Dear Jason,
On May 23, a California mom called to complain about a 30-second Carl's Jr. TV ad featuring Paris Hilton. She indicated that the oozing-with-sex ad aired around 5 pm, after Oprah Winfrey. Having seen the ad on the Carl's Jr. website, I can attest that it is as sexual as she described.
The only difference between what you would expect to see in a "high class" strip joint and the Carl's Jr. ad is that Paris Hilton uses a car instead of a pole and keeps on what little clothing she is wearing. As the director of the ad put it in a taped interview, "One of the things you can expect to see is pure hotness." Since when do you need "pure hotness" to sell hamburgers?
MIM has been battling TV smut for decades, and we have the legal expertise to make an impact. Please make a gift to MIM now and help us remain on the front lines in the battle for decency!
I told this concerned parent that she could submit an indecency complaint to the FCC at
www.fcc.gov. I also followed up with my own letter of complaint to the FCC Commissioners. If you see the ad and are offended by it, please consider making an indecency complaint at
www.fcc.gov .
Carl's Jr. is not a national chain, but in a recent TV interview, Andrew Puzder, the CEO of CKE Restaurants, said the Hilton ad would also run at the end of June in the Midwest and Southeast as a Hardee's ad.
Carl's Jr. and Hardee's can't prosper without the patronage of millions of adults who are concerned about the erosion of decency in the media and the effects that pornography and "popular culture" (like the Paris Hilton ad) have on youth.
YOU can make a difference by not stopping at your 'neighborhood' Carl's Jr. or Hardee's and by joining Morality in Media in the fight against indecency with your secure online gift now!
In the summer months, giving usually declines significantly; and MIM does not have an endowment or a large reserve to draw on. We need your financial support!
Sincerely,
Robert Peters
President