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Home · Culture

Trevor Noah Reimagines Iconic Civil Rights Photos As "Woke" Commercials

If Pepsi did it, why can't he?
Trevor Noah Reimagines Iconic Civil Right’s Photos As Commercials, In Light Of Pepsi’s Epic Fail
Brad Barket
By Danielle Kwateng-Clark · Updated October 26, 2020

In the wake of Pepsi’s astounding fail of a commercial, featuring model and Kardashian sister Kendall Jenner as a protester, everyone has been picking fun at the beverage company. 

On Tuesday, the company debuted a short with Jenner as the lead, leaving her glamorous world of modeling to become a protester who solves race relations by handing a can of Pepsi to a police officer. 

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While Twitter has done a great job of criticizing the commercial on its own, The Daily Show host Trevor Noah took some jabs of his own on Wednesday’s show.

“Once again we see a video of a Kardashian being put in an awful position,” he begins coolly referring to Kendall’s half-sister Kim Kardashian. 

 

Tonight at 11/10c, Pepsi tries to get woke. America says "go back to sleep." pic.twitter.com/5v80wCSF4A

— The Daily Show (@TheDailyShow) April 6, 2017

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“To be honest with you guys, I don’t understand why Pepsi got hammered so hard. In fact, I think all brands need to become more woke.”

He then follows with a montage of other brands that could incorporate activism into their ads. 

One clip shows Tommie Smith and John Carlos’ iconic photo at the 1968 Olympics raising their fists in solidarity, suggesting the addition of a tube of Crest Toothpaste: “Black power, with a white smile,” Noah says.

He also remakes iconic photos of Rosa Parks, Ruby Bridges and Nelson Mandela as commercial ads.

The overall point is that activism and iconic moments couldn’t and never should be commercialized. We’re still wondering what Pepsi was thinking.

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