Pepsi Memes by Elise Song https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun Please post your MEME and explanation (just copy/paste from the assignment). Do not delete what you have submitted for the assignment. This padlet is a way for us to display and collect all the memes. en-us 2017-04-13 12:06:05 UTC 2024-10-31 14:49:38 UTC hello@padlet.com Jorge Cancino https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166231093 From what I saw in the Pepsi commercial, at first I didn't really understand what all the backlash was about it, in fact I still don't really get it. But from what I do understand about it is that it tried to hard to fit in which the current counterculture as well as it seemed to try to be too multicultural. The commerical could also be seen in the other way, in that people might be offended by how cheesy different cultures were being represented to try to profit a company and their capitalist views. Now my meme that I created showcased the unrealism that took place in the Pepsi commercial. I showed many people cheering and holding cans of Pepsi, with the caption "Pepsi Saves the World" to show how the company made it seem like the world's problems could just end by drinking a Pepsi.]]> 2017-04-13 12:12:15 UTC https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166231093 Joseph Zamora https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166231218 The inspiration for the meme I created was based on how old image macro memes from the late 2000s and early 2010s would be formatted. My meme makes use of some of the memes that were present in that time period, and puts a twist on them that involves the controversy of the commercial. The falling Pepsi cans are the thing that are being talked about, as per the format of the meme, and the entire meme is a sarcastic minefield. It mocks the commercial's content, with the people who appear to be having an absolute blast. In real protests, the situation is serious and the people are not joking around and laughing. They are fighting for a real issue, and Pepsi is smudging the image of protests with this commercial. Also, the celebrity handing the police officer the can of Pepsi and making things better is just outright ridiculous. Giving a police officer a can of Pepsi won't solve anything really, other than quenching some of their thirst if they choose to drink it, and maybe improving their opinion of your protest by a tad. My take on the ad though, is that I feel that the reaction may have been a bit overblown. However, I don't know the slightest thing about protesting or feel any connection to it, so it is hard for me to sympathize. I can imagine however that if someone has a strong connection to protesting, then they would be incredibly offended by the false image of it that Pepsi is planting with their advertisement.]]> 2017-04-13 12:13:03 UTC https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166231218 Ahmad Kadado https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166231720 At first sight of watching the highly controversial Pepsi commercial, I did not find anything offensive yet I found the commercial to be a bit dumb. The essence that i got is that, a can of pepsi will solve the problems in todays society yet the whole reason that pepsi made that commercial is because they want to advertise the product. In the thought concept of pepsi, they were looking at topics that are popular now days and people are highly passionate about to try and implement there product to it so there will be more consumers. What ended up happening was there was a whole advertisement having to do with equality marches and the solution was a can of pepsi, which in a way symbolized a peace offering. This is where i got my inspiration of making my meme. I took how people viewed the pepsi commercial and boosted it, which is what memes do in a way. Cancer so far has no cure. I had the infamous doctor meme saying, "You wanna cure Cancer"... "Have a can of pepsi", implying that this can of pepsi will solve your problems, which is what in a way, the pepsi commercial implied.]]> 2017-04-13 12:17:27 UTC https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166231720 Angeliena Tharakan tharaang000 https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166233004 The recent Pepsi commercial has triggered a wave of controversy over the use of Black Lives Matter and police brutality themes to market their product. Supporters of the Black Lives Matter Movement did not fail to notice the imagery and criticized Pepsi for belittling their struggles by portraying Pepsi to be the solution to avoid police brutality. Although Pepsi might not have been purposefully trying to disparage the movement and issues of police brutality, it was very unthoughtful of them to make that ad. They failed to recognize the message the ad might be sending to the public. As a well known company, Pepsi should have been mindful of the consequences and it definitely is a huge fall on their part. The meme I created sarcastically criticizes the ad's message by implying that struggles and tensions in history could have been compromised just by sharing Pepsi. I got the inspiration for the meme from the idea that Pepsi is being portrayed as a drink that facilitates compromises which led me to think of using Henry Clay, a very well known character in U.S. History for being "the great compromiser". 

]]> 2017-04-13 12:27:29 UTC https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166233004 Hannah Hewitt https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166233162 Pepsi recently released a controversial commercial claiming, its soda could bring peace to police brutality and current protests. The controversy over the issue is  that the commercial completely ignores police brutality of current moments, the non peaceful protests, and the fact that a white women(Kendal Jenner) gave the Pepsi can to the police. The intent behind the commercial is probably innocent however they presented it the wrong way. The company is trying to say our product brings peace because it's so amazing and refreshing. But the message came off as white power and good old fashioned American values. To parallel  the horrible mistake they made, I used a picture of Hitler being hailed. I drew a smiley face on Hitler with a coke can right beside him, the caption reads he would have been happier if he had a Pepsi. I am not comparing women's rights and BLM protests or police to Hitler. Neither of those groups have caused genocide for a race. But rather I used Hitler as a comparison to show how big the problem and protests are in the U.S.. Police brutality has been a problem for a very long time and has probably caused thousands of unnecessary killings. BLM and women's equal rights protesters effect more than half of the U.S. population. The groups and issues listed above cause or are a 

]]> 2017-04-13 12:28:46 UTC https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166233162 Ryan Gelling gellirya000 https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166233235 The Pepsi commercial that was seen as trivializing BLM is in an awkward position. The message it was trying to convey was peace between protesters and the police. However, some saw the peace group in the commercial as representing BLM and a white women led it and gave a Pepsi to a white man. The problem people are having is that they used a well known white celebrity to represent the commercial's BLM movement. This has what has sparked anger. It is a message of police brutality and BLM yet the two main characters are both white. A movement opposing whites is being led by a white. That does not make sense. I got my inspiration from a typical meme format "I don't always.....But....". I liked this idea as in the picture there is a white and black Pepsi can on opposite sides with a normal blue Pepsi, the same color as in the commercial, separating the two cans. It symbolizes the fracture in the two races that a single Pepsi can created.]]> 2017-04-13 12:29:18 UTC https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166233235 Tonya Truong https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166233391 Initially when I watched the commercial, I didn't understand what was so controversial about it. The gesture of Kendall giving the a policeman a Pepsi can seemed to be a symbol to reunify society. However, my friend explained to me the ad was controversial BECAUSE of that gesture since they made it seem like soda was the solution to deep problems. Basing my meme off of this reason, I choose the picture of Satan and Jesus arm wrestling. The purpose was to emphasize how Pepsi used their product to resolve heavy conflicts. In the meme, Satan offered Jesus a Pepsi as a way to make amends, settle their differences, and forget about their past issues. This is parallel to how how people interpreted the ad. The ad erased all of the struggles of protests and implied that the solution to those struggles was with a carbonated drink.

]]> 2017-04-13 12:30:26 UTC https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166233391 Justmine cruz cruzjus0001 https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166233413 The recent Pepsi commercial with Kendall Jenner has sparked so much controversy on social media and all over the internet.  In the start of the commercial there is a bunch of young people of young people marching and protesting  which is suppose to symbolize the blacks live matter movement and towards the end of the commercial she opens the Pepsi and shares it with a police officer which is referring to police brutality.  Many people were upset that they used Kendall Jenner to star in the commercial and be the one to give the Pepsi to the police officer. This started a controversy because if Pepsi is going to try and do a commercial over police brutality and black lives matter why would you use a white and famous person to do so. The part that got people even more triggered was that Pepsi apologized to Jenner for the commercial but she was the one who wanted to star in and , she also knew there was a chance that controversy could happen but she did it anyway so it's her fault and Pepsi shouldn't be apologizing to her at all.  I got my meme inspiration from the meme of the person scratching there head which shows that they  and than at the bottom of the meme  I put the picture of Kendall Jenner handing the police the Pepsi can. I choose this meme because when most people see the Pepsi commercial they are very confused as to why Kendall is the actress and why Pepsi apologized to her so I tried to make my meme reflect this idea. 

]]> 2017-04-13 12:30:34 UTC https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166233413 Victoria Garcia https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166233521 The Pepsi commercial has sparked controversy over Kendall Jenner's appearance in a protest with young diverse people which at the end seems to show a message of police brutality. Many on social media were up set over the fact that Pepsi tried to make a statement but did it in the wrong way. First they hired a well known celebrity who isn't even active in any protests in her community, the more diverse people were used as the background and at the end when she gave the Pepsi to the cop and the crowd cheered it seemed to be a cheesy message for an end to police brutality. In my memes that I created I wanted them to be a funny yet also self realizing to that show how the the Pepsi commercial reflects social issues that are going on today. What inspired me o create these two memes was the idea that Pepsi was trying in a wrong way to be supportive in stopping police brutality, but I used an example of sarcasm as a response to the commercial to show its faults.

]]> 2017-04-13 12:31:24 UTC https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166233521 Hailey Grizzaffi https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166233603 The Pepsi commercial featuring Kendall Jenner that was recently released caused a lot of very valid controversy around the country. The ad depicted Jenner, a rich white woman, possibly insinuating that the #blacklivesmatter movement was misunderstanding and only needed to do more for the police, such as give them a soda or reach out to them. The entire video trivialized the struggle that the #blacklivesmatter movement endures and instead used that struggle to promote their brand. It also seemed that Pepsi was using Jenner as a representation of Leshia Evans, whose photograph at a Baton Rouge protest went viral; this was very offensive to everything that Evans went through and stood for.
My meme features Steve Harvey, who has been called out multiple times for his controversial comments, with a Pepsi can on his face and holding a sign up that reads "sorry." Pepsi did issue an apology following the backlash and pulled the commercial, but they will never be able to take back the message they have sent out to the world. In addition, their apology did not seem to be really genuine; it was more of a "sorry you took it the wrong way" sort of statement that did nothing for those it personally offended.
]]> 2017-04-13 12:32:02 UTC https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166233603 Amy Moreno https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166233607 I created my meme using the format popularized by the early 2010 era of meme culture. The text captions above and below the photo, accompanied by the "impact" font gives the impression of a cause and effect situation, typically ending negatively. My meme incorporated the sad Pepe frog, known for being a popular reaction meme, merged onto a Pepsi can. This fits the situation well, as Pepsi did was genuinely upset by the criticism and backlash they received. They created the ad with the intention of appealing to the younger generation of "woke" teenagers and young adults, but unfortunately that backfired on them. Pepsi did not expect the reactions that were triggered. This is understandable, though; I mean, what kind of reaction did Pepsi expect to receive from a commercial trivializing a huge movement and making it into some kind of joke? Additionally, the company had the audacity to use one of the absolute WORST celebrities to represent a movement. Pepsi made a big mistake in casting a rich, white, privileged, cultural appropriating female to be the face of a commercial portraying a protest, similar to one like that of Black Lives Matter. The commercial would not have been as bad if the company had decided to accurately represent what a real protest looks like, and how the people involved in the protest are treated. Casting people of color and simply throwing them in the back just to put Kendall Jenner on a pedestal is dumb and stupid. This entire commercial is dumb and stupid. Pepsi should just stick to recording people pouring soda into a cup.

]]> 2017-04-13 12:32:03 UTC https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166233607 Victoria Garcia #2 https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166233966 2017-04-13 12:35:00 UTC https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166233966 longash000 https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166234229 The commercial was conveying that if you given off is there a Pepsi every problem goes away and everything changes to everyone is equal. My meme shows different colors in the words to give emphasize that they're saying that everything is OK after the Pepsi is givin and all problems went way and all races would be would be welcome and equal. I also added "Pepsi me and I can take all the dull away with my fizz" because basically giving the office the Pepsi is taking all of the protesting and hateful words towards black lives. I feel as Pepsi went way too far with their commercial even though that the message they're trying to convey may be important but the way they approached it was very overboard. The police brutality is a serious situation and should not be taken as you can fix it with a little Pepsi. The problems in the world that are dealing with police brutality and black lives matter needs to have an approach that is not a commercial or something that people can feel like they are worth less than they already feel. If a simple Pepsi can change racism and police brutality then why haven't we used it sooner? ]]> 2017-04-13 12:36:56 UTC https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166234229 Nicolas René https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166234283 The meme that I created regarding the Pepsi commercial was simple, effective, and straight to the point. It shows some of the elements of real life protests and Black Lives Matter movements such as discrimination, sacrifice, danger, and bravery crossed out to illustrate that Pepsi took these elements and practically just did away with them to try and sell their product. It is not right, and even more disrespectful that they went about it by calming the conflict not only with Pepsi but with a white woman who received approving smiles. The misrepresentation of the Black Lives Matter movement evidenced in this commercial was simply inhumane and quite disrespectful to those who endured the things that these protests bring. I do not believe Pepsi's intent was to make a racist commercial, and their claim that they were trying to create peace but missed the mark is probably completely accurate. Their public apology does help to appease some of the angers, but it was definitely a bad move by them in the first place. However, if Pepsi was disingenuous with their apology and meant to cause a stir, this situation would correspond with the quote, "All publicity is good publicity" on their behalf. Although it may seem like they are getting lots of backlash and hate, they are nonetheless receiving a whole lot of press and publicity.]]> 2017-04-13 12:37:18 UTC https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166234283 Ben Harris https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166234645 The Image that I decided to submit was a combination of the solemn "tank man" protest during the Tiananmen protests in China. This widely circulated image I felt was a decent representation of the Pepsi commercial and its response. While Pepsi was trying to portray something of a similar magnitude, it comes across shallow and insensitive, mush like putting a Pepsi can in front of a row of tanks as protest. It's almost absurd in nature. What could have been a powerful message was ruined by the product placement and use of said product as a negotiation attempt. It's just silly. Pepsi is way outside of their scope in this regard. 

]]> 2017-04-13 12:39:38 UTC https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166234645 Araceli Nuñez https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166234667 For my meme I used a protest photo from the protests in recent years and combined a renowned quote from another company to do as Pepsi originally had, downplay the struggles of black America and the black lives matter movement. Pepsi made quite a bold move with this commercial and with the message it sends to black America and minorities in America as a whole, one has to wonder what message they were trying to send. My meme was roughly an attempt to summarize the events of the commercial with instead a black man and achieve the feeling of dubiousness. It is common sense that the power of a soda will not fix social injustices and to show how underplayed Pepsi made the movement seem, the meme  was created with a nonchalant and relaxed wording. Not only did they downplay the movement, but it was exploited for commercial use and one could even say it was gentrified. Kendall Jenner, a white woman replaced the face of Black Lives Matter and even the police she hands it to is white. The biggest details in the commercial were changed to fit the trendy, "no big deal, sit back & relax" narrative that Pepsi wanted. It will be quite interesting to watch the next few Pepsi commercials. ]]> 2017-04-13 12:39:49 UTC https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166234667 Marco Galvan galvamar000 https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166234983 The inspiration of my design came from the googling of “American CIvil Rights Movement” while in search for an image where several cans of Pepsi and perhaps even a speech bubble could be inserted for a comical effect. Although the image itself was not comical, the situation that it turned into might produce a grin or two. I proceeded to place Pepsi can upon civilian hands, dog bites and guns in hope of masking the brutality of the image as well as exemplifying how easy Pepsi is to come by in contrast to unconditional civil liberties. I would hope the audience of this meme, however, would have an epiphany and wonder if a can of soda could really put an end to such a grotesque action as discrimination. The immediate and obvious answer is no. No. The power bestowed upon a soda is no more than that given to a worker ant in a colony. Pepsi really found itself sinking in deep waters after the backlash of its commercial with a celebrity “helping” the Black Lives Matter movement. Not only does the celebrity come from a family that is famous for sex tapes and astray marriages, but the way in which the celebrity presents the soft drink to the officer directly reflects the privileges that white people have in America. The officer does not see the white celebrity as an immediate threat, but if the celebrity in the commercial would have been replaced by an ordinary African American youth, then that youth would have been gunned down. Pepsi’s public relations group has a lot of work to do following their inconsiderate commercial that was made to solely benefit their company. 


]]> 2017-04-13 12:42:03 UTC https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166234983 Maddie harris maddiehrrs https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166235348 The recent commercial for Pepsi featured Kendall Jenner a can of the famous soda to a police officer during what looked like a Black Lives Matter protest. This, to most people, looked like Pepsi was trying to make the issue of inequality between whites and blacks insignificant. Although the commercial did come off as ignorant and demeaning, I do not believe it was the intentions of those who wrote the commercial. The meme I created was a picture of Ieshia Evans, who stood up to officers in a unsettlingly similar way that Jenner approached the police in the commercial. I placed a Pepsi can between the officer and Evans with the caption "does this make it okay?" In reference to the implication that police brutality can be solved with something as simple as a can of soda. 

]]> 2017-04-13 12:44:42 UTC https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166235348 Noor Ajaz https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166235803 For the past few weeks, I didn't have my phone, so I wasn't on Twitter as much, which meant that I was missing out on a recent topics, such as the Pepsi commercial controversy. I wasn't aware of what specifically happened that made everyone talk about, so I had to watch the commercial myself. When watching it, at first I didn't understand what the big deal was because I was fond of the first half of the video, where everyone was coming together in one march. However, I soon understood the controversy after seeing the part where Kendall Jenner handed the police a Pepsi can. As the scene was trying to replicate a famous black lives matter protest, I was not fond of the commercial, as it made the BLM protest seem less than what it was, due to her white supremacy. When creating my meme, I was taking into consideration different things that are known to have a negative connotation to them, similar to how the police is typically portrayed. In the final product of my meme, I ended up using a Hitler to represent the police officers from the Pepsi commercial, in which Kendall Jenner had time traveled to the past and was handing Hitler the can of Pepsi. The meme gives off the impression that a Pepsi can cure all-- including World War II. Similar to most memes, the meme is meant to be comical, along with sarcasm, so the audience should know that the meme is not meant to be serious. 

]]> 2017-04-13 12:47:34 UTC https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166235803 Jocelyn https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166244112 The Pepsi company was really attempting to romanticize a huge protest with not just the Black Lives Matter movement but also the LBGTQ,and Muslims.The ad was not really offensive as people claim it to be but it could have multiple people of minorities with Kylie Jenner to give the Pepsi product to the national guards.With one person that is a highly privilege celebrity calming the protest down doesn't really make sense either since she was barely apart of it.Again,the producers of this advertisement should have consider having multiple people giving Pepsi showing unity under a civil resolution.To produce my meme ,I used my two cats in a fighting scenario and placed a coke in the scene.Also used Morgan Freeman as inspiration when he says "It was at this moment ,he knew he ****** up".


]]> 2017-04-13 13:32:41 UTC https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166244112 Alexis Herrera https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166252422 The first meme I turned in was the one I created, which is a twist of the response the public had towards the Pepsi commercial, which is understandable how people might interpret how it undermines the importance and struggle of protests and how to gain a voice so the government can hear you. But I also understand the point of view coming from Pepsi, the entire commercial itself is not that bad, it's creative, fun, uplifting, but people simply focused on the negative part. The part where Kendall Jenner hands the police officer a Pepsi can and he smiles and looks at his fellow officer, that's where the controversy applies. Pepsi, indirectly, perhaps directly, makes it seem like all protests and conflicts can be simply fixed by sharing a soft drink together. This can be taken as an insult towards people who have organized and participated in protests to try to solve conflicts and make their lives better. ]]> 2017-04-13 14:07:59 UTC https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166252422 Daniyah Imtiaz https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166253423 The recent commercial produced by Pepsi starring Kendall Jenner made headlines when several people accused it of demonstrating white privilege and belittling the message of the Black Lives Matter Movement. Pepsi claims that the commercial was intended to unite people towards world peace, however they were unsuccessful due to the fact that it displayed false representation of how easily issues can be resolved with just a carbonated beverage. Jenner, a Caucasian model and reality star is shown arriving to a protest and handing one of the police officers a Pepsi. After that, everyone begins to cheer in excitement as if she solved the problem. However, in reality it is not that simple, especially if you are colored. Therefore, I chose two African American activists that protested for many years to have equality; Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. Both are illustrated at a grocery store buying all the Pepsi because apparently it ends police brutality so now they do not have to protest anymore. However, Malcolm X is saying to Martin Luther King Jr. that the soda only worked with Kendall because she is white. Altogether, I hope the audience will acknowledge why the commercial was disagreeable to some because not everyone has the same privileges to go up to a police officer without getting handcuffed and also getting their way effortlessly. ]]> 2017-04-13 14:12:15 UTC https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166253423 Heather Graham https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166256383 When creating the meme, I tried to convey the message that was being resembled in the commercial. Displayed was how Pepsi was able to solve all kinds of problems such as riots, looting, and Black Lives Matter Movement. The commercial is not entirely bad, it shows unity of people, but it also shows bad qualities of people that have been associated with many problems during the last few years such as protests of police officers and racial disputes. However, my meme was to provide an example and to spark a satirical attitude toward the issue using "the most interesting man in the world". This helps the audience to see the viewpoint that many have a negative view of the commercial, but sometimes a positive message can come out of it.]]> 2017-04-13 14:24:16 UTC https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166256383 Rachel Myles https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166266677 The white entitlement and white privilege displayed in the Pepsi commercial ad is glaringly obvious as different racial and religious groups, such as blacks and Muslims, are depicted as cool and hip props for Kendall Jenner's enjoyment.  It becomes even more degrading when the protest seems to become a colorful block party where these oppressed groups show no real sign of unhappiness.   The end of the commercial brings the crescendo of ignorance to a climax as the white Kendall Jenner erases all conflict and unrest with the simple offering of a Pepsi.   The fight for basic human rights has always had a huge place in American history.   With POCs,various religions, and people of different sexual orientations have always had to fight for rights denied to them.   My meme seeks to showcase that their is no magical Pepsi of peace for any of these groups.  These groups' struggle should not become a symbol of trendy activism, entertainment for bored whites, or an excuse to rebel and party.   My meme depicts a black protester being brutalized by police, and realizing that the offering of a Pepsi doesn't do anything to help a situation.   It shows a 1960 actual picture with the caption, "When you try and trade a Coca Cola for basic human rights and find out that only works with Pepsi and white privilege".]]> 2017-04-13 15:09:26 UTC https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166266677 Tristen Wheeler https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166270215 The image I created was a satirical take on the Pepsi commercial. It illustrates Hitler  and says "If only Hitler had a Pepsi." Honestly, I think that Pepsi took their commercial to an extreme. On one side, it makes a claim that there are only two sides to issues, not an in-between. On the other hand, it claims that these two sides can come hand in hand with small acts of kindness. Though police brutality is real, it is important to recognize that not all police women & men fail at their job. And not all civilians are innocent. This is probably the point that Pepsi was trying to make, I just feel they went the wrong way about doing it. There are a lot more extreme situations where love and acts of kindness cannot save the day. ]]> 2017-04-13 15:23:55 UTC https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166270215 Kayla Lipscomb https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166275422 Black Lives Matter began its life as a hashtag in 2013, created in response to George Zimmerman's acquittal. In the three years since the message spread urgently across social media, Black Lives Matter has crystallized into an international activist movement. It connects people across countries, cultures, socioeconomic era, religious beliefs, gender identities, political affiliations, and ethnicities in unrelenting pursuit of a just, equal, safe, and free existence for people of color everywhere. I chose this meme because the black lives matter movement is built off of unity and sharing the same want for equality. As a group, people of color and supporters of this group will gladly decline Pepsi as a group due to their distasteful choice of advertisement. I hope that's what others will take from this meme, to support the fight to end a misrepresentation of the Black Lives Matter movement. The ad was portraying Kendall Jenner as a higher regard, that racism will end due to her. The act of holding her to such a high significance shows that the movement is below her, and that she's more valuable to the "cause" than anything else, rather than the lives lost due to current day racism.

]]> 2017-04-13 15:45:02 UTC https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166275422 Cecille Lopez https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166275448 In the process of creating the meme, the main idea was to portray how the people with privilege economic rights can make any problem go away with a little cash bonus to the authorities. The commercial provided the image to see Kylie as just a women giving a soda to the authorities. However,there is always a deeper meaning to this meme as it has been very commonly known that, throughout history, the person with the greater power, or better reputation usually gets away with anything or can make things change. The acknowledgement of past events had inspired me to portray the problem of how some people can make things go "under the rug". Of course this is just a commercial simply portraying visual pleasure by giving a famous person a can of soda, but the reality is that the message is more than just a simple little picture. Although the commercial shouldn't be taken that seriously, it should be used as an example to pinpoint how police brutality seems to only "calm down" when a person of economic advantage is speaking for those who cannot. I hope when people have seen my meme masterpiece they make some connections about the continuation of using powerful white figures to speak for minorities.]]> 2017-04-13 15:45:10 UTC https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166275448 Ben Scott scottben000 https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166275523 The meme I created and posted was used to hyperbolically represent just how ridiculous Pepsi's advertisement was. Somehow, in one commercial, Pepsi was able to not only gentrify and normalize protests, especially in a time that protests are so prevalent and so meaningful, and cast a wealthy, white, straight woman to seemingly 'cure' the division between police and protesters. While the idea of this advertisement itself is absurd, the way Pepsi went about bringing it to life is absolutely atrocious. From the beginning, we see our main heroine showing little to no interest in the issue at hand, and especially not the protest, until a young, handsome, Cello playing, Asian man NODS TO HER causing her to JOIN THE PROTEST. From the start this poses the question of Pepsi trying to minimize the importance of the Black Lives Matter movement, the Women's March, etc. Also, Pepsi does their very best (sarcasm) to make their ad as diverse as possible. We see through their use of our friends the Cello playing Asian man, Hijab wearing photographer, and the light skinned Black man with braids (whose only role is to fist bump Kendall Jenner and 'hit the folks' during a protest) that Pepsi is willing to go to any lengths to make their commercial diverse, except making a Person of Color the lead role. Because of this, these POC sprinkled throughout the protester are seemed to be used as human props instead of characters. In addition, these actors are far too happy and joyful to be realistic of any movement, dancing and Cello playing, making this protest seem almost more like a Flash Mob. The ease that Jenner is able to approach the police officer, who is shockingly lacking in riot gear and weaponry, is almost laughable. Had she been a real protester in a real situation, specifically a Person of Color, holding an unidentifiable item and then passing it to an officer, she would have been restrained and tackled to the ground, not celebrated and cheered. I believe I accurately portrayed the absurdity of this entire commercial with my meme. ]]> 2017-04-13 15:45:29 UTC https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166275523 Chyna McNeal https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166275847 As a means to trivialize Pepsi, Kendall Jenner and the message of the commercial all at once as they've done to BLM, I've provided a series of pictures, each accompanied by text that delves deeper and deeper into the hit and miss that was this commercial. Progressively, the text becomes more and more refined, while the image becomes more distorted, until it is difficult to tell what the initial intentions were. The lengthening and continuous depth of the text is meant to also show how far the initial message has strayed. It dually captures the idiocy and unfamiliarity of these "good intentions" while also showing how far one would have to go to "miss [such a big] mark". Pepsi and Kendall both really messed up on this one, and both missed an opportunity to capture what this country is going through, and send a message that promotes the betterment of it. Instead, they focused too much on profit, and are facing the consequences.

]]> 2017-04-13 15:47:09 UTC https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166275847 Dallas Ume-Ezeoke https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166275909 The meme created and submitted is somewhat utilized as a tool to expose  the composition of the buffoonery that is the Pepsi Ad. Pepsi starts off on the wrong foot by having an individual who is famous but has had no notable contribution to what is the black lives matter movement. This black lives matter movement is considered a monumental stepping stone to reducing and eliminating discrimination against black people within America. However, having Kendall Jenner (who's family is considered 'talentless' despite the massive gain of fame,) as the main protagonist within the ad, is Pepsi attempting to have a manipulative placebo to win over the American audiences. The failure of the ad also lies deep within; there are plenty of overly-diverse and 'too' much of a multi-cultural melting pot (whilst surprisingly managing to keep mostly black actors out of the ad) to even appear remotely realistic. Not only that, the portrayal of the lackadaisical officers is also false. In reality, a force used to stop or monitor protests are commonly laced with much more police population. In addition, riot shields, tactical weapons, and a tightly-knitted barricade of human bodies are all used to stop unwanted protests. The protests shown in the ad are lacking people of darker color, showing people laughing, smiling, dancing, and enjoying themselves. In contrast, realistic protests are the opposite. Real protests would actually properly fluctuate in skin color across the board, people are more serious, it can usually involve plenty of violence, and also include forceful situations (coming from either the protesters themselves or the police force.) The article introduces the idea that the very 'fakeness' of the environment within the ad, and artificial characteristics that the ad had contained is what had brought failure. The sole reason why many people had felt that the black lives matter movement was being trivialized, is because the carelessness of Pepsi's ad choices. They had brought in Kendall Jenner, a person who had been accused of cultural appropriation in the past, to solve the systematic problem of police brutality or discrimination, with just one Pepsi can. This sort of dismisses the hard work of protesters and people devoted to movements to stop discrimination and racism within America. It undermines the sacrifices, dedication and countless martyrdoms within history, and even recent news. The fact that Pepsi had stolen the same powerful imagery that had actually happened (which was a very tender and hot topic for many people,) to promote a failing brand, was completely disrespectful and reckless.]]> 2017-04-13 15:47:27 UTC https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166275909 Alex Belcher https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166276110  The meme I created represents the ignorance of the Pepsi commercial. At first glance, the commercial in question appears to be a typical commercial and but this commercial has sparked a ton of controversy. To many people who are not part of the groups that have recently been protesting, the commercial has no issues. To the people who are part of groups that have been protesting, the idea of giving an officer a soft drink and everything will be fixed is crazy. My meme showcases someone's hands giving an officer a Pepsi can. I watched the role of protestors and officers to show the ignorance of the commercial the officer in my meme is dressed in riot gear and is holding a sign with a popular meme of a guy with a confused look. The confused guy on the officers sign represents real life protestors. I got the inspiration for this meme after many hours looking at memes online and from my own personal experiences with protests. 

]]> 2017-04-13 15:48:26 UTC https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166276110 Timothy Gove https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166276214 In the commercial, they are showing that people are coming together to support a protest, unfortunately they don't show a real protest or march for a real life situation, they are just saying join the conversation, or peace signs. The people they show joining the protest are from different cultures and occupations, but when they showed Kendall Jenner modeling and joining the march, it was kind of awkward, like why did she join it and why was she giving the policeman a Pepsi, what was it supposed to symbolize, that things bigger than us can be solved by a can of Pepsi given to a policeman? I created my meme to show that cartoon characters also think it is funny that a can of Pepsi can solve world peace. With all the trouble and heartache in the world today and a soft drink could fix it all is just funny in my opinion. 

]]> 2017-04-13 15:48:59 UTC https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166276214 Matthew Graham https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166279305 The meme I created for the Pepsi advertisement controversy shows what would actually happen if Kendall Jenner gave a police officer a Pepsi, compared to a fictional character made by Pepsi, Pepsi Man, giving the officer a Pepsi. A Pepsi can alone will not fix everything. A police officer is not going to smile if someone walks up and gives him a Pepsi, unless that person is wearing a ridiculous costume (like Pepsi Man). I hope that people that see this meme will understand that there's times when a Pepsi could do some good in a situation, just not this one. I believe that this commercial was just a quick marketing tactic to use recent events to help sell their product. The controversy of the ad was also fueled by Pepsi pulling all of their advertisements off of YouTube. Youtubers that make their money by having advertisements on their videos were angered when a large company like Pepsi pulled their ads. Many of those video makers told their audiences to hate on the new Pepsi advertisement and even made fun of it themselves. The combination of these factors proved too much for Pepsi as they made a formal apology and took the advertisement down. Next time, Pepsi should not use current events that are sensitive to people to sell products, it will only backfire on them.]]> 2017-04-13 16:04:42 UTC https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166279305 Ashley Kurian https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166284166 Although it is easy to see what Pepsi was originally trying to accomplish with this ad, it is clear that the creators of this ad were oblivious to the obvious flaws found in the commercial. The ad suggest that Kendall Jenner, a rich, privileged, white model, was able to stop a Black Lives Matter protest with her “boldness” and a can of Pepsi. Not only does the as falsely depict the nature of a protest, it also dismissed decades of equal rights movements that fought to end oppression. The meme I created shows a picture of Kendall Jenner fanning herself during this Pepsi commercial shoot with the caption “single handedly ending oppression and racism is such a demanding task”. This shows that Kendall Jenner, of all people, was not a well thought out choice for this problematic soda ad.]]> 2017-04-13 16:28:28 UTC https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166284166 Rita Escobar escobrit000 https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166291804 I definitely understand the controversy that emerged from the Pepsi commercial. In my opinion, the commercial mocks the current issues between minorities and police brutality, and makes it seem as though the solution and end to those problems is as simple as giving someone a Pepsi. To make matters worse, they used Kendall Jenner, a white, rich, and privileged female. Perhaps if they had used an unknown minority figure (or even someone who was a famous minority) there wouldn't be as much judgement of the commercial. I derived my inspiration to create my meme from Gavin, a famous meme himself with countless memes. His expressions depict him cringing, disapproving, or confused at something, making it easy to caption his pictures with relatable instances, one of his most famous memes being the one that says "can't relate". I chose to use that meme for that same purpose, because people can't relate to fixing problems, much less social issues, by handing someone a Pepsi.  

]]> 2017-04-13 17:10:25 UTC https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166291804 Megan Brown https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166301114 The meme I created for the Pepsi advertisement controversy was a battle between two sodas. Pepsi portraying the United States, and Coca-cola portraying Hitler, since there are some pictures I have found online that indicate that he was a coke fan. The general message I got from the commercial was that "Pepsi can basically stop all fighting and create peace", which is why I placed it as the U.S. because we were one of the victors during WWII since we helped bring the evil reign of Hitler to an end. Which led to the Jews being freed from the hatred filled concentration camps so that they were able to return to their healthy peaceful lives from before the war. The advertisement is completely ridiculous in my opinion. I understand that the company was trying to spread a positive message of unity, but apparently they did a poor job of doing so since they've caused such an uproar across the globe, especially in the form of Pepsi memes. But, I don't really see the big deal of it. Pepsi wasn't actually trying to represent any protest in particular, just protests in general. I get that the Black Lives Matter movement is going on and the Women's march, but the protest in the video is just to promote world peace, nothing else. The feedback towards the commercial is exactly what the company is trying to prevent, hatred. Everyone is just filling other people's heads with negativity as they spread all the wrong information on what the advertisement's intention really was. So what if their portrayal of a protest was inaccurate? It's just an advertisement, not a recreation of the harsh realities of legitimate protests that have occurred throughout history. They definitely wouldn't want to show violence in a video about people from all different background coming together "in a spirit of harmony", even if what is hidden behind the TV screen can hold a greater impact on our decision. ]]> 2017-04-13 17:59:58 UTC https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166301114 https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166301733 The commercial displayed a high level of ignorance. It made it seem as if all life's problems could be solved with a drink. Movements and protest have been fought for years and it came off as those who have protested against injustice could've just solved it with Pepsi. My meme represents the belittling of the situation. It represents the countless situations in which could've just been solved with the said Pepsi. ]]> 2017-04-13 18:02:36 UTC https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166301733 Karina Dacpano https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166301823 My meme shows Kendall Jenner after giving the Pepsi to the police office. The thought bubble with the Pepsi logo replaced with the peace sign is meant to show how the Pepsi can was equivalent to a peace offering in the ad. My inspiration for this meme came from the posters that were presented in the video. Also, it was meant to mock the thought process of having a drink fix everything. This recent commercial has brought light upon white privilege and what is has to do with the Black Lives Matter movement. Kendall Jenner, an extremely privileged woman is seen offering a Pepsi to an officer who gladly takes it, representing a symbol of peace. Those who are “protestors” in the video just happen to be attractive minorities who carry around meaningless posters reading “peace” and “join the conversation”. Real protests have clever posters that relay the message being brought across, but in this video, there was a failed ATTEMPT to present a peaceful protest.]]> 2017-04-13 18:02:56 UTC https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166301823 Alex Pate https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166301998 The recent Pepsi advertisement spurred controversy because it made light of the Black Lives Matter movement and the efforts of protesters throughout history.  The advertisement also made light of protests in general, in that it only shows very vague signs such as ones that say "join the conservation" and have peace signs on them.  The lack of a demand coupled with the carefree atmosphere of the protest in the ad in one way in which Pepsi shows its ignorance.  The other way is the climax of the ad - Kendall Jenner giving the police officer a can of Pepsi.  The depiction of events in the ad is extremely contrary how the exchange would have gone had Kendall been anything but white.  While I do not think the advertisement was purposely designed to be hostile, it does show an extreme lack of understanding about the struggles of African Americans because it uses a serious issue to promote a brand of soda.]]> 2017-04-13 18:03:49 UTC https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166301998 Raqeeb Ali https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166309026 The BLM are not like the fun happy imagery the ad depicted. Protesters are often beat, bloodied, and arrested. The ad was completely tone-deaf to the issue of police killings. Which is not a surprise because the media regularly does this to people of color and minorities. Cultural appropriation can also be visible in this video as well because people of colors suffering has been used to turn into profit. Similarly, the meme that I created was inspired by this controversy. The meme illustrates an African American holding their hand out with a Pepsi can. The carbonated substance inside can be seen spurting out with phrases relating to police brutality and the pain and suffering BLM protestors endure. The liquid implies that Pepsi can solve all the societal problems.]]> 2017-04-13 18:38:11 UTC https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166309026 Jacob Arey https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166316413 The Pepsi commercial is very controversial and basically says that any problem could be saved with a can of Pepsi. My inspiration for this meme is because Lakeview Centennial’s principal said if she or any teachers catches anyone wearing a hat they would give them ISS (In School Suspension). Also the reason I was wearing the hat was to show the reason for giving the Pepsi. Furthermore, with the Pepsi I could give the teacher or principal it and everything would be just fine. The reason this meme is effective is because of the fact that it shows that teachers and students can unite and see common grounds through the power of Pepsi.

]]> 2017-04-13 19:21:16 UTC https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166316413 Cody Lewis lewiscod000 https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166323288 Initially when I watched the recent controversial Pepsi ad commercial starring Kendall Jenner I was skeptical of the message Pepsi was trying to convey, so I foreshadowed the criticism that I knew was coming. However, I did not think it would lead to them taking down the commercial within 24hrs. I now fully comprehend where the controversy arose and why it was taken down; everything that African Americans have fought hard for many years for was not justified when it seemed as if a "highly privileged white girl" could solve nationwide problems with just a Pepsi. Since Pepsi has taken down the commercial I do not have any more feelings of resentment seeing that they have listened to the people, however I am now more aware of their true moral regardless if it is still aired or not. In addition, my meme was inspired by Pepsi obliviousness of the social distress that is really is really going on around them. Me, an African American is holding a Pepsi can with Jake (a white boy) believing that it is what caused us to unite. However, if you look closely at my facial expression you can see that I am doubtful of the whole scenario because in reality a Pepsi does not do anything more for anybody than cure their thirst. I hope the audience can see that Pepsi is just a drink not a solution to real world problems that should be taken serious everyday.]]> 2017-04-13 20:09:04 UTC https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166323288 Josue Garay https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166326053 Pepsi recently produced what many are considering a controversial commercial that diminishes the movement for racial equality. Many deem this commercial as a controversy due to the role that Kendall Jenner plays in order to promote peace with the use of a Pepsi can between law enforcement and the activists in the video. Although others may argue that this video was nothing more than an entity to promote the message of peace among all races, as the director carefully chose to portray diverse racial actors throughout the video, it is undeniable that this video goes against the current racial issues occurring in Modern America. The meme that I chose was a Pepsi can inside a brown bag, captioned, "The only way to drink Pepsi now". The soda inside the brown bag hides the can from others, similar to what many do when hiding liquor inside a brown bag to avoid attention from the beverage. Through it all, whether one is for or against the Pepsi Ad and values, without a doubt, this controversial video has brought an increasing amount of attention towards the corporation, and has even increased sales as many have]]> 2017-04-13 20:34:14 UTC https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166326053 Audrey Salazar https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166326564 My meme shows how the use of pepsi cans would be used in reality at a protest by using a picture showing a line of policemen and having pepsi cans being thrown at them. The commercial wrongly interpreted on the protest of black lives matter. Pepsi made it seem like a simple can of soda will easily resolve problems on a very serious situation, but in reality it would take a lot more commitment and suffering for trying to resolve something like this. The commercial also made the protest seem peaceful and delightful but in an actual protest, people are angry and violent because they are fighting for an end to police brutality among african americans. The picture I used compares how the pepsi can would be used in reality to how it was used in the commercial. The only way pepsi cans would be used in a situation like this, would be using them to throw at the police forces.]]> 2017-04-13 20:39:34 UTC https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166326564 Morgan Smith https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166326684 After the release of the Pepsi commercial with Kendall Jenner, major outrage happened mostly in the #blacklivesmatter community. It is obvious was to why people would be upset about this commercial, because with the action of Kendall Jenner giving the coke to the police officer whose job was to regulate a street rally, claims that a simple little gesture can bring the sides of police and the people together as one. However, the media has shown this is the exact opposite of what happens between the people and police when street protests happen, and how there is a true separation between the people and the police and how there is no type of unity, because it seems as if the police are more obligated to ignore or fight back when there is an interaction between them and the protesters, not a happy accommodation between them. With the meme I created I showed how the message of how the power of a Pepsi that Pepsi was trying to show, but in the background there is the unrest and not so happy feeling that is realistic between protesters and the police. Not only is the picture of the police and protester is in the background but it is washed out, symbolizing how Pepsi washed out the realistic high intense environment that protesting creates.]]> 2017-04-13 20:40:39 UTC https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166326684 Precious Rojas rojaspre000 https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166334526 Pepsi's recent commercial has outraged many Americans who feel as if Pepsi is trivializing the tense relations between police officers and protestors. This past year, there have been numerous accounts of African Americans becoming victims of police brutality. This however is nothing new for the African American community. During the civil rights movement, police dogs, water hoses, tear gas, and violent force were all used to disperse some of the protests of that time. I wonder if things would have turned out different if Civil Rights leaders had known about the "Pepsi solution". Even if they did, I doubt they would even believe the absurd idea that all of their problems regarding racial equality and tension between them and police officers could have been solved with just a simple can of Pepsi. This simple fact was the reasoning behind my meme. By using an image from the Civil Rights Movement as the basis for my meme, I hope to bring attention to how much Pepsi ignored or refused to include the actual dangers and frustrations experienced by protestors not only during the Civil Rights Movement but also during the Black Lives Matter Movement, which is basically a continuation of the beliefs and sentiments held by African Americans during the 1950s.]]> 2017-04-13 23:05:50 UTC https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166334526 Timothy Estrada https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166340505 I created this meme to show the unrealistic viewpoint that the Pepsi commercial had on today's society. I also hope that the meme can show the awkwardness of Kendal Jenner being in a black lives matter protest. The meme signifies how ignorant Pepsi is over the topic of the black lives matter movement. Also it shows how Pepsi is not being made aware of the fact that they could have used any African American woman, instead of Kendal Jenner, to at least symbolize how we can have peace and to not have riots or police brutality. I also noticed that this commercial in no way shows the true and ideal events that occur around the United States and that affect the lives of millions of Americans. Even though the black lives matter movement is very a touchy subject, Pepsi should not have ever created the commercial, because to tell you the truth, it did not show the real life conflict of police brutality.]]> 2017-04-14 01:41:40 UTC https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166340505 Saul Riojas https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166343120 I made a meme portraying the ridiculous statement the Pepsi ad is insinuating. The premise of this meme is that as the images of the brain grow larger, implying increasing intelligence, while the subject on the left shows the opposite. I utilized the theme of the protest/rally shown in the commercial as an inspiration for the text in the image. As the methods shown in the image get simpler, the final stage is simply handing a police officer a Pepsi. Hopefully with this meme it is made clearer how Pepsi trivialized the idea of protests by implying that the problems can be solved through handing a police officer a can of Pepsi. The recent controversy surrounding the commercial was to be expected as PepsiCo used imagery that is strikingly similar to protests that are occurring around the world today.]]> 2017-04-14 02:56:50 UTC https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166343120 Liam Mahagan https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166343785 The commercial released by the Pepsi ad was probably not as bad as many people make it out to be, but it is still a pretty bad PR scandal. For starters, I agree with critiques that it trivializes the Black Lives Matter movement as well as the issue of police brutality, and I further agree that the commercial shows a severe lack of understanding for the issue. The commercial lazily uses Kendall Jenner, because obviously Kendall Jenner is a loved and respected public figure, to portray a celebrity showing sympathy for the Black Lives Matter cause. One of the dumbest and most shortsighted decisions of the commercial was when Kendall Jenner apparently solves racism and police brutality by offering a Pepsi to a police officer. I do not think this reflects on any malicious intentions by the marketing team, but I do think that this shows a huge problem with the public perception of police brutality and black lives matter. The truth is, as much as people would like to sweep under the rug, that African Americans just do not have it as easy in America as white people do. African American civilians are more likely to be stopped by a police officer despite having similar crime rates to White Americans, and African Americans are more likely to be attacked in an encounter with the police. The problem with the Pepsi ad is that it portrays the issue as, for lack of a better term, trendy. The marketing team is either trying to be inspirational, or trying to be funny, but neither is working. The meme that I created shows a Pepsi bottle fizzing up and becoming the Atomic bomb on Nagasaki. My inspiration for this meme was the portrayal of the black lives matter in the commercial as simple and absurd, pushing together corporatism and oppression. My commercial was an attempt at recreating the absurdity, showing the horrifying image of the deployment of the atomic bomb, and at the base, a simple Pepsi bottle.


]]> 2017-04-14 03:16:32 UTC https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166343785 Erica Mendoza https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166345623 I looked through some of my favorite memes to get inspiration but nothing really came to mind. Eventually, I created this meme which demonstrates the irony of the Pepsi Ad controversy. I reversed the roles of a person of color and a white person trying to sort out the aftermath of the ad. I did this by saying "Pepsi POC Worker: If you you want the ad problems to go away just drink a Pepsi."  This statement emphasizes the ridiculous idea of giving a Pepsi to a Police Officer, as if that would solve anything. Although they might of had good intentions, it just wasn't portrayed in the right context. Pepsi failed to show how the BLM movement is serious and not something that white person could solve by handing a Pepsi to an officer. This was a sensitive topic and not a wise one to shoot a drink commercial on. ]]> 2017-04-14 04:31:43 UTC https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166345623 Christina Sam samchr000 https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166406015 Although Pepsi claims and justifies the whole purpose of their ad was to “[try] to project a global message of unity, peace, and understanding”, the advertisement created so many heated controversies over social media. It brought attention to the social media platforms very negatively as people interpreted the ad as a misappropriation of the Black Lives Matter movement. Similarly, the meme that I created was inspired by this controversy. The meme depicts Mohandas Gandhi or respectively known as Gandhi Ji holding his hand out while a Pepsi can is in his hand by a large crowd. He seems to say, “Since Pepsi solves everything...why not give to to the British?!” The intention behind this meme has a historical meaning. During the Indian independence movement in India, the British intervened with Indian politics, created violence, and completely took control of the whole India. As a response, Ghandi Ji utilized numerous nonviolent tactics and the meme is supposed to represent a “nonviolent” way to make amends with the British and to end all the disputes. This is ironic because the Pepsi Can completely makes “light” or a joke of all the hardship,struggles, and even bloodshed that the Indian nation had to endure. This is similar to the Pepsi ad because it overstates the fact that a beverage can “solve” the different issues that India had to go through to get Independence. 

]]> 2017-04-14 21:05:41 UTC https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166406015 Donovan Waiters https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166413123 Pepsi initially thought making a commercial such as this would hopefully be received positively by the general public. When looking at this commercial from a non biased viewpoint, there seems to be no problem with the commercial nor the message Pepsi is trying to convey. However, Pepsi received negative feedback due to this commercial, and was oblivious as to why. Although it may not have been their intention, the public saw that Pepsi was belittling the oppression minorities have been facing within the police force. The public saw this commercial as making light of a very serious situation that has gotten many minorities killed. My meme was made to portray the confusion Pepsi might have expressed when they received backlash for a commercial that they believed may help the current situation between law enforcement and minorities.]]> 2017-04-15 01:31:06 UTC https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166413123 Maricela Ramirez https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166436735 My favorite meme's have to do with texts surrounding a picture. It's a simplest style of a meme but has the same effect of any other form of meme. The text surrounding the picture is able to be sarcastic and make the viewer laugh. I made the texts seem as though the people included in the picture are talking but made it entertaining at the same time. While Kendall is portraying the commercial, the two people beside her are portraying the viewers. I hope the audience would see the sarcastic remarks I made on the meme and understand why the pepsi commercial is a big controversy. Pepsi made it seem as their product would be able to control the police and make them friendly. Many people have taken the commercial to heart or feel as though the commercial has offended them. The Black Lives Matter Movement has become a big part of the U.S and the commercial made it seem as though there was a clear solution to stop police from attacking their cause, a soda can. Instead of using a protest which includes police trying to restrain them, pepsi should have used a different method to advertise their product. Not only is the Black Lives Matter Movement a sensitive topic to use in a commercial but it can cause many to question why a company would use the movement as a way to advertise. The way the commercial was portrayed made people question if pepsi took the viewer's point of view into consideration. Did they know how much it would affect or offend them?
]]> 2017-04-15 17:17:28 UTC https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166436735 Nhu https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166438302 My was a generic and common type of meme that has been around for quite some time since 2016. It compares two picture with the latter being the "better" version. When we see Kendall Jenner in the frame smiling happily towards the cops and presenting a Pepsi as a peace offering I thought of Ieshia Evans standing at peace and confident facing armed policemen while being unarmed herself. The reality of what is going on in today's world should not be used as a way to promote a business in any sort of form. The whole production of the commercial could have been much better if a different concept and form was used. However, in the end, Kendall, Pepsi, and everyone on the production team still decided to go through with it and put it in the eyes of the public while only pulling it after receiving backlash- where it can be inferred that they team though nothing wrong of it before the criticism was received.  With the meme, I hope that the audience can see how the Pepsi ad with Kendall is using protest as a way to boost their own sales and make light of a situation that in present day is highly controversial. To make the commercial be depicted as a nonchalant action where everything is easily solved takes away from the suffering of those fighting for change.]]> 2017-04-15 18:12:36 UTC https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166438302 Jackie Tong https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166446946 The creation of my meme comes from the term R.I.P which stands for rest in peace. However, people make the mistake of saying "R.I.P In Peace," and has since turned into a meme. Some replace the word peace with "pepperoni" and such so I used the word Pepsi. My picture is the Pepsi logo resting inside a casket, saying "R.I.P In Pepsi." Due to the backlash the company has received for their ads, the company has received a good amount of hate. As a result, I believe their business will descend. In my opinion, I believe the ad itself was not harmful. Its message was how the Pepsi drink would be able to bring out the "boldness" in people to express what they feel. However, the message could have easily been taken the wrong way and seen as offensive.]]> 2017-04-16 01:27:45 UTC https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166446946 Jasmine Watts wattsjas000 https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166532937 I thought the original Pepsi ad started off in a fantastic way, highlighting diversity and talent and the spirt of the younger generation pushing for change. The ending, however, made light of a subject that had turned out deadly for hundereds. The Kardashians have always been able to get away with, and even be praised for, having the features and using the beauty trends that African American women have been criticized for in the past. Now Kendal Jenner is able to trivialize the serious issue of protests and come off as sweet and cool. Because of the nature of the ad I haven't been a huge fan of the Pepsi memes but I tried my hardest to put the "easy solution" aditutde of the commercial into something most of my peers would find relatable. I used the pepsi as a bribe for a stern looking Ms. Song, but I think her face gives away that this offering may not be as successful as it was on TV.]]> 2017-04-17 12:43:30 UTC https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166532937 Madelene Martinez https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166557502 The meme I created combined the Pepsi commercial with the current controversy with United Airlines, showing how ridiculous the commercial is in comparison to real struggles that people of color face. The meme is using the picture of Kendall Jenner handing the pepsi to the United Airlines logo is to show that if the man who was forcibly removed from the airplane had just used the Pepsi "method" he would not have been attacked, at least that is the message conveyed by the commercial. Pepsi's effort to include current matters and sociatal problems was completely missed, while trying to send a message of unity, they instead made something that was ridiculed and showed something that opposes that idea of unity

]]> 2017-04-17 14:40:34 UTC https://padlet.com/elsong/yib41d3n3eun/wish/166557502