The video: General Mills pulled a TV ad for Yoplait cheesecake-flavored yogurt after the National Eating Disorders Association complained that it taunts people with disorders like bulimia and anorexia. The ad begins with a woman's inner monologue as she stares at a cheesecake in the office fridge. She bargains with herself: "What if I just had a small slice. I was good today... or I could have a whole slice and jog in place while I eat it." Finally, she opts for cheesecake-flavored yogurt instead, after being tipped off by a thinner colleague. (Watch the ad below.) NEDA president Lynn Grefe says she fielded lots of complaints from eating-disorder sufferers. What they saw in the ad, Grefe says, is "see, it's even on TV. It's OK and normal for my head to go through all these mental exercises."
The reaction: I don't know "what's more stunning," says Mary Elizabeth Williams at Salon. That Yoplait actually ran this "dangerous" and "perverse" ad, or the pervasive "dysfunctional thinking" that it's natural for women of all sizes to be guilt-plagued, food-fetishizing calorie-counters who "careen from Restriction Village to... Binge Town." Given all the hubbub, Yoplait was "probably wise to stick a fork in" the ad, says David Gianatasio at Adweek. But honestly, "I didn't really see the big deal." Judge for yourself:
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
Chicken with Steph's spiceThe Week Recommends This Caribbean-inspired recipe is mouthwateringly delicious
-
A peaceful seaside village in TurkeyThe Week Recommends Çıralı has been spared the 'scourge' of all-inclusive resort development
-
Tax plans spell trouble in the North SeaTalking Point Labour’s tax plans are whipping up a storm. Are the worries of opponents justified?
