Saturday Night Live Parodies Burger King's "Whopper Virgins"

January 12, 2009

This weekend's Saturday Night Live featured a spoof of the controversy Whopper Virgin ads by Burger King. In the mock version of the commercial host Neil Patrick Harris acts as a spokesperson for Burger King. It's hilarious, crazy, and kind of sad watching the rural European farmers take apart the burgers, act out an American-style game show, and beg to take the burgers home because it's enough "food to feed his village for the whole month." Check out the skit's video below and tell me what you think. Now that it's being made fun of by SNL, should Burger King pull the ad?

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29 Comments

2 years 36 weeks

This is a fake is not Romania language. Those people will laugh that it's different from romania....

ostelutza 4 years 11 weeks

That`s not even romanian. They could at least make an effort and speak romanian....That`s not cool. Proud 2 be romanian also :X

AndraRo 4 years 16 weeks

I meant to say 4 kg, not 4 pounds. Proud to be a romanian. Take care and eat well.

AndraRo 4 years 16 weeks

unlike american people, who are yet to discover a lot about food, romanians eat healthy organic vegetables and fruits. That is why they are still fit in their 40’s, unlike 2/3 of the american population. I am a romanian who lived and worked as a doctor in a hospital in New York for almost 6 months and I can say that the american food has serious problems. During my stay I gained around 4 pounds by barely eating anything (that was because the food in the US has an awful taste, everything is genetically modified), my hair was growing much faster and I was feeling hungry even after finishing eating. I came back to Romania and I lost that weight in less than 2 months, by eating twice as much as I was eating in the US. My weight is 50 kg, something most american people would only dream of. And in case you are wondering, the people they ridiculed in this add are happy and proud they can eat the way they do and live the lives they do, although they are made fun of by ignorant people who’d rather eat junk food than something natural, just because of a funny add. If you I come to think about it, I’m not at all surprised of this type of commercial. After all, what can you expect from a nation whose history only just began a couple of hundred years ago? And don't get me wrong, I like the american people, they're friendly and welcoming, but we all have to admit that while the romanians and the europeans in general were writing history some 1000 years ago, the americans were still dancing around the fire. And it is a world-wide known fact that most american people have no clue about history and civilization or geography. I'm sure many still don't know where Romania is on the map. So when it comes to culture, I must say I am more than proud to be a romanian. So to those americans who think they're better because they have fast food chains, I'd tell them to continue watching Jerry Springer and Maury (if that's how it's called) and to enjoy eating genetically modified food, while we’ll continue eating the tasty natural one we grow in our backyard. Thank you Burger King.

raluque 4 years 18 weeks

i'm romanian. in my opinion, this ad isn't as offensive as it is pointless. jopperma - people in romania have food. all sorts of food. MD and BK and other american food chains are present in romania. the thing is that they won't ever succeed in getting the people in the commercial to buy any of their food, because they have organic food, for free, right in their back yard. ignorance is a treasure! flyingroo is right. i'm from romania, but i travelled a lot across europe. i have yet to find veggies and fruit that taste as good abroad, simply because organic food in romania is extremely cheap and everyone prefers it. the only non-organic food is the one from mass production and that gets exported anyway. i don't think those people got payed, at least in romania. romanians love to eat, so i think it was something like "i'll try anything once". the commercial is not condescending. it's plain stupid.

snarkypants 4 years 18 weeks

does anybody know for sure whether the "virgins" are actually what they say they are? i always assumed they were actors, and that the whole ad was just a gimmick.

nancita 4 years 18 weeks

What a great skit. I totally missed that. I think it is a great counter-commentary to BK's ads.

jopperma 4 years 18 weeks

I am amused that the people who think this ad is condescending and imperialistic seem to have the same characteristics showing in their own comments. Couldn't everyone in the world pick something else to judge us on rather than a random Burger King commercial... you know, like our actual condescending foreign policies that are related to our global position in a way a BK ad never will be?

lattegoodness 4 years 18 weeks

misogi - Yeah, I hear ya and I'm with you. I don't like to hate an entire group of people. And irony, gotta love it. :D

misogi 4 years 18 weeks

lattegoodness - I don't know, I just don't see the point in hating anyone...especially a whole group of people that I don't know. But that's just me. Besides, that's a whole different conversation for another time. :D But I do think it's funny that it seems like you're saying that Europeans and Americans hate each other because they're alike.

lattegoodness 4 years 18 weeks

The SNL skit was funny and yes, BK should pull the ad, it's offensive probably to most Romanians and yes, it's imperialistic and condescending. I think Europeans hate Americans so much because there's an arrogance in thinking that anything American is automatically better. And equally, Americans hate Europeans for being quite snobby. Stereotypes on both ends which means that it's true most of the time.

misogi 4 years 18 weeks

Seka21 - Since you're European, maybe you could clear this up for me...why do Europeans supposedly hate Americans so much? Seriously? Hating a whole nation of people because of the actions of a few? It just seems...pointless.

misogi 4 years 18 weeks

That SNL skit was SO funny. I had to cover my mouth to keep from laughing out loud. I just think that the BK ads are boring and kind of stupid.

momma tikita 4 years 18 weeks

The ads never really "bothered" me but I remember thinking "wow kinda fucked up BK". The skit is hilarious. Should they pull them out..yes if so many people find it offensive they should.

Seka21 4 years 18 weeks

Horrible concept. And .... tasteless. This gives America the bad reputation and why us Europeans hate America so much. We would never do an advert in some swamp in America and do a primitive hillbilly interview. You can find village-idiots in every country. So pathetic.. and I am so glad to not be an American when I see arrogant adverts like that. Burger King?!.. I don't eat cheap food. I have class... I eat proper food. A nation of Junk food eaters trying to appear imperialistic? Dont make me laugh! Flyingroo... i agree with you.

macgirl 4 years 18 weeks

While I agree with that these ads are just horrific and slightly disgusting. People can't be corrupted unless they want to be. Are they taking advantage of people that have little- maybe.. but if these people really believe in how they live they wouldn't go. There is no amount of money or power that someone could offer me to go be a communist. Or be a member of certain religions. And seriously, how much damage could it do to offer someone one hamburger taste test? Keep in mind I hate these ads. I just don't believe that America is the all corrupting beast that some think it is.

taratootie 4 years 18 weeks

I think that the ad was irresponsible and these people are being corrupted by american marketing and opinions. Cant we [PLEASE] leave anything alone? Ill give you that the ad WAS an attention-getter, which was the aim of it in the first place. Bleh, that ad makes me mad/ dissapointed.

Spectra 4 years 18 weeks

I thought the ads were pretty stupid, but the skit was pretty funny. I'm guessing BK will pull them now to avoid negative connotations. What's wrong with using the word "virgin" to mean "first-time"? What are we going to call extra virgin olive oil now? "Virgin" definitely is not a sexual term; it's just used that way now.

flyingroo 4 years 18 weeks

Jopperma, I'm very calm by nature. You could have asked the same question without being snarky. Therefore I'll let you enjoy your ignorance.

Jude C 4 years 18 weeks

The ads are idiotic, but the skit cracked me up.

jopperma 4 years 18 weeks

What does "that kind of conclusion mean"? flyingroo? I can assure you that those people probably got PAID to touch that hamburger and were darn happy about it. Calm down.

flyingroo 4 years 18 weeks

They ARE "condescending and imperialistic" as long as people like Jopperma draw that kind of a conclusion from the ads - not that the SNL parody was better, mind you! I can assure you that the farmers in Romania wouldn't touch that slimy piece of meat that it's called a burger with a 10 foot pole, their own food is raised organic on their own land and it's healthy and delicious. I have yet to find a tomato here in US that tastes like the ones in Romania, or as matter of fact anywhere in Europe, be it west or east.

macgirl 4 years 18 weeks

I don't love the ads but I don't know why they would pull them.

jopperma 4 years 18 weeks

I think the ads are just boring and pointless... I don't really have a huge social justice issue with them, like it is Burger King's fault that people in Romania don't have food or anything. The SNL skit on the other hand was hilarious.

rebekah 4 years 18 weeks

uhh i didn't have any problem with the ads... why would they pull them? i don't think they are derogatory or imperialistic . . . i think they made their point, having someone who has never had a whopper try a whopper and they like it over the other kind. i don't think that its a jab at their social status or anything other than that they haven't had a whopper. i think PEOPLE should quit being so freaked out by every little thing.

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