In their advertising text, Burger King does away with any attempt to throw in the usual cunning, subtle remarks and instead goes with this:

“Fill your desire for something long, juicy and flame-grilled with the NEW BK SUPER SEVEN INCHER. Yearn for more after you taste the mind-blowing burger that comes with a single beef patty, topped with American cheese, crispy onions and the A1 Thick and Hearty Steak Sauce.”

I’m not sure whether it’s even worth picking apart at the details of this text because the sexist imagery is so shamelessly vulgar I’m tempted to think the BK masterminds created it to be that way, if only to stir up controversy that will really have everyone talking. Otherwise, Burger King needs to hire a new employee for their Sexual Nuance Conceptualizer position, because the language sounds like something a 13-year-old boy might say while harassing a female classmate about his own long and juicy member blowing her mind. BK doesn’t even attempt to mask the sexual positioning of their female model, instead caking on her makeup in a way that makes me imagine her dressed as Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman. I’m not even sure if the word “blow” is meant to further emphasize the obvious sexual act going on here, or if BK is gloating about the blow-up sex doll they’ve created out of their model for this advertisement. Thoughts?

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In my case, the person who ended up commenting my photos doesn’t seem fond of self-portraiture. Normally I’d be fine with that — there’s plenty more on my Flickr to look at, I think. However, he commented mainly on my self-portraits and insisted on mentioning in each comment how narcissistic I am. This is something every artist who has ever taken a self-portrait has probably heard — people are quick to simple-mindedly dismiss the entire genre and reduce it to narcissism without recognizing its artistic capacity because all they see is you wanting to show yourself to the world rather than your photography. However, what really bugged me about the comment was that he attacked my personal beliefs while giving his perspective on the photo. Apparently isn’t not fit for a feminist to “expose her naked body online.” (‘Naked’ meaning topless. WITH MY ARM COVERING MY BREASTS. Scandalous, right?)

Joking aside, this could’ve been a fully nude portrait for all I care, and the fact that it’s exhibited online is merely a reflection of our generation’s culture — where else does one collect and show their work nowadays? Even our journals are now published blogs (or even vlogs) and an outline of every aspect of our personalities is available on facebook.com. But anyway, had I been male, I obviously would not have received this comment. Men can take off their shirts and walk around topless all they’d like — and believe me, there are plenty of men out there who would require much larger bra sizes than my ‘Nearly B’ cup if it were common for men to wear bras in our society. In fact, that’s just the type of double standard much of my photography seeks to explore — the idea that as women, we’re taught to cover up our bodies and fear our own sexuality rather than openly and freely expressing it. But it’s perfectly acceptable to show it in a more exploitative way, of course. Male recording artists can have all the tits and ass they want in their videos, but when a woman wants to explore her own sexuality or even talk about it in a mature fashion, it’s complete taboo. It’s a shame that so much of our society is still stuck in that mindset.

For reference, you can view the photo and comments here.

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