TV LAND – In response to the brewing brouhaha over yet another sex-stained controversy involving a beloved cartoon character who does not actually possess sex organs, Burger King Corp. has stepped up to clarify what it had in mind when it released what is being called a “highly sexualized” television ad featuring children’s favorite sea sponge, SpongeBob SquarePants.

This time, SpongeBob is not accused of being gay or pushing the gay agenda as he was in 2005, when he appeared in a promotional video that promoted diversity and tolerance, provoking evangelical groups like Focus on the Family to claim the makers of the video were advocating a pro-homosexual agenda, leading to an absurd debate about SongeBob’s sexuality.

This time the debacle is much worse. This time, SpongeBob stands accused of furthering the objectification and subjugation of women.

“That Burger King and Nickelodeon would sell kids meals by associating a beloved, male character like SpongeBob with lechery shows how little either company cares about the well-being of the children they target,” said Susan Linn, a psychologist and director of the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood (CCFC).

Linn’s organization has launched a letter-writing campaign demanding that Nickelodeon and Burger King pull its new ad for BK’s 99-cent SpongeBob Kids Meal.

The video can be seen here.

Burger King explained the commercial was intended for adults, not children, telling Marketing Daily the Kids Meal is a “value-based offer aimed at adults.” In order to get the special Kids Meal deal, adults must purchase an adult BK Value Meal at the same time. In addition, according to Burger King, the commercial was shown “only during shows targeting adult audiences.”

While Burger King’s explanation is reasonable enough, it is not entirely necessary. A review of the commercial in question by the Daily Babylon staff revealed a dance routine similar to a thousand routines performed weekly at cheerleading contests around the nationby children younger than those in the commercial.

Of far greater concern than the showing of the video is the appearance that the CCFC doesn’t know what its children are up to after school. Who’s watching the watchdog?