Mountain Dew has aired its third installment of their Odd Future-helmed commercial campaign and it’s causing a slight controversy, having been dubbed by many as racist for its portrayal of black people as criminals and seemingly placing them on the same level as farm animals.
The advertisement features Felicia the Goat, an actual goat who is currently on a crazed, Mountain Dew-soaked rampage across the American west. Finally apprehended, Felicia stands in a lineup with five African American suspects while, on the other side of the glass, a white cop attempts to help a battered, blonde white woman identify her assailant. Yeah, pretty bad, and the internet is not happy.
As collected by Huff Post‘s Black Voices:
In the comments of the video:
“I really wish she would have said, “I can’t do this” toward participating in this racist and awkwardly bizarre commercial.”
“deeply disturbing. mountain dew, wtf is wrong with you?”
On Tumblr:
“…fools must exist among us. It’s a fact of life. But when corporate businesses give said fools corporate cash to continue racial stereotypes as a way to appeal to consumers, well, that kind of validation hurts all of us in the long run.”
“Who the f**k co-signed this bullsh*t! I would be embarrassed for these men for participating in this! No amount of money is worth my dignity! 2013 and we still got bullsh*t like this not only going on but still being accepted and even praised. SMDH!! Its a good thing I don’t drink Mountain Dew!”
And of course, Dr. Boyce Watkins:
“One side of the glass is mostly criminal, 100% black. The other side of the glass consists of the “good guys,” nearly all of whom are white… Mountain Dew has set a new low for corporate racism. Their decision to lean on well-known racial stereotypes is beyond disgusting. This doesn’t even include the fact that the company has put black men on par with animals.”
It’s hard disagree with most of these comments until you realize that the five black suspects on the wrong side of the glass are the members of Odd Future (excluding two of the collective’s most famous members Tyler, The Creator — who wrote the campaign — and Frank Ocean, who presumably had more important things to do). Of course, it’s more than possible that they are being racist against themselves, but bear in mind that this commercial is a part of a series that includes Odd Future members as a variety of characters (most prominently as a cop and a diner out with his girlfriend at a fine restaurant).
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