- Candy manufacturer Mars Wrigley announced Thursday it has rebranded its M&M’s cartoon mascots.
- The cartoon M&M’s have been revised to promote “self-expression,” according to Mars Wrigley.
- Tucker Carlson criticized the rebranded cartoons for being “deeply unappealing” and androgynous.
On Friday, Fox News host Tucker Carlson mocked freshly rebranded M&M’s cartoon mascots, which were revised to promote inclusivity and “underscore the importance of self-expression,” manufacturer Mars Wrigley said in a press release on Thursday.
Both the brown and green M&M’s received new footwear, transitioning from high stilettos to lower block heels and tennis shoes that Carlson dubbed as “less sexy.”
“M&M’s will not be satisfied until every last cartoon character is deeply unappealing and totally androgynous until the moment you wouldn’t want to have a drink with any one of them,” Carlson said. “That’s the goal. When you’re totally turned off, we’ve achieved equity. They won.”
—Acyn (@Acyn) January 22, 2022
Carlson also took aim at the orange M&M, which was redesigned to appear more anxious.
“Maybe he doesn’t like all the ugly new shoes he sees around him. Maybe he liked the sexy boots. Maybe the orange M&M is a secret sexist himself,” Carlson said.
—Acyn (@Acyn) January 22, 2022
Anton Vincent, president of Mars Wrigley North America, told CNN that the footwear changes are just one component of a larger campaign that seeks to update M&M’s characters and make them more “representative” of the brand’s consumers.
Insider has reached out to representatives of Fox News and Mars Inc. for comment.
Powered by WPeMatico