Conservative group slams Burger King over 'offensive' word in commercial: 'Irresponsible and tasteless'

A conservative advocacy group has condemned Burger King for its use of "profanity" in a recent commercial, calling the ad "extremely destructive" to children.

One Million Moms, an organization that, according to its website, aims to "stop the exploitation of our children, especially by the entertainment media," spelled out its complaints in a statement released last Friday. In it, the group criticizes Burger King's "highly inappropriate" choice to include the "d-word" in an ad for its Impposible Whopper burger.

The commercial, originally released last August, features several customers trying the meatless sandwich for the first time. After one man tries the burger, he exclaims, "Damn, that's good."

"Burger King’s Impossible Whopper ad is irresponsible and tasteless," One Million Moms wrote in response to the word's usage. "It is extremely destructive and damaging to impressionable children viewing the commercial. We all know children repeat what they hear."

The organization's statement suggests that Burger King should never have asked someone to use a curse word when describing its food, adding that if the reaction was spontaneous, then it should have been edited out of the commercial.

"This ad is airing during prime time, when families are likely watching. Burger King should be more responsible in its marketing decisions. Let the fast-food restaurant know that as a parent and a customer you are disgusted by its recent marketing choices," the statement continued.

One Million Moms is part of the American Family Association (AFA), a fundamentalist protestant organization that has been designated as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. The organization has taken numerous inflammatory stances in recent years, including calling homosexuality "a poor and dangerous choice" and referring to Islam as a "religion of war."

The campaign against Burger King is tied to a petition, in which One Million Moms asks signatories to boycott the restaurant chain until it "cleans up" its advertising. That petition had received more than 9,200 signatures as of Monday afternoon.