Tony Perkins, the president of the
Christian conservative Family Research Council (FRC), is sounding off
against a Mike and Ike campaign in which the pair break up, media
watchdog RightWingWatch.org
reported.
In the ads for the fruit-flavored
candies, surprised co-workers, celebrities and others talk about the
split, saying Ike wants to pursue a career in the arts and Mike is
looking to fulfill his dream of becoming a music legend.
NBA player Lamar Odom says, “When I
heard the news, I was devastated,” while The Middle's Eden
Sher responds with, “I'm totally Team Ike.” (The video is
embedded in the right panel of this page. Visit
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Despite the facts that Mike and Ike are
fictional characters – no physical representation of the men is
shown – and the ads do not specifically mention that they are a
couple, Perkins called the ads a “cultural low” in a recent news
bulletin.
“There's trouble in candy land,”
Perkins said. “After more than 70 years together, Mike and Ike are
calling it quits. The duo is staging a gay divorce as part of a new
ad campaign to draw in younger customers. In this society, even
candy has an agenda! From Facebook to Tumblr, the fruity pair says,
'The rumors are true. We just couldn't agree on stuff anymore.'
Starting this summer, the company will spend $15 million on
billboards and TV commercials that poke fun at the breakup. It's
just another subtle example of society chipping away at the value of
marriage. And I don't know what's more disturbing – that
advertisers think divorce appeals to kids or that sexualizing candy
will make people buy more. After a year-long build-up, the company
will reveal if the couple reconciles. Until then, look for Mike and
Ike to have a distinctly liberal flavor.”