Burger King in UK ripped for ‘women belong in the kitchen’ tweet

Burger King’s branch in the United Kingdom meant to promote something beneficial to womenkind but instead received backlash for a tone-deaf tweet.

The brand posted a series of tweets in a thread to make an announcement of a new culinary scholarship being launched to help female Burger King employees in honor of International Women’s Day. However, the first tweet in the thread was: “Women belong in the kitchen.”

“If they want to, of course,” the Twitter thread continues. “yet only 20 percent of chefs are women. We’re on a mission to change the gender ratio in the restaurant industry by empowering female employees with the opportunity to pursue a culinary career.”

While the above statement fully explains why Burger King made such a seemingly derogatory comment, the majority of the people who saw the first tweet didn’t bother to read the rest in the thread before publicly lashing out at the fast-food chain.

“Burger King belongs in a trashcan,” commented actress Chelsea Peretti. “Because (it’s) not good food.”

Many users remained critical of the brand’s misguided marketing move despite understanding what they were trying to lead up to.

“I get that you were using this comment as bait for a larger conversation to actually empower women,” says one tweeter. “But listen to all the women telling you that using a sexist comment as a bait isn’t cool. This was the first tweet I saw on (International Women’s Day).”

Women you should know and the causes they champion

As we mark International Women’s Day, here’s a look at some women making a difference around the globe … and the ways you can help, too.