Tyler, the Creator is stirring up some controversy with his latest Mountain Dew ad. The commercial has come under fire for its racial stereotypes and depiction of violence against women. PepsiCo immediately responded to the criticism by apologizing for the ad and taking it off the air.
The 60-second commercial brings back the Tyler-voiced “Felicia the Goat,” who is part of a series of ads the rapper has made for the company. This time the cheeky animal is seen in a police lineup while a battered lady tries to identify her abuser. The goat tries to intimidate the nervous woman by saying things like, “You better not snitch on a player” and “Keep your mouth shut.” The threatening eventually works, and the woman runs away screaming, “I can’t do this!” which is suppose to tie in to Mountain Dew’s “Dew It” slogan.
According to a spokeswoman for PepsiCo, the rapper had “final approval” for the commercial; she also mentioned that the ad was never supposed to air on TV. The commercial only lasted 24 hours on the air due to the criticism it sparked. The A.V. Club reports that many people have “decried its perpetuation of racial stereotypes.” One commentator even called it the most offensive ad ever. The company released this apology:
“We understand how this video could be perceived by some as offensive, and we apologize to those who were offended.”
Now people are wondering if the controversy was intentional, and done as a marketing strategy. Here’s the video:
What do you think of the ad? Do you think it’s racist?
Source: Rolling Stone
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