M&M's Ditches Spokescandies After 'Woke' Uproar, Introduces Maya Rudolph
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
M&M's announced on Monday it will be retiring its spokescandies because "even a candy's shoes can be polarizing."
M&M candies famously melt in your mouth and not in your hand, but it seems its marketing executives aren’t so sturdy.
The brand is taking “an indefinite pause” from the cartoon “spokescandies” it’s used in ads since the mid-1990s, according to a message on the M&M’s Twitter account Monday ― apparently in response to what can only be described as, well, a meltdown by conservatives like Tucker Carlson.
Last year, the candy company revamped the spokescandies to “create a world where everyone feels they belong and society is inclusive,” as “Today” reported at the time.
Some of the changes included swapping out the Green M&M’s go-go boots with “cool, laid-back sneakers to reflect her effortless confidence.”
When those changes first occurred, Carlson griped that the new design made the Green M&M look “less sexy,” according to Forbes.
Last week, the Fox News host once again criticized Mars, Inc. ― this time, for a new promotional wrapper featuring three female M&M’s, including Green, Brown and a new Purple M&M.
The company announced it would donate some of the profits from sales to organizations that support a variety of professional pursuits by women.
Carlson wasn’t pleased about the return of “woke M&M’s,” using the occasion to speculate about the personal lives of celebrity candy mascots.
“The Green M&M got her boots back, but apparently is now a lesbian, maybe?” he said. “And there’s also a plus-sized, obese Purple M&M, so we’re gonna cover that, of course. Because that’s what we do.”
The M&M’s account tweeted Monday that “the beloved Maya Rudolph” ― actor, musician and “Saturday Night Live” legend ― will now be the face of its candy.
And, yes, M&M’s referenced the go-go boot controversy in its statement.
“In the last year, we’ve made some changes to our beloved spokescandies,” the statement read. “We weren’t sure if anyone would even notice. And we definitely didn’t think it would break the internet. But now we get it ― even a candy’s shoes can be polarizing. Which was the last thing M&M’s wanted since we’re all about bringing people together.”
A message from M&M'S. pic.twitter.com/EMucEBTd9o
— M&M'S (@mmschocolate) January 23, 2023
Rudolph is set to make her first appearance as the new M&M’s spokesperson in the candy’s Super Bowl ad, airing Sunday, Feb. 12.
She appeared on “Today” Monday morning to put the best spin on the situation.
“I’m thrilled to be working with M&M’s,” Rudolph said. “I am a lifelong lover of the candy and I feel like it’s such an honor to be asked to be part of such a legendary brand’s campaign.”
Rudolph couldn’t share many more details, but she added: “It’s a very fun pairing, if I do say so myself.”
But many Twitter users were in shock that M&M’s is sending its beloved mascots to the unemployment line because of a ginned-up controversy. (Maybe. Unless it’s all a Super Bowl marketing stunt.)
Apparently M&Ms do melt in your hands — if your hands are attached to conservative crybabies that see feminine cartoons as a threat to their masculinity. https://t.co/wVKfzmjyAh
— Melanie D'Arrigo (@DarrigoMelanie) January 23, 2023
Look, conservatives got M&Ms canceled because they couldn’t handle a lady M&M that controlled her own body. https://t.co/KvABTapRTA
— Jordan Zakarin (@jordanzakarin) January 23, 2023
Replacing the all-female M&M spokescandies with Maya Rudolph is some next-level trolling. 🏆 https://t.co/dIRbj5rqwB
— Mollie Katzen (@MollieKatzen) January 23, 2023
if there was ever a time for skittles to announce that all the skittles are poly it's now https://t.co/uHeqP1sCqD
— Ashley Feinberg (@ashleyfeinberg) January 23, 2023
lol, right-wing outrage over M&Ms led to the company getting rid of the mascots altogether. Way to go, Tucker Carlson, you've successfully "canceled" the M&M candies. https://t.co/0kVdAFYzbn
— Parker Molloy (@ParkerMolloy) January 23, 2023
This is a work for sure. There’s gonna be a Super Bowl ad where we see all the M&Ms out of work and desperate to be rehired and/or protesting their firing. This is a Planters Baby Nut situation. https://t.co/R2Sudymrx4
— austin walker (@austin_walker) January 23, 2023
can you guys see this too or did i accidently drop acid https://t.co/suAdftFWsN
— Max Kennerly (@MaxKennerly) January 23, 2023
Conservatives cancel cultured cartoon women M&Ms because they triggered them.
Remember when conservatives were men and not children? https://t.co/roAJ2bNHZz— Brianna Wu (@BriannaWu) January 23, 2023
this has to be one of the strangest Supreme Court opinions i've read https://t.co/iJgopbfNFt
— Dave Itzkoff (@ditzkoff) January 23, 2023
History books 100 years from now: "While reinforcing economic inequality, the populist movement did achieve some tangible policy victories for ordinary Americans, such as removal of candy mascots regarded as too salacious by the movement's high priests." https://t.co/7iv8L5WZLp
— Don Moynihan (@donmoyn) January 23, 2023
One tweet, more than any other, seemed to sum up the general mood perfectly:
You ever just look at Twitter on a Monday morning and think, “Don’t know how the week’s going to get any dumber?” knowing full well that it’s certainly a possibility if not an inevitability. https://t.co/dGCPwkL9D0
— julia alexander (@loudmouthjulia) January 23, 2023