Doritos Humanizes a Fetus - Oh the Horror! #NotBuyingIt

by Kim D.

We have become a humorless and feckless society when a Super Bowl commercial brings out the weeping and gnashing of teeth. How did we get here? How does a commercial spark so much rage that a segment of the population is so offended that it wants to boycott a company? On Twitter, check out the #NotBuyingIt tweets to see which companies and products bombed with the perpetually outraged. One of the most hated commercials came from Doritos.

Here's @Doritos's Facebook. https://t.co/Y50sS378KE Give them holy hell for disrespecting pregnant people!

— Jovan (@CSRA_prsn) February 8, 2016

If you haven't seen the ad, please do so by clicking HERE. It will provide the necessary background as to why third-wave feminists have descended into the current rage spiral.

#NotBuyingIt - that @Doritos ad using #antichoice tactic of humanizing fetuses & sexist tropes of dads as clueless & moms as uptight. #SB50

— NARAL (@NARAL) February 8, 2016

A very pregnant woman is having an ultrasound and the fully formed and near-to-term fetus is reacting to the father who is eating Doritos. Each time he crunches on a chip, the fetus appears to be reaching for one too. When the wife has had enough of her husband and his chips, she grabs and throws a Dorito across the room. That action brings about immediate birth as the fetus is determined to get the chip.

Some initial thoughts on the commercial from a woman who has been pregnant and given birth:

1. The scenario is a ridiculous one. Doritos reached a little far with the concept. Was I offended, no. Did I think it was a good commercial, no. It was stupid.
2. To the allegation that Doritios portrayed the mother as bitchy, well, okay. What woman hasn't been a little bitchy at some point during her pregnancy? Men are annoying in certain situations so I didn't see the mother as overly bitchy. Notice how those that scream the most see the negative in everything.
3. On humanizing a fetus . . . of the horror. When a fetus is in the third trimester, the only thing that keeps it from being classified as human is that it lives in the mother's womb. Once born, the fetus moniker goes away and the "official" infant or baby term applies.

Overall, I would rate the commercial a D- effort from Doritos but not for the reasons that are triggering third-wave feminists. What do you think?