Burgers, Bikinis, and Trump’s Pick For Labor: A Match Made in Sexism?

President-elect Donald J. Trump built his campaign on strong and decidedly politically incorrect rhetoric, amassing a reputation as a sexist, homophobic, and xeno phobic candidate. While refreshingly honest for some, many Americans felt threatened by his claims, hoping for a more clean-cut cabinet to balance his volatility and brashness.

Rather, Trump’s cabinet choices–not surprisingly–carry many of the same values as the President-elect, and some also bring similar controversial baggage. Trump recently appointed Andrew Puzder, the CEO of CKE Restaurants, the parent company of fast food giants Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr., as his secretary of labor. Puzder’s political conservatism and billionaire background are in line with many of Trump’s other adviser or cabinet selections.

And Puzder also brings his share of controversy to the table. In May 2015, Puzder’s companies Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr. launched their Super Bowl ad, which amounts to little more than babes in bikinis. Oh yeah, with burgers. This promotion marks ten years of sexy sales, beginning in 2005 with a scantily-clad Paris Hilton washing a Bentley. Many were outraged, claiming the Hilton ad, as well as the most recent ad, to be just shy of pornographic.

Puzder, currently 66 years old, responded that the entirety of the campaign is aimed at “young hungry guys,” and stimulating all of their appetites. He goes on to say that his marketing strategy is as personally satisfying as it is economically effective: “I like our ads. I like beautiful women eating burgers in bikinis. I think it’s very American.”

The response was overwhelming–over 13 million views (as of Dec. 12, 2016) and counting. A quick scroll through the comments section reads much like the comments of a PornHub video:

One user comments, “in the beginning her t— are soo [sic] huge,” while another replies to a female user’s lament, “This objectifying s— needs to stop,” with “Quitcha [sic] squawking and show us your t—.”

“Very American” indeed, when compared to the objectifying rhetoric of the U.S. President-elect, who has run the gambit from overtly sexualizing his daughter to confessing to “grabbing [women] by the p—-.”

As much as Mr. Trump and his supporters justify his own sexist and objectifying rhetoric, Trump’s actions are louder than words, and his appointment of the vulgar Puzder speaks volumes to American women everywhere.

Homeschooler in the Real World

Emma Folts, a sophomore at Wheaton College, shares her experience about her transition into college and how homeschool has both helped and hindered her.
How has your homeschool experience benefitted you, especially in your transition into college?
I think the one thing that homeschooling did that was really helpful as I entered college was that it taught me time management. As a homeschooler I had the same freedom as a college student has to put things off during the day and go see a friend instead. Since I had that experience, I knew the cost of that.
Also, personal responsibility and accountability with assignments. I feel like a lot of the other students had more expectations for gentler grading and that the professor would give them retakes or extensions, but that wasn’t something that ever happened to me in school. That learning curve wasn’t added because I never had it the other way. I think another thing was that because I was homeschooled, I was familiar with the format of teaching and then studying on my own.
Did you see any issues with your transition socially?
I think that homeschooling had two ramifications for me socially. One was helpful, one was hurtful.
It was really helpful because as a homeschooler, I had spent a lot of time realizing and developing who I was as a person and learning to recognize people who were being themselves, and those were the people I sought out as friends. Friendship as a homeschooler takes a lot more investment. I knew I was choosier with my friends which made me a lot less anxious and a lot more content.
The only real negative impact of the social bit was that I was really used to getting to choose the time I got to spend with people. As a homeschooler I spent a lot of time with people, but that time was controlled by me. As a college student, I found that you can’t really control the time you spend with people and alone time is not really available. Learning to deal with that was a lot harder than anticipated.
Any last comments on homeschool and how it has affected your college experience?
I think homeschooling is really helpful, however it does take a slightly increased amount of advocacy with your peers when you’re entering into college. I think a lot of people come in with certain assumptions about homeschool, especially students. You’re going to get a lot of, ‘oh my gosh, you don’t seem like a homeschooled person!’ [You can’t] take that too personally and explain your experience so that friends can understand it’s an important piece of you, though it might not look like the homeschooling that they’ve seen.
My encouragement to anyone who is a homeschooler transitioning into college is to realize the benefit that you have having been homeschooled, and to realize that the bit of advocacy and explaining that you need to do with your peers is totally normal and that it’s not a big deal. Once they understand your experience, it’s not something I’ve experienced being looked down on for.