A recent commercial for Del Taco shows your typical office drone standing in line staring at the woman behind the counter in a kind of creepy way.

It turns out he’s angry because Del Taco’s prices are so cheap he realizes that everyone else is ripping him off.

Del Taco’s solution? Send another hapless worker over and let the office drone give him a wedgie.

Del Taco (click image to view ad)

Believe it or not, there are actually tasteful ways to discuss wedgies in commercials – witness Hanes’ witty campaign for underwear guaranteed not to give you a wedgie.

In Del Taco’s hands, however, a wedgie is played for the kind of comic effect that might humor mean-spirited third graders.

What’s worse, the ad implies, albeit in a humorous way, that it’s perfectly OK to beat up on someone else to deal with frustration and anger -- regardless of whether that person has anything to do with why you’re angry.

In this case it is even more nonsensical because the guy on the receiving end of the wedgie works for the company that’s providing a good deal, not the companies that are at fault.

Fast food workers may not be receiving many literal wedgies these days, but we’re guessing they get their fair share of abuse, verbal and otherwise, as people take out their stress over the recession on the person behind the counter.

For Del Taco to play that up shows a disrespect for the company’s workers, since the humor is at their expense.

We’re guessing that won’t do much for employee morale, and we’re not sure how many tacos it’s going to sell, either.

Click here to view the ad.