In an attempt to flip one of the oldest sexist tropes on its head, Burger King tweeted “Women belong in the kitchen”. That’s it. That’s the tweet. Unsurprisingly, it was met with anger and bemusement from the burger pedlar’s thousands of followers. Many of the best print ads are somewhat provocative, but went down like a lead burger.
If, like countless commenters, you’re wondering how Burger King’s marketing team managed to convince itself this was a good idea, the company tried to explain in subsequent tweets.
“Only 20% of chefs are women,” one reads. “We’re on a mission to change the gender ratio in the restaurant industry by empowering female employees.” The company says it is launching a new scholarship programme to help female Burger King employees pursue their “culinary dreams”.
See reactions to the tweets below:
You got any idea how many people are only gonna look at the first one/see screenshots of it without the second one? lmao
Someone in the marketing department doesn’t understand Twitter very well— katya ??️? (@CheesyKatya) March 8, 2021
You could’ve fit everything into one tweet https://t.co/3CnQo4sVjG pic.twitter.com/Fa2TiMThjs
— rebecca ☂︎ (@Doo_Ree_Toes) March 8, 2021
It’s not necessary to use a shitty sexist joke to spread a good cause. Maybe just lead with the good work you’re trying to accomplish and leave the rest in the bin https://t.co/lVXXBlL8Gs
— #FreeAubrey (@AmiiM_) March 8, 2021
Burger King has apologized.
We hear you. We got our initial tweet wrong and we’re sorry. Our aim was to draw attention to the fact that only 20% of professional chefs in UK kitchens are women and to help change that by awarding culinary scholarships. We will do better next time.
— Burger King (@BurgerKingUK) March 8, 2021