Posted on 06/02/2013 10:48:23 AM PDT by James C. Bennett
A Cheerios commercial has sparked controversy after a large group of people started posting racially charged messages about the new ad on YouTube.
The commercial features an interracial couple and their daughter, and was released by Cheerios on YouTube. However, a group of Internet "trolls" quickly began posting comments about the interracial nature of the ad, sparking such racially charged comments that YouTube eventually decided to close the comments section of the page to bring a halt to the discussion.
The 30 second commercial features a young girl talking about the nutritional value of Cheerios. She asks her mom whether Cheerios are good for your heart, to which the mother responds that they are.
The young girl then smiles and runs off with the box of Cheerios. The next shot is of the girl's father waking up on the couch with a pile of Cheerios poured out over the left side of his chest where his heart is.
The commercial seems cute and innocent to most, but a number of Internet trolls quickly took over the discussion on the YouTube comments board referring to the interracial nature of the family, which featured a white mother and black father.
Some of the comments referred to "Nazis" and "racial genocide" and more than 600 dislikes were recorded for the video. Others commented that the concept of a happy mixed-race family made them "want to vomit."
The racial slurs also spilled over onto the Cheerios Facebook page where some commenters stated that they found the commercial "disgusting."
One commenter also posted a racial slur about the likelihood of black men staying with their family, stating: "More like single parent in the making. Black dad will dip out soon."
On Reddit the comments continued, and some turned the debate into the likelihood of a black man being with a white woman, against a couple with a white man and a black woman.
In 2012, a Cheerios commercial was also targeted by racial slurs and comments. In that commercial released in June last year, two black siblings are shown at their family kitchen table, when the older brother steals the cereal from his younger brother, who is in a high chair.
One commenter on YouTube wrote: "Just goes to show you they start steeling [sic] at an early age!!! First Cheerio's next bikes then cares lol just like in real life."
Sounds like one of those Stormfront infiltration things. I’ve ran into them on youtube, commenting under a Reagan video which had nothing to do with race, but they were there, polluting the comments section. They travel in packs of 10-20 or so and repeat “mantras” to each other and you can’t distinguish one person from the other. They’re more of a weirdo cult than anything.
The problem here isn’t the racial aspect of the video, it’s the fact that the company manufacturing cheerios is testing the waters with the commercial. Their statement was something to the effect of “We support all kinds of families.” Next on their list is the family with two dads or two moms. Just watch.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYofm5d5Xdw
Excellent commercial.
Even better if it smokes the pond scum out!
Statistics are a slur too I guess.
The comment about learning to steal early is funny.
I would bet some of the most hateful comments did not come from white folk.
It’s quite possible they cast the girl first, then found parents to match. She was awfully adorable....
Large group or a few racists? Large group or a few race baiters? Who knows, who cares?
I've seen the commercial several times and never noted the race...until this.
LOL especially if he snores like mine. I have the urge to kill him.
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