Nina Agdal's breasts promote Lentburger

Video tip via Burger Business

While exploiting women's sexuality to sell fast food is nothing new for Carl's Jr./Hardee's, there are some things else worth mentioning in this one:



That's 2014 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue cover model Nina Agdal and her Charbroiled Atlantic Cod Fish Sandwich.

Atlantic cod is a problematic fish. Once a staple of northern Atlantic nations, the cod population has collapsed on the North American side. The European population, with the exception of "the northeast Arctic, Iceland, Baltic and Celtic Sea" is considered overfished. Fortunately, this source quotes Hardee's (CJ's eastern counterpart) saying that their fish "comes from 100 percent sustainable fisheries in the Icelandic Exclusive Economic Zone."

That's a relief. But there's another interesting backstory to this promotion. Apparently, the reason you see so many fish burgers promoted in the late winter is because of Lent. From Ash Wednesday to Easter Eve, many pious Christians (especially Catholics) symbolically fast by giving up meat and other rich foods. Fish, which was not considered "meat" in the Middle Ages, became the go-to protein during this several-week abstinence.

Think this is an obscure motivation for a fast food marketing program? Here's a Time Magazine article from last year:

McDonald’s isn’t the only quick-serve chain that’s chosen the early part of the calendar year to launch a big fish initiative. This week, Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s introduced the Charbroiled Atlantic Cod Fish Sandwich at all locations around the country. The company announced the new sandwich was aimed directly at consumers tweaking their diets during Lent, and also folks concerned about eating more healthfully in the new year:

“For almost half-a-century, whenever fast food customers wanted to get a fish sandwich during Lent, they had one choice: fried,” said Brad Haley, chief marketing officer for Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s. “With our new Charbroiled Atlantic Cod Fish Sandwich, we’ve changed all that. For the first time in the industry, our guests can get a premium-quality fish sandwich that tastes great and is lower in calories because we charbroil it just like we do our burgers.”

Piety, abstinence, sexual voyeurism, and dieting.  It all makes sense together. At least, in the United States it does.

One of these McThings is not like the others...

Seen this Easter weekend in Prescott, Ontario:

Mmmmm... 100% pure Canadian beef. Sounds like food. 100% "seasoned" chicken breast? Well, maybe some of it is imported. Hmmm...

And tangy tartar sauce. Yeah, I suppose that's okay, but what is wrong with the "fish" that it doesn't rate an ingredient rave? WHAT THE HELL IS IN THAT THING?

When I was a kid, we always used to joke that it was sucker fish, or some other nasty creature. But then I visited their ingredients PDF, and it turns out the Fish patty is no worse than the others:

Filet-O-Fish® Portion: Alaskan Pollock, enriched bleached wheat flour, water, modified corn starch, yellow corn flour, salt, dextrose, sugar, dried yeast, cellulose gum, coloured with paprika and turmeric extracts, natural flavour (vegetable source). Cooked in 100% vegetable oil (Canola oil, corn oil, soybean oil, hydrogenated soybean oil with THBQ, citric acid and dimethypolysiloxane).

So I'll just assume that some copywriter felt "Alaskan Pollock" didn't sound as sexy as "tangy vegetable oil (soybean and/or canola), relish (diced pickles, vinegar, salt, capers, xanthan gum, potassium sorbate, natural flavour (vegetable souce)), frozen yolk, water, onions, vinegar, sugar, salt, spices, potassium sorbate, xanthan gum, dehydrated parsley, calcium disodium EDTA."

Although I probably would have gone with "wild-caught fish", or "Pacific pollock", or something else about wholesomeness, since the sauces are the least foodlike things they serve you and the "meat" is the most.

But who am I kidding? I go to McDonald's for anything but breakfast so infrequently, I left there with a severe case of the McPastymouth.