Source: Roberto Machado Noa / Getty
Kellogg’s has some serious explaining to do.
The cereal company has come under fire for creating some racially insensitive artwork for their Corn Pops boxes.
See, the artwork boasts several cartoon characters in the shape of corn kernels running around chilling do fun things like shopping, surfing, sunbathing and working. Which is all good, until you look a little closer and see that the only dark-colored corn kernel character is the janitor cleaning up after the light kernels.
Saladin Ahmed, author of the Marvel Comics series Black Bolt, took to Twitter to point this ridiculousness out.
“Why is literally the only brown corn pop on the whole cereal box the janitor?” Ahmed wrote Tuesday on Twitter. “This is teaching kids racism.”
https://twitter.com/saladinahmed/status/922840667277135872
A few hours after getting called out, Kellogg’s swiftly apologized for playing off racial stereotypes and promised to replace the artwork .
“Kellogg is committed to diversity & inclusion. We did not intend to offend – we apologize. The artwork is updated & will be in stores soon.”
In a statement to USA TODAY, spokesperson Kris Charles said Kellogg respects all people and is committed to diversity.
“We take feedback very seriously, and it was never our intention to offend anyone,” he said in a statement. “We apologize sincerely.”
Kellogg’s isn’t the only company that’s been recently accused of being racially insensitive.
Dove recently caught fire on social media when people took offense to a commercial that featured a Black woman removing her T-shirt to become a white woman. Then it was Nivea’s turn to get blasted for a recent African ad campaign for a skin bleaching cream. The “Natural Fairness Lotion” ad tells Black women that their product can help “restore her skin to its natural fairness.”
“Now, I have visibly fairer skin, making me feel younger,” the Black model says.
https://twitter.com/WilliamAdoasi/status/920592549391339525
It’s so clear to us that more people of color need to be at the table and listened to when these ads are being created. We just hope the powers-that-be are listening!
Do you think the Kellogg’s cartoon is racially offensive?
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Kellogg’s Apologizes For Racially Questionable Corn Pops Cartoon was originally published on hellobeautiful.com
