Cheerios ad featuring interracial couple sparks racist backlash

[garbon]

http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/cheerios-ad-sparks-racial-backlash-article-1.1359690

An innocent ad for heart-healthy Cheerios has sparked an onslaught of disturbing racist backlash on the Internet.

The cereal brand was forced to pull comments from its YouTube page after a cereal commercial featuring an interracial family reportedly prompted a string of messages about Nazis, racial genocide and viewers so disgusted they "want to vomit."

The half-minute ad — which has more than 250,000 views — shows a young girl chatting about Cheerios with her Caucasian mother, and later pans to her black father. While the spot garnered an unusual amount of racist criticism, General Mills-owned Cheerios said the buzz wasn't all negative.

"Consumers have responded positively to our new Cheerios ad," Camille Gibson, the cereal brand's vice president of marketing, told the Daily News in a statement.

"At Cheerios, we know there are many kinds of families and we celebrate them all," she said.

Support from Cheerio fans showed up on Facebook.

"Having been mixed in the 70s, I'd like to thank everyone at Cheerios for making a commercial with an interracial couple!" Beschelle Lockhart wrote. "Going to buy boxes today! Many thanks for reflecting what my family looked like."

The commercial was created by the New York ad agency Saatchi & Saatchi. While a spokesperson for the agency called the response "interesting," she referred us to General Mills for further comment.

Sad / the video itself is cute.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=kYofm5d5Xdw

[merithyn]

Sad / the video itself is cute.

It really is adorable.

[derspiess]

First time I read it I thought it said they pulled the video

Generally a good idea to disable comments there, particularly if you're a corporate entity.

[crazy canuck]

Its a good ad.

That little girl is very cute.  People would have to have some serious pyschological issues to be upset about this.

[11B4V]

Funny ad

[derspiess]

Finally watched the video.  For some reason my company blocks youtube vids the way grabon linked this one but not the way 11B linked the prancercise video. 

At any rate, as an uncle of a bi-racial boy, I'm offended.  The white woman is sitting there paying bills while her lazy black husband is napping on the couch.  IS THAT HOW YOU SEE THINGS, CHEERIOS????

[Neil]

Its a good ad.

That little girl is very cute.  People would have to have some serious pyschological issues to be upset about this.

I would imagine that most of the comments were simple trolling, designed to get a reaction.  That's the nice thing about corporations, they always feed the trolls.

[Ed Anger]

Finally watched the video.  For some reason my company blocks youtube vids the way grabon linked this one but not the way 11B linked the prancercise video. 

At any rate, as an uncle of a bi-racial boy, I'm offended.  The white woman is sitting there paying bills while her lazy black husband is napping on the couch.  IS THAT HOW YOU SEE THINGS, CHEERIOS????

Just needed some fried chicken and watermelon. 

P.s. I'd hit the mom. Make her ass go numb.

[derspiess]

P.s. I'd hit the mom. Make her ass go numb.

She's gone black & apparently will not go back.  Sorry.

[11B4V]

Finally watched the video.  For some reason my company blocks youtube vids the way grabon linked this one but not the way 11B linked the prancercise video. 

At any rate, as an uncle of a bi-racial boy, I'm offended.  The white woman is sitting there paying bills while her lazy black husband is napping on the couch.  IS THAT HOW YOU SEE THINGS, CHEERIOS????

Just needed some fried chicken and watermelon. 

P.s. I'd hit the mom. Make her ass go numb.

Maybe it's a plot to tie into the Women bread winner article. 

[garbon]

P.s. I'd hit the mom. Make her ass go numb.

She's gone black & apparently will not go back.  Sorry.

My mother is now with a white guy.

[garbon]

Finally watched the video.  For some reason my company blocks youtube vids the way grabon linked this one but not the way 11B linked the prancercise video. 

Might be the embedded bit.

[derspiess]

My mother is now with a white guy.

  My black ex-coworker was lying! 

Please tell me that "the darker the berry, the sweeter the juice" is still true!

[Kleves]

I'm shocked - shocked - that people might say racist things on the internet in order to get a reaction. 

[Eddie Teach]

Please tell me that "the darker the berry, the sweeter the juice" is still true!

The darker the flesh, the deeper the roots.