Conservative group One Million Moms has slammed a Kellogg's Pop Tart commercial, which is directed at children, as "inappropriate" and "unnecessary" due to its use of a double entendre.
In the animated commercial, which airs on kid-friendly channels such as Disney, Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network, a mother and father Pop Tart admire their newborn baby Pop Tart at the hospital nursery when a nurse walks enters the scene. The dialogue includes: "He so has your peanut butter. Well, he's got your jelly." The nurse, while rubbing her hands together ready to devour the baby Pop Tart, then says: "Time for a feeding."
The parental Pop Tarts respond, "No! Ah, jam It!"
One Million Moms, which is the media watchdog arm of the American Family Association,writes on its website, "Foul language or the implication of it is not needed in this commercial, but that is exactly what Kellogg's intended with their play on words,"
The group adds that the commercial could have ended with "No!" but Kellogg's intentionally chose to add a phrase that sounded just like an expletive.
"Kellogg's should be more responsible in their marketing decisions. Let them know that as a parent and consumer, you are offended [that] the company cares more about financial gain than the impression made on our children," the group urges.
"Kellogg's executives apparently don't care about what children hear as long as it puts money in their pockets. Everyone knows kids repeat what they hear. This is weak marketing, and Kellogg's should have the corporate responsibility to not use an age old euphemism that offends families."
Some, such as Edge Media Network contributor Bobby McGuire, have criticized One Million Mom's disapproval of the commercial, writing, "With this latest campaign, Kelloggs joins fellow consumer package goods corporations Kraft and Nabisco along with major network NBC, ABC, CBS, FOX and fellow cable networks the Disney Channel, The Cartoon Network and Hub Network as well KMart, JC Penney, Macy's, Kohls, Toys 'R' Us and Walt Disney World, who all wish that One Million Moms would shut their jam mouths.
Many conservative parents, however, have voiced similar dismay over the commercial and are calling on Kellogg's to pull the ad.
One mom, Bonnie Raynor DiGeronimo, wrote on the group's Facebook page, "While I can understand that the 'comment' by the 'mom' pop tart, is desensitizing people and children to the use of expletives....what I find more appalling is the 'nurse' looking to devour a 'newborn'. This entire commercial is offensive, simply because it reinforces how unnecessary infants are and reduces them to a 'pop tart'. I think you need to revamp your campaign."
One Million Moms is encouraging parents offended by the commercial to contact Kellogg's via their website and request that the company cancel their new "Jam It" commercial--or, in the very least, remove the last line of the ad.
