Is this Clorox tweet racist? Many Twitter users were upset when new bleach emojis suggested that darker-skinned diversity emojis could use some white cleanup, but the company insists they didn’t mean to offend.
In a related report by the Inquisitr, Cosmopolitan addressed issues of racism on Twitter with a “note.” Although some say it is racist to claim that Idris Elba can’t play James Bond since he’s black, one former Bond villain who happens to be a black actor himself claims this idea is nonsense.
So, why are people calling this Clorox tweet racist? The whole story started when the company tweeted out the above image along with a message.
“New emojis are alright but where’s the bleach,” Clorox tweeted.
In response, many called Clorox racist since it was assumed the cleaning product company was referring to having bleach turn the racially diverse emoji white.
@Clorox you guys couldn’t possibly think that tweet would be a good idea.
— electric areola (@QueenTalibah) April 8, 2015
@Clorox I was hoping that was a fake tweet… apparently I’m too optimistic
— EarthenTwerkGoddess (@IAmMichelae) April 8, 2015
Critics claim Clorox was referring to the controversy over the emoji keyboard for the Apple iPhone, which previously had a very limited selection in regards to skin tone. Apple responded to this controversy by releasing an iPhone update that introduced a new range of skin tones and different family combinations, including families with homosexual parents.
“You need to clean up your PR person. Put some bleach on your distasteful marketing ideas,” tweeted @DriNicole. “Black emojis were added today. Saying this implies you’d rather the emojis be only white, by adding bleach.”
The uproar over Clorox’s racist tweet led to a public image cleanup effort, with the company attempting to add an apparent clarification: “Wish we could bleach away our last tweet. Didn’t mean to offend – it was meant to be about all the emojis that could use a cleanup.”
But those who thought the Clorox tweet racist would not allow the company to clean up the mess so easily. They were offended and claimed the clarification was simply a non-apology, so eventually the company took down the original tweet from their account.
According to CNN, a Clorox spokesperson also explained what they had originally intended by the Clorox emoji tweet.
“We apologize to the many people who thought our tweet about the new emojis was insensitive. It was never our intention to offend. We did not mean for this to be taken as a specific reference to the diversity emojis — but we should have been more aware of the news around this. The tweet was meant to be light-hearted but it fell flat.”
What do you think? Was the Clorox tweet racist or simply a misunderstanding?
The real racists are the ones making this an issue in the first place. We need to ignore these self serving racists.
Just another case of people getting pissed about nothing.
have we not learned that everything is racist?? Hi todays fri morning….u racist…blacks dont be up in da mornin
I agree with Ken Javor, the racist, they just sit around and try to find something to yell racist about. Get a life!
I thought Michael Jackson cornered the market on Clorox?
Not everything is racist. People need to clean up their minds and quit seeing everything as racist. I could say much the same thing about not having any holidays, national celebrations, etc. about Norwegians and Irish that helped build this country right along side the blacks. And don't talk about oppression, make life what you want it to be.
i will not buy clorox anymore and i will tell my friends not to either..lot of white people try to be sneaky with their racist ads or comments
Can the media and various other morons say or think ANYTHING other than racist?
it would be easyer if people would think man,woman,girl or boy and leave out color .[most of all the press]
what's an emoji
WOW! That's about the stupidest thing I've heard in awhile. OK. The stupidest thing I've heard today.
Gary Karsikas for President!
We've sunk to an insane level of public discourse in this country.
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Only black people think this is racist.Simple minds think alike.
Wow, you try to dismiss racism by being racist. Point made?
I love how all the white people are saying this is no big deal and isn't racist. Love it.
Well with times we are in now, maybe they should express in another way a little more thought in the project.
Huh? your a fool and the biggest racist on this blog. Looks like you need a little Bleaaach!
Those are some of the stupidest comments I've seen in awhile! Who would even consider that tweet Raciest? Seems like we go in cycles, last "Buzz word" was bully! When people use words like "bully or raciest" at every little turn it takes the importance away from "REAL" incidents of bullying or racism. These are serious issues and should not be used so lightly for everything!
Grace Gaytan Mosley He regularly posts crap like this. Personally, he's just a reverse racist…
I would rather you go back to the original yellow ones. Emojis are not people and anyone who gets upset about them does not have a real life with real problems and challenges in it. But rather, has ample time and a big desire to feel picked on. The yellow emojis were just fine FOR EVERYONE. They remind me of the "Have A Nice Day" happy face that was yellow — no one bitched about wanting a white, a tan, a black, a mocha, a redish hue or green or whatever. Let's worry about something that is going to change the world, folks!
The real racist are those who think this isnt racist. Racism is alive and well in america. No more clorox for me.
A persons perception is their reality.
Are you being sarcastic?
I'm a spook and I don't find it racist……………….. or spear chucker whatever
Have people just absolutely lost their fuckin minds? Has the gene pool gotten so dumbed down that currently the next generation is a group of idiots I wouldn't trust to leave the house without wearing a helmet and a name tag
I guess I'll be the biggest racist with this famous quote "May all your Christmas's be white." It makes as much sense as the complainers.
You got to be friggin kidding me! This is newsworthy?
Blacks are the ones that are promoting racism, they constantly see everything as being about them and they don't get that they are just not that important that people would take time out of their lives to think up racist shit, put down that crack pipe and chill ………… And if my comment seems to be racist, it is meant to be …….
I'd suggest if your under 35 it should be mandatory to watch a John Wayne movie and old film of the Rat Pack Vegas Show once a week, it might just undo all that damage from captain planet and power rangers…
Obviously it's racist, but who cares what some ignorant, white person from Clorox thinks? He just hasn't learned that we, the dark people, don't want to be lighter. Actually, we don't think lighter is better. That idea is only in his head.
So you don't think the comment, "darker-skinned diversity emojis could use some white cleanup,…" If you don't, you are probably racist and stupid. But again, we the darker skinned people don't care what you think Ken.
13% of the populace but 75% of Internet news items. How much money and apologizing will make this one all better?
Tyrone Etheredge – That's funny. You add the words "dark-skinned diversity" and "white" to support your claims – and then you want to call someone else racist. If you didn't care what Ken thought then why comment? More things in life than to go around miserable trying to find something that isn't. For crying out loud, its a marketing ad about cartoons and bleach…
Tyrone Etheredge – That's funny. You add the words "dark-skinned diversity" and "white" to support your claims – and then you want to call someone else racist. If you didn't care what Ken thought then why comment? More things in life than to go around miserable trying to find something that isn't. For crying out loud, its a marketing ad about cartoons and bleach…
blacks need to lighten up a bit
THEY SAID fear years that it whitten out colors and it just another attempt by so thugs to try to sue to get moneys
Tyrone Etheredge All are bunch of whinner cry baby and get a life losers
Now there's a racially biased comment if I've ever heard one! Calling the man a whiner and a cry baby and a loser when all you know about him is his skin color. I'm afraid, Ray, that you are the loser in this one. I'm white and I read it the same way Tyrone did! There's the difference between the educated and folks like you. I know you lack in basic education as your sentence structure is totally off. Didn't get past fourth grade?
Do you NOT have toilets to clean or white clothes to wash? Counters to bleach?
Go watch SNL in the early years, those could be racist.
Remember that it's a 2 way street, reading your comments it sounds like the pot calling the kettle black. No pun, that is the saying.
People are a bunch of overreacting babies I guess the clouds are racist too when they're white and not storm clouds. Get off your soapbox people there would be no racism if people would stop perceiving it in every facet of life
Fucktards
OK! So the tweet should have said Where is the bleach bottle? it is an emojis for goodness sake. It is a cartoon. Most of the emojis are inanimate objects or animals. Look at the emojis that make up the bottle, there are very few that are not just shapes.