Cheerios Commercial Featuring Interracial Family Ignites Racist Backlash
Cheerios recently posted a new commercial on YouTube, featuring an interracial family.
The ad’s YouTube page was then inundated with negative, racist comments. So much so that Cheerios was forced to disable its comments section.
As Jorge Rivas points out; 45 years after Loving v. Virginia outlawed race-based marriage restrictions, “the bigotry (at least online) is still alive and thriving.”
The sitcom “I Love Lucy,” which premiered in 1951, was the first television program to feature an interracial couple starring Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. In 1975, “The Jeffersons” also featured one of the first black and white couples on TV with Tom and Helen Willis (Franklin Cover and Roxie Roker), neighbors of George and Louise Jefferson. More recently shows like “Boy Meets World,” “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Scandal” have featured interracial couples in leading roles.
Earlier this week Cheerios released a commercial featuring an interracial couple and their daughter and you’d think it would be no big deal since we’ve seen interracial couples on TV for decades. Not so.
Check out the commercial below:
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYofm5d5Xdwv
Are you surprised that, in this day and age, a commercial featuring an interracial couple would receive such a backlash?
Sound off below!