TRIGGERED: Food company Kellogg to remove "racist" Corn Pops cereal packaging

*contains strong language

Newsweek - Cereal giant Kellogg's has promised to immediately remove artwork from its Corn Pops cereal boxes after receiving a complaint on Twitter about a racially insensitive game on its packaging.

Writer and graphic novelist Saladin Ahmed noticed the offending cartoon on a Corn Pops box and tweeted a complaint to Kellogg's. The cartoon game asked kids to find corn pops engaged in various activities in a crowded mall, with characters taking a selfie, jumping rope or sunbathing.

But Ahmed discovered the only brown-skinned Corn Pop in the image—and he was the mall’s janitor.

In a second tweet, the writer explained the small detail could have a large impact. “Yes it’s a tiny thing, but when you see your kid staring at this over breakfast and realize millions of kids are doing the same…,” he wrote.

Kellogg's responded quickly to Ahmed’s complaints through the company’s Twitter account. “Kellogg is committed to diversity & inclusion. We did not intend to offend—we apologize. The artwork is updated & will be in stores soon,” the response on social media read.

Ahmed then thanked Kellogg's for its swift message and action. “Genuinely appreciate the rapid response,” he tweeted and then marveled at the irony of using modern technology to address historical racial problems. “Today I used the computer in my pocket to get a cereal company to make their boxes less racist,” he wrote. “What even is the 21 century?” he added.

Unfortunately, the tale did not have an entirely happy ending, as clearly Ahmed then had to deal with some trolls on the social media site. “Avoiding my mentions which are particularly full of upset racist dipshits right now,” he wrote. “Sorry if that means I have missed your non-dipshit words.”

Kellogg's has in the past attracted controversy from the right-wing of the political spectrum. In November 2016, the U.S.-based multinational pulled its advertisements from the far-right news outlet Breitbart, saying the company was not “aligned with our values.” In response, the website declared war on the company, calling for a boycott of its products online and on social media. (ontinueReading