Whose ‘Family Values’ Does Burger King Support?

I am one of the American people to whom Burger King’s recent newspaper ads were addressed--the ads in which they promised to spend their TV ad budgets only to support “traditional American family values on television, especially the importance of the family.”

My parents have been happily married for more than 40 years. I have the warmest feelings for my brother and my sister, and my wife and I are having the time of our life with our 3-month-old daughter Katie. I share Burger King’s enthusiasm for the family, but I have a terrible feeling that the values of my family are not the values Burger King was referring to.

Apparently Burger King took this ad, not because of a sudden wave of sentiment coursing through their corporate headquarters, but shortly after having meetings with the Rev. Billy Melvin of the pressure group CleaR-TV who had been engaged in a boycott of Burger King because the fast-food chain was sponsoring TV shows that Rev. Melvin didn’t like.

One of the programs that CleaR criticized was a TV airing of the Oscar-winning film “Platoon.” My family considers “Platoon” a work of the highest moral caliber, brilliantly expressing the horror of war. Our values lead us to appreciate sponsorship of such a broadcastand to seriously doubt the moral center of anyone who would agree that the film should be shunned.

CleaR also criticized the NBC drama “People Like Us” for its positive portrayal of two gay characters. I didn’t see this particular show, but I was raised to respect the humanity and potential for good in everyone, not just heterosexuals. My parents taught me to detest a narrow-minded philosophy that would require negative portrayals of millions of people just because of their sexual preference. I am raising my daughter to have respect for every human being.

Rev. Melvin told Howard Rosenberg that “traditional American values” are defined in part by “a man and a woman not engaging in premarital sex until they are married, of a man and a woman committing to this relationship the rest of their lives.”

I wonder how Rev. Melvin feels about former President Reagan, who was divorced before he married Nancy. According to Nancy Reagan’s book “My Turn,” she was pregnant before they got married. I guess that CleaR would object to a dramatization of the Reagans’ marriage. This seems pretty nutty to me.

I just can’t understand why Burger King would be intimidated by a group like this.

CleaR-TV also accused Burger King of sponsoring TV shows with anti-Christian bigotry. I have not noticed this theme on prime-time TV.

Considering the fact that the vast majority of Americans describe themselves as Christians, it’s hard to imagine that a program with “anti-Christian” bigotry would get any ratings. One must assume either that Rev. Melvin is inventing a bigotry that does not exist or that his perception of what constitutes bigotry is out of step with most Christians. Surely Burger King must know that there are hundreds of Christian denominations in this country and that no reverend or group of reverends has the authority to speak on behalf of all American Christians.

When my family wants to think about religious values, we go to church or synagogue or we talk or pray or meditate. When we watch television, it’s for entertainment not for religion. I think that most Americans watch TV as an escape from day-to-day pressures. What’s so bad about that?

According to American tradition and law, Buddhists, Muslims, Jews, Hindus, members of other religions, atheists and agnostics are just as much American citizens as Christians are. Are these various groups still welcome at Burger King or are they only interested in selling food to people with the exact religious beliefs as Rev. Melvin?

Americans are realists and they know that the purpose of Burger King’s TV commercials is not to “support” certain moral themes--the purpose is to sell burgers. Unfortunately, it appears that Burger King has been fooled into believing that Americans expect fast-food chains to be spiritual leaders. Because of the meetings that Burger King had with CleaR-TV and the subsequent newspaper ads about their “values,” they have left the impression that they now will only sponsor programs that appeal to Rev. Melvin and the families of his followers.

In light of this my family will certainly not be eating at Burger King any time soon.