Mary J Blige Burger King Ad Pulled, Racist? (VIDEO)
Burger King has removed a new ad featuring Mary J. Blige after fans of the singer reacted, suggesting that the ad enforced racial stereotypes.
The Burger King ad features Mary J. Blige singing about one of the fast food chain's new crispy chicken wraps. The clip was initially released on YouTube, but later taken down by the chain due to "licensing issues."
The ad was one part of a series of ads that feature celebrities introducing the new menu items at Burger King in an attempt to compete with McDonald's expanding food and drink selections.
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Blige begins by talking about the different ingredients of the wrap and singing to the tune of her own song "Don't Mind," off her latest album, "My Life II… The Journey Continues."
However after a spot for the commercial was released, it quickly received harsh criticism, many accusing it of promoting stereotypes. Following the backlash, Blige released a statement to apologize for the offense.
"I agreed to be a part of a fun and creative campaign that was supposed to feature a dream sequence. Unfortunately, that's not what was happening in that clip," Blige said in a statement. "I understand my fans being upset by what they saw. But, if you're a Mary fan, you have to know I would never allow an unfinished spot like the one you saw go out."
Burger King also made an official apology to the singer, after removing the video from YouTube. In a statement of their own, Burger King insisted that the spot revealed on YouTube "was released prematurely" and "not final."
The push is likely due to a recent report, which confirmed that Burger King is no longer the number two fast food chain in America, taking third place to Wendy's. Burger King had been ranked number two by Technomic in terms of best selling burger chain, since the survey company began in 1972.
