A Cheerios commercial has caused racist backlash online. The commercial, featuring an interracial couple and their daughter, drew criticism and hatred from numerous commentators.
The commercial was released by Cheerios on YouTube. The 30 second commercial features an adorable little girl discussing the nutritional value of Cheerios cereal. After confirming that Cheerios is good for the heart, the little girl proceeds to pour the cereal onto her sleeping father’s chest.
The Cheerios commercial is short, cute, and witty. Unfortunately, several viewers could not see past the color of the actors’ skin. Comments on the commercial were eventually disabled as numerous viewers started a race war.
As reported by Ad Week , the comments were filled with “references to Nazis, troglodytes and racial genocide .” The video currently has received 622 dislikes. It is not uncommon for people to dislike commercials. However, it seems archaic to denounce a commercial simply because it features an interracial couple.
As reported by CNN , racist commentary on YouTube is not uncommon. Speaking at the South by Southwest Interactive festival in Austin, Texas, video blogger Francesca Ramsey addressed the issue directly:
“(YouTube) is such a visual medium. If I have a blog, you don’t need to know what race I am. If you watch my videos, you know I’m a black woman.”
Andre Meadows, creator of the Black Nerd Comedy YouTube channel has experienced similar issues with racism:
“when you get comments, it seems to be targeted toward race almost immediately. A lot of people get ‘dumb video, stupid video’ — but with mine it immediately goes to racial slurs.”
Racist comments about the Cheerios commercial have spilled over to the Cheerios Facebook page as well. However, a majority of the comments were in support of a commercial that represents, above all else, a family.
The Cheerios commercial has sparked racist backlash as some viewers found it offensive. Fortunately, for many others, the couple’s race was not a factor.
[Image via deviantART]
