Conservative activist group One Million Moms has beef with Burger King over its use of the so-called “d-word” in a commercial for the Impossible Whopper burger.
The group, which infamously pressured Hallmark to remove a commercial depicting two women kissing on their wedding day, is now offended by the fast-food chain’s “highly inappropriate” use of “profanity” in a prime-time TV ad.
In the commercial, multiple people try the plant-based Impossible Whopper, including a man who says of the burger, “Damn, that’s good.” The ad has been out since August, when the product launched.
On Friday, the conservative group issued a press release arguing that Burger King should be “more responsible in its marketing decisions” since families were likely watching television during the times the commercial aired.
“The language in the commercial is offensive, and it’s sad that this once family restaurant has made yet another deliberate decision to produce a controversial advertisement instead of a wholesome one,” the statement said. “Burger King’s Impossible Whopper ad is irresponsible and tasteless. It is extremely destructive and damaging to impressionable children viewing the commercial.”
The petition to remove or edit the ad had over 9,000 digital signatures on Monday, according to the group’s website.
Burger King did not immediately respond to HuffPost’s request for comment.
One Million Moms, a division of the nonprofit evangelical group American Family Association, explains on its website that its mission is to “stop the exploitation of our children, especially by the entertainment media.”
“Mom, are you fed up with the filth many segments of our society, especially the entertainment media, are throwing at our children?” the site’s mission statement asks.
Last month, the group successfully petitioned for The Hallmark Channel to take down ads for Zola depicting a same-sex couple’s wedding, but the channel reinstated the ad later and profusely apologized, saying it had made the “wrong decision” in taking it down.
One Million Moms has previously targeted LGBTQ groups, entertainment and ads, including a Kellogg’s anti-bullying campaign promoting diversity and inclusivity, which One Million Moms called an attempt to “normalize the LGBTQ lifestyle by using cereal mascots to brainwash children.”