NEWSNOISE
Okay. There’s no nice way to put this so I’ll just come right out and say it:
PLEASE stop mentioning Skittles when you’re talking about George Zimmerman gunning down Trayvon Martin in cold blood. There. I said it.
Now don’t get me wrong. Trayvon Martin is the victim of the worst kind of hate-crime imaginable. This monstrous tragedy is a travesty of justice that highlights the brutal racial divides and inequalities in the United States. The fact that George Zimmerman is only now, weeks after the assault, being taken into custody is a rape of justice not seen since the Rodney King beating. But I can’t help but cringe every time somebody uses the word “Skittles” in reference to that asshole getting away with murder. “Skittles” used to be synonymous with colourful goofy good-times and rainbows. You know? Like a crazy playground in your mouth! Now “Skittles” and “Racist violence” come up together in my predictive text on Google.
What with the NRA being a bunch of callous pricks selling hoodies with gun-holsters in them and those inhuman blowhards Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck and the Conservative right smearing that poor kid. It’s just the worst thing ever, you know? And everyone keeps fucking saying “Skittles” over and over again.
Would you want your family name lumped in with anything this guy has to say?
Sigh.
We just want to sell candy, man. Nice, apolitical fruit-flavoured candy.
And now the Black Panthers are involved issuing a call to death? And everyone is all “Skittles this and Skittles that…” and then Spike Lee tweeted the wrong address and that poor elderly couple were getting death threats and poisoned Skittles? Well, you see where I’m going with this, right?
Skittles does not want anything to do with racially-motivated vigilante justice, that’s for damn sure.
We’re horrified, too and want to see justice done. But maybe just do us a solid and ease up on the terrible advertising.
Thanks, man. I really hope you don’t think I’m being an asshole here. Taste the Rainbow.
Sincerley,
Howard Skittles
