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Mountain Dew Commercial Pulled After Accusations of Racism

May 1, 2013  •  Post A Comment

PepsiCo has taken down an ad for Mountain Dew after the company received viewer complaints saying the spot is racist and misogynistic, the Los Angeles Times reports.

“The minute-long commercial was developed by rapper Tyler, the Creator, who is black,” the story reports. “He and Mountain Dew are removing the video from all their channels, according to a Mountain Dew statement.”

The ad, which the report says features “a battered and terrified white woman trying to pick a suspect out of a lineup of black men,” had been airing online.

The company said: “We apologize for this video and take full responsibility.”

“The footage opens with a lineup of black men — one wearing an eye patch — with names such as Lil Musty and Beyonte, and a goat in a suit named Felicia,” the Times reports. “From behind the glass, a white woman, bruised, on crutches and in a neck brace, is behooved by a white man in a suit carrying a Mountain Dew bottle to ‘nail this little sucker.’ Felicia, meanwhile, is shown threatening the woman with lines such as ‘You better not snitch on a playa,’ and ‘Snitches get stitches, boo.’”

The report adds: “Then, this winner: ‘I’ma get out of here and I’ma do you up.’ Supposedly, it’s a play on the ‘Dew’ in Mountain Dew.”

Writer and social commentator Boyce D. Watkins reportedly wrote after viewing the spot that it is “a new low for corporate racism,” adding: “Their decision to lean on well-known racial stereotypes is beyond disgusting.”

4 Comments

  1. Unbelievably stupid marketing campaign.

  2. This is one of those ideas that comes up around the tenth hour of a meeting, gets a light chuckle and is rightly forgotten.

  3. Yes, it’s undeniably racist. But what no one seems to be talking about is the heinous misogyny.
    So racism = bad, but misogyny = not so much?
    Who saw this spot and thought it was a good idea? On any level?

  4. Ya but is Beyonce’s Pepsi campaign any better? Promoting Pepsi to young black women as a viable drink when you’re thirsty from working out and dancing? Now THAT’S disgusting.
    1) Beyonce does not need the cash
    2) it reinforces the messaging to urban girls who look at her as a role model to drink more of that crap.
    But don’t ever forget that Beyonce was one of those who played for Gaddaffi. I guess she’ll do anything for a check.

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