Is It Just Me?

I recognize that this is truly trivial in the grand scheme of things; however, am I the only one who's miffed by the national fast food chain (I refuse to advertise for them by mentioning their name) that uses the Helen Reddy tune "I Am Woman" to denigrate women?

The scene: man eating at an apparently high-end restaurant with someone who is presumably his girlfriend. The miniscule serving arrives and he jumps up, declaring he's fed up with "chick food", and brazenly dances through the restaurant, gathering other men along the way, as he heads for this super-food. If I were his girlfriend, ..... well, I'm not a violent person, but I'm reasonably sure that would have been the end of the relationship. When he agreed to eat at the restaurant, he knew what he was getting into, and if he didn't have the guts to say "no" before entering, then producing an embarrassing scene was inexcusible. Enough on him.

What really irks me about this commercial is the use of this song as a sort of 'reverse empowerment(? )' theme. My guess is that there aren't too many women (over 40 certainly, possibly under) who aren't substituting Helen Reddy's words for the commercial's. For me, this particular use of a song which still speaks to the inequity that exists in many areas trivializes not only the accomplishments of women during the intervening years, but also trivializes equality in relationships. The commercial hints that women have gotten too powerful and must be brought down a peg by shaming things which may be of significance to that particular woman in that particular relationship. The implication is that unless a meal is "man-sized" there is no value in the shared experience. The focus is on the man in the relationship getting what he wants at the expense of the humiliation of the woman.

So........in the interest of making a statement, I am hereby boycotting this particular fast food chain, and letting said chain know why, and encouraging other women to join me.

Now, just to be clear - I believe that relationships involve treating each other with respect and honoring each other's gastronomical preferences, no one person in a relationship should always decide where and what to eat. However, once the decision has been made, it is incumbent on both parties to honor it and not take action which will publicly embarrass either individual.