Hungry Man? Hungry Idiot.

I've been watching some TV on Hulu since I don't have cable, which means I am still subjected to watching little commercial breaks during the show. Each break means a different corporation, and for the most part I thought this was fine - give me a chance to pee, grab a drink or whatever. The commercials never really made a difference to me, and since there was only three or four 30 second commercials per show, who cares?

That was my attitude until I saw the "Hungry Man" commercial.

For those of you who live under a rock, Hungry Man is a frozen dinner that has been around since 1973. Throughout my life I have seen the large blue box lurking at the bottom of the frozen food section, hiding under Lean Cuisines and Stouffer's lasagna. It was the "low-brow" version of frozen food - the frozen food you bought when you were working on a budget. Nothing wrong with that. The name made me roll my eyes, but I never paid much attention to it.

But now, Hungry Man has stepped up their advertising.

Oh, where to begin.
First, let's start with what this is doing to men. First, this commercial is saying (much the same way Burger King commercials insist) that men, in order to be real men, must consume the most horrifying foods possible. The only way to keep your penis attached to your body is to consume vast quantities of red meat and saturated fat. Don't you dare consume any vegetables unless they are cooked beyond recognition, are mashed, or used to give a little space between meat and bread. It is also best if they are covered in butter or mayonnaise.
If, as a man, you decide to eat a salad, drink a smoothie, or eat yogurt - your sperm just up and leaves your testicles, leaving behind dancing pink ballerinas. You also will suddenly have the urge to share your feelings, have real human interactions, and will have an overwhelming desire to begin knitting.
We are ENCOURAGING the very thing that is killing men - having an unhealthy diet that will later lead to heart disease, cancer, and a multitude of other problems.
This is also telling men that the only way to BE men is to NOT be women, or engage in "womanly" activities. That the opposite of being good and manly is being bad and feminine. That you cannot be both feminine and masculine at once, but rather must shed all vestiges of femininity in order to completely be a man. Being  feminine is being a bad man. What is sad is the fact that these corporations are telling men (specifically blue-collar working class men) that being healthy and eating right are feminine! Since when was it girly to eat vegetables?
These are the overt messages, the ones made toward men. But what are the underlying messages made toward women? First, women must consume small quantities of food yet they are not ever hungry. We must continue to achieve our slim womanly figure that cannot exceed a size 8. Secondly, the characteristics associated with being women are shown as bad and negative. So while we are supposed to be feminine, these characteristics are tolerated with an eye roll and a sigh - oh women? When will we ever understand their crazy ways?
I'm not trying to go crazy feminist on anyone, just pointing out what is blatantly in this commercial - part of the media that impacts us everyday.