Racy Ads and the Places We Go (Yes, This is about Carl’s Jr., Sort Of)
It is Super Bowl time. For many, the game is primary, while for others, the commercials are looked forward to with just as much anticipation. With a huge number of people watching the game, advertisers have long focused huge amounts of effort and revenue in creating ads that will be talked about long after the final whistle blows on the game.
In recent years, some companies have made a name for themselves with racy, sexually-charged ads that have gotten talked about, which is the goal, I guess. Most companies have started to turn away from this style of commercial (thankfully). It is reported that even GoDaddy.com, one of the first to try to shock viewers with sexually-charged ads, will have a very tame ad this year.
But not Carl’s Jr.
The hamburger chain continues to churn out ads that use women to sell fries and burgers. The ad they will show in the western US during the Super Bowl this year will, according to media reports, feature a woman who seems to be nude, but turns out to be wearing a bikini in the end.
Now, this article is not going where you think it is going. I am not going to call for a boycott of Carl’s Jr., although that might be a wise thing to do. I am not going to turn this into an argument about watching TV with discretion, even though that is certainly needed.
Instead, I want you to consider something that a Carl’s Jr. representative said as to why they do not feel this advertisement is over the line.
“We don’t show anything you wouldn’t see at the beach.”
When I read that comment in a news report, I was stunned. What stunned me was how so many people are completely outraged that this kind of ad would be on television, but then who will see exactly the same type of clothing (or lack of it) by their own choice by some of the places they choose to go.
Is it a sin to go to the beach? No. However, do we ever take the time to consider what we are putting into our minds when we go where people are wearing next-to-nothing all around us? Why do we not have the same outrage at that as so many seem to have for this advertisement?
You see, it is far easier to complain about a few seconds of flesh when we would rather be watching “the game” than it is to complain about seeing the same thing at a place we want to be. I want to go to the beach, so I will just overlook the scantily clad people all around, even if I am filling my mind with the same images that Carl’s Jr. is putting before my eyes on Super Bowl Sunday.
All I am calling for in this article is a return to discretion. As Christians, we must think about all we see, do, and say through the lens of God’s holy Word. That begins by putting the Bible into my heart, but it also takes thinking about the decisions we make each day, including the places we choose to go, even just to unwind.
Will I go places at times where someone might be dressed immodestly? Yes, but I am going to do all I can to make sure that is accidental and not an intentional choice.
Why don’t I go to movies where I know a woman is going to be scantily clad, or even nude? Because my mind and heart need to be only on my wife.
Why have I never taken my kids to a waterpark to splash around in the hot summer sun? Because I know without a doubt I would see things that I do not need to see as a Christian man.
Why do I avert my eyes when I know there is a Victoria’s Secret store coming around the bend at a mall? Because I do not need to intentionally see things on other women that should be reserved only for my precious spouse.
Yes, my family has been to the beach. However, before going, we made sure it was a time of year when few people would be there, and we searched to find a fairly empty stretch of sand. It took some work, but we found a spot where it was just us pretty much as far as the eye could see. Then, we had a great time with no regrets over things we might have been putting into our minds.
Too many Christians only think about the “fun” part of life. Instead, we all need to think about the pure fun and enjoy things that provide entertainment without darkening our consciences.
What choices do you need to make to have fun without willfully seeing immodesty all around you? It will take effort, but it is worth it to keep your heart and mind pure.
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Photo background credit: Keenan Pepper on Creative Commons
