A firefighter has been denounced by his engine company over his rant blasting Kellogg’s over its response to racism accusations about Corn Pops.
Justin Snyder, a member of the Speedwell Engine and Hose Company in Lebanon, Pennsylvania, made the rant on Facebook Wednesday in response to the national controversy over the cereal box.
The cartoon art on the box depicts happy Corn Pops having fun in a shopping mall, except for one lone brown Corn Pop, who is scrubbing the floor as the janitor.
Kellogg’s apologized after author Saladin Ahmed, who is the writer of Marvel Comics’ Black Bolt series, complained on Twitter, saying the cereal box is ‘teaching kids racism’.
Snyder blasted Kellogg’s response in a Facebook post obtained by the Lebanon Daily News, writing: ‘Looks like Kellogg’s cucked out by apologizing to some mudblood over a f***ing picture on the back of a Godd**n cereal box.’
Kellogg’s will be redesigning its Corn Pops cereal boxes over its racially insensitive artwork depiction of a brown Corn Pop working as a janitor (pictured center, and circled)
Author Saladin Ahmed called the company out on Twitter saying the cereal box is ‘teaching kids racism’ because the only brown Corn Pop is shown working as a janitor
The Speedwell Engine and Hose Company issued a statement on Thursday apologizing for ‘our members personal thoughts and beliefs’
‘Mudblood’ is a derogatory term in the Harry Potter series for those not born of wizards, while ‘cucking’ is a popular term on the far right for betraying one’s own ethnic interests.
Snyder continued: ‘Someone complained about the janitor in the picture being a darker shade of Corn Pop than the others.’
‘And Kellogg’s fell all over themselves to apologize instead of telling that camel jockey to pound sand, because the most egregious of offenses today is even to be – *perceived* -as possibly being even remotely RACIST,’ the rant continued.
Snyder went on: ‘They [would] have done better to submit the following short and concise PR statement: We sincerely regret insinuating that a brown could hold down a productive, honorable job and apologize for insulting any janitors.’
The original post could not be located, but the Daily News reported receiving several screenshots of it from interested readers, including one who did not know who Snyder was.
The other corn pop characters are shown shopping, playing in an arcade or bathing in a fountain. One is even shown skateboarding down an escalator. But this guy is the only brown pop and is not having fun
Amid a growing furor, the Speedwell Engine and Hose Company issued a statement Thursday which did not directly name Snyder.
‘It was brought to our attention that one of our members made a post on their private page that reflected badly on our organization. We would like to firmly assure you that our members personal thoughts and beliefs do NOT reflect those of our company,’ the statement read in part.
‘We are committed to serving our community day in and day out. We apologize for any negativity that this may have ensued.’
The controversy first emerged on Tuesday, when Ahmed tweeted: ‘Why is literally the only brown corn pop on the whole cereal box the janitor? This is teaching kids racism.’
The other corn pop characters are shown shopping, playing in an arcade or bathing in a fountain. One is even shown skateboarding down an escalator.
He added in a subsequent tweet: ‘Yes it’s a tiny thing, but when you see your kid staring at this over breakfast and realize millions of other kids are doing the same…’
Within hours of Ahmed’s tweet Tuesday, the Battle Creek, Michigan-based maker of cereals and Pop Tarts said the artwork had been updated and will reach stores soon
Within hours of Ahmed’s tweet Tuesday, the Battle Creek, Michigan-based maker of cereals and Pop Tarts said the artwork had been updated and will reach stores soon.
‘Kellogg is committed to diversity & inclusion. We did not intend to offend – we apologize. The artwork is updated & will be in stores soon,’ the cereal-maker tweeted.
Ahmed responded that he appreciated ‘the rapid response’ from Kellogg’s.
In a statement to USA TODAY, spokesperson Kris Charles said Kellogg’s respects all people and is committed to diversity.
‘We take feedback very seriously, and it was never our intention to offend anyone,’ he said in the statement. ‘We apologize sincerely.’