The Kendall Jenner-Pepsi controversy

About a few weeks ago, Pepsi got caught in a shame spiral by airing its commercial with Kendall Jenner, and then being forced to pull said commercial for being racist. And now it's facing a lawsuit from the San Francisco Police Department over said commercial.

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/pepsi-advert-ad-commercial-kendall-jenner-video-police-protest-san-francisco-police-department-a7678446.html

This is the commercial that got riffed and parodied many times, as shown in these links:

http://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2017/04/snl-nails-tone-deaf-pepsi-kendall-jenner-commercial

http://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2017/04/kendall-jenner-pepsi-ad-stephen-colbert-seth-meyers-trevor-noah

And here's one from the "Cheers & Jeers" section of TV Guide magazine (Apr. 17-30, 2017):

JEERS to Pepsi for putting Kendall Jenner on the front lines. How tone-deaf can a company be to use the real struggles of people of color for a protest-themed ad that focuses on a reality starlet who's whiter than Crystal Pepsi?

What I don't get is yes the commercial was stupid, but it is a very generic protest situation, so why the link to BLM? Does BLM think they are the only protesters? Or alternately do people think only BLM protests? Even recently? Hell, probably the biggest recent protest was the woman's march. So why the link?

I thought it was stupid... But wow.

It was almost as racist as the urban ads McDonald's runs.

Neither are racist, but i can definitely see the Mcdonalds one's being more concerning but not really because its targetted advertising. I think its absurd that our media and people are paying so much attention to something this inane. No matter where anyone stands in their personal beliefs, addressing these things wont do anything to address what any of whatever the "problematic" proposals are.

Love watching these companies (United, Pepsi) sticking their fingers on the electric socket.

Gotta learn from thy stupidity.

@Master_Live: The United thing is so ridiculously appalling...

What I find so funny is how this ad ever got approved by that company? Don't they have people review these things prior to throwing them out there? I dont think there intention was to offend, but it does come across a little tone deaf and a practical person could easily see how someone could take it the wrong way. Best to avoid.

I find it hilarious that the people bashing the ad are way more raciest and stupid then the ad was "thought" to be.

This could have been easily avoided, but at the same time the ad isn't that bad. I feel like people would be better off if they just ignored it.

@Serraph105: Yep, this stuff is kind of silly.

Commercial was over-dramatic trash regardless of the "message" it was trying to get across. People are really blowing this out of proportion.

It is a stupid commercial, yes, but to give it this much attention and make it into such a big deal is silly.

Just look disgusted, maybe groan, then move on.

I mean, it's Pepsi and a Kardashian/Jenner...that's like Shit-Cola and Butt Implants, was anyone expecting anything?

I love it when the McRib comes back, and McDonalds goes all ghetto "awwwwwwwwww yeah come on down to your neighbo'hood Mac'Donalds fo' yo' McRib, boyeeeeeeeeee!"

I have a black roommate now, it was tough watching that shit before, it's almost cringe inducing now; I mean, I want to change the channel but then I"m like "Well maybe that would be too obvious? Should I just ask him about it?! What is his opinion? Does he actually buy into that shit?"

@kod: I was at a vending machine and chose Coca Cola because of the ad. Pepsi doesn't need my quarters if they think everything is cool and dandy. The ad undermines protesting in general for anyone wanting to protest.

@mrbojangles25: I only seen pictures of the ad and already knew Pepsi fucked up. Worse than the McRib returning.

SJWs eat their own kind.

Nothing here is surprising. When you make every single kind of person think they come first there's a lot of pushing and shoving.

get a tivo and skip commercials.

/problems

@comp_atkins: how does one skip live TV?

W/o watching said advertisement, can anyone explain the racism?

don't want live tv.

for a 30 minute show, wait 8 minutes before starting. ( usually about 8 minutes of commercials for a 30 minute show )
for a 60 minute show, wait ~20 minutes before starting.

there should be backlash for these type of ads. Not because of anything wrong, but how cringeworthy it is. The fact that corporations are even running SJW ads nowadays is honestly disgusting...somebody should fine their ass.

Wait there is a pepsi controversy?

And first world problems lol....

I personally don't find the add controversial or offensive, but extremely cringe worthy and laughable.

Yes, a some silver spoon white model who is only famous because her sister fucked someone on a home video is going to solve real issues in the USA by giving someone a pepsi...lmao. Bad idea is bad idea.

You don't have to be a SJW to see the hilarity of this ad.

The ad was hilarious ?

Not that it wasn't funny but it wasn't in the top 1000000.

Remember the old days when Pepsi took jabs at Coca-Cola for being inferior?

What if they had applied an alternate scenario with this commercial where a person gave a police officer a Coke instead of a Pepsi and wound up getting the shit beaten out of them? Now that would be a controversy.

LOL that ended well :D

All i remember from Pepsi is their 90´s commercials with Prince i think it was.

Yes, hilariously bad. Funny to laugh at, not with.

Ahh ya agree there

Coke > Pepsi

Elaborate ads like this are pointless. What does a drink got to do with protesting?

Here's how it should of went. It's a hot day, she's doing an outdoor activity pulls out a pepsi, drinks it enjoys it. Simple and to the point.

@darklight4: You don't remember that commercial. On the other hand, this one got a thread here on GS dedicated to it. :P

Yup it sure does , because it become so much more widespread by being pointed out then it ever would have been, if people would have just looked and shrugged.

Pepsi has gotten more PR for it´s buck than it ever would have dreamed about making the ad.

Well, here's what Entertainment Weekly Issue #1462 (Apr. 21, 2017) said in "The Bullseye" section:

MISS: Bright, bubbly, fizzy, delicious = words that do notdescribe Kendall Jenner's Pepsi ad.

Not always a good thing, United got quite a bit of "PR" last week as well...lol.

No such thing as bad PR

Or isn't that what they used to say :D

Lets see how long that affects United stocks, shall we? Perhaps they are already back to normal.