The 60-second online ad directed by rapper Tyler, the Creator shows a battered white woman trying to identify a suspect among five black men and a talking goat.
- May 2, 2013
AceShowbiz - PepsiCo has pulled video advertisement of Mountain Dew which received backlash because of its negative racial portrayal and violence toward women. The ad, which was made by rapper Tyler, the Creator, shows an injured white woman on crutches being urged to identify a suspect. There are five black men standing in line, waiting to be identified. A talking goat is also included among the suspects.
The talking goat, named Felicia, makes threatening remarks to the woman, saying, "Ya better not snitch on a playa," and "Keep ya mouth shut." As consequence, the woman runs screaming in fear, "I can't do this, no no no." The word "do" apparently is a reference to the name of the product, "Dew".
A social critic Dr. Boyce Watkins said in a website that the ad was "arguably the most racist commercial in history." He wrote, "One side of the glass is mostly criminal, 100 percent black. The other side of the glass consists of the 'good guys,' nearly all of whom are white. Mountain Dew has set a new low for corporate racism. Their decision to lean on well-known racial stereotypes is beyond disgusting. This doesn't even include the fact that the company has put black men on par with animals."
A comment from an Internet user read, "I really wish she would have said, 'I can't do this' toward participating in this racist and awkwardly bizarre commercial." Another person wrote, "Deeply disturbing. Mountain Dew, wtf is wrong with you?"
As one of the highest selling carbonated drinks last year, PepsiCo immediately responded to the negative publication of its product because it may bring significant impact to the sale. The company apologized via a statement, "We apologize for this video and take full responsibility. We have removed it from all Mountain Dew channels, and Tyler is removing it from his channels, as well." According to Associated Press, a spokesperson for the company, Jen Ryan, said that the company learned about the criticisms after being alerted by the consumer relations team.
