Not that I’m a fan but if you’re a woman and want to chow down on a double-sized burger, then I say go for it. But if you’re a Japanese woman living in her home country, a large open mouth is considered to be ugly and rude. Women with ochobo – a small and modest mouth – are thought to be attractive. But this attitude is presenting problems for some businesses (never mind women’s self-esteem and behaviour).
A company called Freshness Burger knew that women wanted to partake of their large burgers without being forced to eat with a hand over their mouths. Their sales figures provided ample evidence. They wanted to free women from the spell of ochobo mouth.
lSo did they embark on a campaign to enlighten the Japanese against this kind of predjudice?
No – instead they developed the Liberation Wrapper. The giant burger is wrapped in a large covering, which when opened, allows a women to put the wrapper in front of her mouth to conceal her chewing. An ochobo mouth is drawn on the wrapper so that the woman can still remain attractive.
Take a look.
The campaign was deemed a success. Sales of the giant burger soared 213 per cent.
As you read this, hopefully you’re thinking the same way I am: this is not success. Success is allowing a woman to eat as she pleases and not be subjected to this kind of prejudice.
But before you say that this is the Japanese culture and that here, in North America, we are enlightened and would never do this to women, think about the latest Lululemon fiasco.
During an interview on Bloomberg TV, the founder of Lululemon, Chip Wilson, stated that if their yoga pants are too sheer or pilling, the problem may be the woman’s body. He blamed the rubbing of the thighs. He stated that even their small size yoga pants would fit an extra large woman. So it wasn’t the quality, according to Mr. Wilson, that was at the heart of the problem. It was the women’s sizes.
Needless to say, his remarks set off a firestorm of anger across the continent. So what did he do? He posted an apology, not to the women he offended, but to his employees who had to deal with backlash regarding his offensive remarks.
It seems that we’re not so enlightened here in North America either. I’m sure people like Chip Wilson would like to see women with ochobo too.
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Do you think we’re more enlightened here in North America? Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.
Enlightened Eater 
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