Family Talk: Cheerios Commercial Sparks Racist Remarks

This article was written by Liliana De Jesus.

A new Cheerios commercial has apparently ignited a firestorm of racist remarks in its YouTube comments thread.   

The commercial features an interracial couple and their young, biracial, daughter. And, while it is not at all sensational, the comments left by some were.   

Seeing the couple of mixed race proved to be too much for some as a number of commenters made “references to Nazis, ‘troglodytes’ and ‘racial genocide,’” according to Ad Week.   

The comments section of the video has been closed, not only prohibiting viewers from leaving their two cents but also hiding all of the comments that have been posted prior to it being shut down.   

The video itself, entitled “Just Checking,” is cute in nature. And if both parents had been of the same race, there would be nothing at all to discuss.   

While it is a shame that such a commercial would cause the hateful rhetoric posted by users, it is not at all surprising, even in 2013.   

What is nice to see is that there are supporters of the video and its portrayal of a mixed race family, which can be found on the Cheerios Facebook page.   

Being of mixed race myself, I appreciate the ad for spotlighting a kind of family that is not always seen on television.   

It is refreshing to see a different family type represented, even if it scares some people to see the reality of the makeup of many families in the United States today.