based CKE RESTAURANT INC.
The Los Angeles-based group was also weighing whether to ask the FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION to declare the ad indecent, according to spokeswoman MELISSA CALDWELL.
"The ad crosses any sort of boundaries about what's appropriate for TV," Caldwell said, adding that the spot was "basically soft porn."
CKE RESTAURANTS Chief Executive ANDY PUZDER took issue with the group's characterization of the ad as pornographic.
"There is no nudity in this ad. This isn't JANET JACKSON's nipple," Puzder said in an interview. "It's just a fast-food ad. I wish they would focus on something that might be more meaningful."
Puzder added that the commercial has only run during adult television programs and is aimed at CARL'S JR.'s target demographic of "young hungry guys."
"It's not as if we're running this on SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS," Puzder said, referring to the popular children's television cartoon. "This ad is not targeted to kids."
Federal regulations bars television and radio broadcasters from airing indecent material -- typically sexually explicit content or extensive profanity -- except late at night when children are less likely to be in the audience.
The 30-second television spot shows hotel heiress and actress HILTON, clad in a skimpy black swimsuit, sudsing up and hosing down a BENTLEY. She also bites into a CARL'S JR. SPICY BBQ BURGER before her two-word mantra, "That's hot," flashes across the screen.
The commercial, which began airing last week and will also be used to promote CKE's HARDEE's chain next month, has received a raft of media attention. A special web site featuring a 60-second version of it crashed for four hours last Friday as Internet surfers raced to catch a glimpse of the scantily clad socialite.
Neither CARL'S JR. nor HILTON are strangers to controversy. The burger chain in 1999 pulled a commercial off the air in part because of complaints that it depicted corrections officers and inmates in a negative light. It has also used PLAYBOY founder HUGH HEFNER in past ads.
HILTON, star of the FOX reality TV series THE SIMPLE LIFE, became a household name after a homemade sex video of her with an ex-boyfriend spread rapidly via the Internet.
Carl Wiser, thanks for the post.
Check out the spicy CARL'S JR television commercial featuring PARIS HILTON at www.spicyparis.com/paris.html
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment