Topline

Molson Coors, the maker of Miller Lite, defended a commercial that featured actress Ilana Glazer criticizing the sexist past of beer advertisements, despite facing criticism from conservative commentators and social media users, similar to the backlash faced by Bud Light. They argued that there is nothing “even slightly controversial” about the commercial.

Important Information

Essential Quotation

Molson Coors stated in a statement provided to Forbes: “The focal point of this video was twofold: worm feces and the notion that women should not be obligated to engage in mud wrestling as a means to promote beer. We anticipate that beer enthusiasts can acknowledge the comedic (and absurd) nature of this video, which was released in March, and neither of these aspects should be even remotely contentious.”

Some people have criticized the old interview clip of Glazer on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, where she allegedly sounds racist by choosing to pose with a picture of Hillary Clinton and blasting Miller Lite beer for targeting their working-class consumer base. Former BuzzFeed reporter Benny Johnson, who was fired for plagiarism, tweeted the picture of Glazer and accused her of lecturing us about how bad America is. On the Fifth Column podcast with hosts Matt Welch, Michael Moynihan, and Kmele Foster, they spoke about Glazer’s appearance in the Miller Lite ad and jokingly ridiculed it. On Tuesday’s episode of The Megyn Kelly Show, Ben Shapiro posted a YouTube video criticizing the “stupid” and “unbelievably” campaign ad, calling out the use of bikini-clad women in the commercial and arguing that it doesn’t matter what gender the beer brewers are, it’s about politics and identity. Joe Rogan also criticized the Miller Lite commercial on Tuesday’s episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, calling it controversial and questioning the use of bikini-clad women.

Contra

The company’s employees are never made to make decisions individually, but we will not personally attack people as our employees. However, we are willing to address any issues with our brands or advertisements. “What essentially is an extremely belabored poop joke” is how Adam Collins, the Chief Communications Officer of Coors Molson, criticized the harassment of the company’s employees in a statement to Newsweek. Now, conservatives who are incensed are calling for a boycott of Lite Miller. Sofia Colucci, the Chief Marketing Officer of Coors Molson, has reportedly deleted her social media accounts, as some users on social media have cited how she repeatedly used the same tactics as Alissa Heinerscheid, the Executive Marketing Officer of Bud Light, to dig up personal information of outraged social media users. Arwa Mahdawi, a columnist for The Guardian, cited the controversies surrounding Bud Light and Lite Miller as a targeted campaign of intimidation and harassment. Conservatives who are incensed are now calling for a boycott of Lite Miller, as she mentioned in her Wednesday morning column.

Important Background

Sales of retail Light Bud in the United States were down 21.4% compared to the prior year, causing a controversy. The controversy appeared to be a result of a boycott, without explicitly naming Mulvaney as the cause. The company’s CEO, Brendan Whitworth, posted a statement on Instagram on April 14 affirming the mission to bring “great beers” to consumers across the nation and stating that the company never intended to be part of a divisive discussion. After the statement, some customers were outraged and announced a boycott of the popular Rock Kid musician, who had posted a viral video on his social media accounts yelling profanities and shooting Light Bud cans. The controversy also drew comparisons to Miller Lite’s customized beer cans, which were sent to customers after the controversy surrounding Light Bud.

Additional Resources

How Dylan Mulvaney, a popular TikTok personality, became a target of the far-right after securing partnerships with Bud Light and Nike (Forbes).

Reba, Kid Rock, Shania, and many others express their opinions on trans issues and drag shows in country music (Forbes).

Why are conservatives having a meltdown over Miller Lite when women are seen drinking beer? (The Guardian).