Story:
One of the controversial advertisements of 2013 is the Cheerios advertisement which depicts a multi-race family. It would not have been controversial though if not for the reaction of some sectors of society who reacted negatively on the commercial. The advertisement shows a family with a black father and a white mother.
My teenage son and I were watching television when the Cheerios commercial went on television. My son then asked me, “Mom, why is this advertisement considered controversial?” Apparently, he saw nothing wrong with it, in the same manner that I also saw nothing bad about it. I had to explain to my son that some people thought that marriage between different races is quite disturbing. My son could not believe what he just heard and said, “Do racists still exist?” At that point, I felt like a proud mom because I knew I taught my son well. I have instilled in him what it means to treat other people equally no matter what the color of their skin is. My son even added, “Isn’t that what Martin Luther King fought for equality?”
It is really sad that even in this day and age of globalization, some individuals still think that interracial families are disgusting. The Cheerios commercial should even be praised for trying to show that multi-racial families do exist and they are as normal as any other family. The disapproving reaction from some racists should not prevent other companies from creating advertisements with the same message. The feedback on the Cheerios advertisement is an eye opener for every American citizen. It shows that there are people who no longer discriminate with regards to skin color. It also proves that racial discrimination is still within our midst and there is a lot more that has to be done to totally eradicate it. The controversy on this advertisement however, did not stop Cheerios from making a sequel. The same family was used in their 2014 commercial that talks of a new addition to the family. Cheerios’ message is clear. Racial discrimination is simply not acceptable.
References
Borget, J. (2014, February 1). Cheerios airs another ‘controversial’ Super Bowl ad. Retrieved from blogs.babycenter.com: http://blogs.babycenter.com/mom_stories/cheerios-returns-with-another-controversial-ad-for-super-bowl/
Justjared.com. (2014, February 2). Cheerios Super Bowl commercial 2014 ft. biracial family (Video). Retrieved from justjared.com: http://www.justjared.com/2014/02/02/cheerios-super-bowl-commercial-2014-ft-biracial-family-video/
Zucker, J. (2014, February 2). Cheerios Super Bowl commercial 2014: Watch company's heartwarming 'Gracie' ad. Retrieved from bleacherreport.com: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1943013-cheerios-super-bowl-commercial-2014-watch-companys-heartwarming-gracie-ad
