SpongeBob, Rap Don't Mix in Ad, Parents Tell Burger King

Burger King is under fire from parents for a new TV ad in which SpongeBob Squarepants, Sir Mix-A-Lot, and rap music video antics combine for an uncomfortable mix of adult and child entertainment, the Chicago Sun-Times reports. The spot mixes cartoon clips with shots of “the King,” and women with rectangular-shaped posteriors dancing to a modified version of Mix-A-Lot’s Baby Got Back.

At the end of the ad, Mix-A-Lot himself, watching the “ad” on TV, declares: “booty is booty.” Many parents are livid that the spot uses SpongeBob’s huge popularity with children: “They’re using sex to sell food with the assistance of a well-known cartoon character,” said one. BK says the spot is actually meant for adults—a claim met with skepticism given that the ad specifically promotes kids meals. (More Burger King stories.)