CNN anchor Don Lemon has slammed the controversy surrounding Bud Light’s paid partnership with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney as ‘crazy’ and ‘ridiculous’.
He opened a segment on the channel’s This morning program on Friday discussing the incident and said the ‘buzzword “woke” was once again brought into the mix’.
And he noted the claims of an expert who said once the social media backlash blows over the long term benefits of a company like Bud Light taking a cultural stand may be more impactful.
A social media video of Mulvaney, a biological male who began transitioning in 2021, promoting America’s bestselling beer to 11 million followers on social media on April 1 was played on the show.
Lemon then turned to CNN business and politics correspondent Vanessa Yurkevich and labelled the backlash as ‘crazy’ before he asked her to explain the situation.
CNN anchor Don Lemon has slammed the controversy surrounding Bud Light’s paid partnership with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney as ‘crazy’ and ‘ridiculous’
He noted the claims of an expert who said once the social media backlash blows over the long term benefits of a company like Bud Light taking a cultural stand may be more impactful
Mulvaney’s April 1 Instagram post included her drinking a beer with her face printed on the can and lying in a bathtub knocking back Bud Light
He said: ‘Look, I think it’s crazy, but I want you to walk this — walk us through this.’
She acknowledged it has ‘it’s been a tough two weeks for Bud Light and for Dylan Mulvaney’.
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The posts, which showed the influencer sitting in a bathtub and swigging from custom cans sporting her face, sparked widespread fury with several celebrities swearing off the beer in protest.
And the reporter then spoke about some of the reaction to the marketing partnership.
The partnership unveiled on April 1 drew intense backlash from some quarters, with musician Kid Rock posting a video of himself shooting at cases of Bud Light, and country singers John Rich and Travis Tritt dropping ties with the brand.
But she also pointed to media personalities like Joe Rogan and Howard Stern who defended Bud Light’s decision.
She said: ‘This is not the first time we’ve seen cultural backlash. We have seen this with other brands. Nike also works with Dylan Mulvaney. Nike, if you remember, they had an ad with Colin Kaepernick after he started kneeling during the national anthem.
‘What ended up happening with Nike is they ended up winning an Emmy Award for that particular commercial with Colin Kaepernick.’
Yurkevich then shared a statement from marketing expert Tim Leake which read: ‘There have been many cases of brand’s growing their businesses as a result of taking a strong stand that results in some criticism but even stronger engagement with a key audience.’
Lemon hit out at the critics and said: ‘I don’t understand — so what if someone who is transgender drinks Bud Light? How does that affect you?” He added, “So what does it matter? I don’t really get it.’
Yurkevich argued that Bud Light was reaching out to a younger demographic and people like Mulvaney.
‘They want to bring in new audiences so it’s a sting for bud light now but maybe some growth in the long run,’ she added.
‘I think people are upset because Bud Light has been around since the 1980s, this is a very all-American brand.’
But Lemon interjected and said: ‘Mulvaney isn’t an American? You know what I am saying?
‘It’s ridiculous.’
