Some are using the ongoing Black Lives Matter protests to poke fun at Keeping Up with the Kardashians star, Kendall Jenner’s, recalled Superbowl 2017 Pepsi commercial. Jenner drew major backlash for participating in the tone-deaf ad.
In the ad, Jenner left a photoshoot to join a crowd of people protesting in the streets. She emerged from the protestors to offer a can of Pepsi to one of the officers. As the officer took a sip, Jenner rejoined the protestors as everyone cheered implying Jenner’s gesture resolved the tension between the protesters and the officers. The commercial was accused of oversimplifying protests and activism for corporate profit. Jenner’s emotional reaction to the backlash was featured on the season 14 premiere of Keeping Up With the Kardashians. She said with tears in her eyes, "I just felt so stupid… the fact that I would offend other people or hurt other people was definitely not my intent."
The New York Post reported on the antics first done by comedian, Everett Byram, at a Los Angeles protest on June 2nd. The comedian approached a police officer and said: “Hey, you guys, like a Kardashian over here, hey, look, it’s a Pepsi, want Pepsi? Have it!” The Officer responds by saying he appreciates the officer but asks Byram to back up. Byram says “but it helped in the commercial,” and the officer responds by informing Byram that he doesn’t drink soda. Jenner did not respond to The Post’s request for comment. Check out the moment captured in a meme below (via @shitheadsteve):
After Byram’s initial recreation, the act was repeated by others. Jenner released a lengthy statement on Instagram in response to the Black Lives Matter protests. She explained how her heart is heavy and she’ll never understand what black people experience. She encouraged her followers to seek out information and take real action outside of social media.
When comparing Jenner’s commercial and current protests across the country, the two share very few similarities. For one, officers in the commercial are dressed in standard uniforms, some with baseball caps on. On the contrary, officers at many protestors are dressed in full riot gear complete with helmets and shields. In many cities, officers used forcible measures like tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse protestors, leaving some with permanent injuries. While in the commercial, there was a large distance between the protestors and the officers. The signs of protestors in the commercial called for peace and love, all with Pepsi brand colors. While in reality, signs feature the names of unarmed black people killed by police and calls to end racism and police brutality. If the commercial had played out as protests do, the officer would have requested Jenner step back and declined the offer.
Source: The New York Post, @shitheadsteve