In this ad, Jack’s son proclaims in front of the whole school that he wants to be a vegetarian. Jack, as a giant in the fast food industry, is distraught. He is deeply disappointed by his son’s defection to the other side, so much so that he immediately stops recording after his sn says this. But all is just find when it turns out Jack’s son meant to say he wanted to be a veterinarian when he grows up. Jack is no longer disappointed in his son, in fact, his malapropism was pretty adorable.
While this commercial is funny, what is it saying? Earlier, Jack’s son says his father makes people happy by providing them with Sirloin burgers. So is this commercial is equating meat with happiness and vegetarians isn’t with shame and embarrassment? I doubt it, but it’s funny. The humor is that Jack is disappointed his son doesn’t want to be just like his dad, and that vegetarianism, to him, is considered horrible dishonor to the family.
I think while this commercial does provide humor, it does like you said associate unhappiness with vegetarians and meat lovers with happiness. I don’t necessarily believe thats right, however, I do think that after Jack’s son used the wrong word to describe what he wanted to do, they somehow received credibility for their food.