Does That Teen Burger Come With Gay Subtext?
I just saw this unremarkable A&W ad entitled “Lose Yourself in the Teen Burger” on TV. It’s on (in?) Facebook, so I can’t embed it, but you don’t have to log in to see it.
Maybe I’m imagining things, but there seems to be some cheeky gay subtext (or maybe just text?) here. The dude isn’t hot for Julia or his teen burger. He wants the fetching older gentlemen in the yellow shirt.
I couldn’t decide whether this was intentional or accidental. A & W and their ad agency could easily deny it if they wanted to, but the ad seems otherwise so utterly ordinary. Imagine if the two male actors’ roles were reversed. That might amplify the effect (especially given the whole ‘teen burger’ schtick).
Do you think they intentionally created this ambiguity, or am I over-thinking my television again?
April 15th, 2008 at 7:05 am
I don’t know…I’ve seen this commercial a zillion times and I never interpreted any gay overtones. I just assumed that young guy is so into his burger and happy that he’s staring off into the wild blue yonder…burger heaven, or whatever. I didn’t think he was staring at the older guy in the yellow shirt.
April 15th, 2008 at 7:59 am
I’m going to go with over-thinking.
April 15th, 2008 at 8:03 am
My first viewing of it made me think that he was looking at the dumpy burger guy too; but on further review, I realized that they were just going for the “lost in a burger” feeling.
Frankly I think that the ad is counterproductive. I don’t want to eat food that has me ignoring attractive women giving me their phone numbers…not that any have done that so far. Is it because I’m eating the Chubby Chicken?
April 15th, 2008 at 8:32 am
I agree with the others. The guy is staring off into space, lost in the joy of his A&W burger. He doesn’t follow any movements of the A&W guy or anyone else. Definitely a carnivore-pr0n subtext, I guess.
April 15th, 2008 at 8:35 am
My first impression was that he was gazing at the burger guy, but I never interpreted it as a gay thing, just…admiration, maybe?
April 15th, 2008 at 9:55 am
I umm… err… really have to stop myself from some really, really bad double entendres about buns and meat, but I digress…
As a gay man I totally broke up when I saw this commercial for the first time. That boy is definitely looking for a
daddy bear .
April 15th, 2008 at 9:55 am
I just thought the guy was gazing off into distant space, lost in the goodness that is his teen burger. In related news, someone told me some of these A&W commercials are filmed in Mission… I wonder if this was one of them.
April 15th, 2008 at 11:04 am
Nope. I got no subtext, ergo you’re a perv of the highest order.
April 16th, 2008 at 12:13 am
Well apparently they’ve managed to sell it, no matter what, but I have found myself a bit confused by the commercial. Definitely absorbed in the burger, though.
April 17th, 2008 at 6:14 pm
It’s burger love for sure. Mr. A&W doesn’t appear until half way through the ad, yet burger boy never adjusts his gaze.
Damn, now I want a burger.