Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
"Racist" Burger King Ad With Mary J. Blige Singing About Chicken Gets Yanked
Indignant viewers of a brand new Burger King ad starring R&B diva Mary J. Blige singing about their Crispy Chicken Snack Wrap have prompted the fast food chain to yank the ad.
It's not necessarily that Blige was promoting unhealthy eating, or an unpopular restaurant, but rather that many believed she was promoting a cultural stereotype about eating chicken. Well, they thought the ad was "racist," to be precise.
In the ad, as described by MTV News, Blige is seen standing on a table belting out lyrics to the tune of her song "Don't Mind," about the chicken sandwich: “Crispy chicken, fresh lettuce, three cheeses, ranch dressing, wrapped up in a tasty flour tortilla," she sings.
The ad has been taken off the air and YouTube, but we found this copy:
Support for LAist comes from
Even an industry insider was disturbed that BK didn't mind having the "Don't Mind" crooner wax rhapsodic about what is basically fried chicken:
Hip-hop branding expert and CEO of Translation, Steve Stoute, who has worked with Blige closely on successful endorsement deals like Carol’s Daughter beauty products, shared his disdain. [Tuesday] he tweeted, “The issue is the burger king commercial is thT these agencies visit culture and then do work that is so in authentic it's embarrassing.”
Not surprisingly, Burger King offers a totally different reason for the ad's swift removal from the airwaves and their YouTube channel. KTLA reports:
[T]he chain insists that a music licensing issue, and not the criticism, was behind its decision to pull the commercial. Burger King says it hopes to have the Blige ads back on the air soon.
A company spokesperson would not comment on whether the ads would be the same.
Support for LAist comes from
Burger King is rumored to have paid Blige $2 million for the spot; they've also reportedly signed other high profile celebs to hawk new menu items, including David Beckham and Sofia Vergara. (If they end up hawking fish and chips and tacos, respectively, the peanut gallery may have been on to something, no?)
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
If approved, the more than 62-acre project would include 50 housing lots and a marina less than a mile from Jackie and Shadow's famous nest overlooking the lake. -
The U.S. Supreme Court lifted limits on immigration sweeps in Southern California, overturning a lower court ruling that prohibited agents from stopping people based on their appearance.
-
Censorship has long been controversial. But lately, the issue of who does and doesn’t have the right to restrict kids’ access to books has been heating up across the country in the so-called culture wars.
-
With less to prove than LA, the city is becoming a center of impressive culinary creativity.
-
Nearly 470 sections of guardrailing were stolen in the last fiscal year in L.A. and Ventura counties.
-
Monarch butterflies are on a path to extinction, but there is a way to support them — and maybe see them in your own yard — by planting milkweed.
Best of LAist