M&M's retires its "spokescandies" and replaces them with Maya Rudolph (PHOTOS)
Candy company Mars announced that it’s retiring its M&M’s “spokescandies” after it received backlash for making the brand’s anthropomorphic chocolate mascots more inclusive.
In a statement on M&M’s Twitter account on Monday, the brand revealed that it has decided “to take an indefinite pause from the spokescandies.”
“In the last year, we’ve made some changes to our beloved spokescandies. We weren’t sure if anyone would even notice,” the tweet reads. “And we definitely didn’t think it would break the internet. But now we get it—even a candy’s shoes can be polarizing.”
The company is referring to the furor it received from conservatives last January after its candy mascots received makeovers to be more “inclusive.”
The height of the brown M&M’s heels was lowered, and the green M&M switched from wearing boots to sneakers.
Mars, Incorporated
M&M said this “fresh, modern take on the looks” would “underscore the importance of self-expression and power of community through storytelling.”
But right-wingers like Fox News host Tucker Carlson disagreed, ranting about how the female M&M’s were “less sexy.”
The conservative outrage continued after M&M’s launched its limited-edition packaging that puts its female “spokescandies” in the spotlight.
The packaging features the brown, green, and new purple M&M with the slogan “supporting women flipping the status quo.”
Mars, Incorporated
Carlson once again went on a rant, dedicating a whole segment to say that the “woke M&M’s are back.”
He even went on to say that the green M&M “is now a lesbian maybe” and called the purple M&M “plus-sized” and “obese.”
So, that’s how we got to Maya Rudolph replacing the candies as the brand’s spokesperson.
“In their place, we are proud to introduce a spokesperson America can agree on: the beloved Maya Rudolph,” M&M’s latest announcement reads.
A message from M&M’S. pic.twitter.com/EMucEBTd9o
— M&M’S (@mmschocolate) January 23, 2023
What do you think about this change?
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