'I wanted to crawl under the bed!' Mary J Blige says 'racist' Burger King advert 'crushed her'

By Linda Massarella

PUBLISHED: 17:38 EST, 29 June 2012 | UPDATED: 17:38 EST, 29 June 2012

When the Burger King chain offered Mary J. Blige a spot to sing in one of their commercials for a new chicken wrap, the soul singer was initially happy to have the lucrative gig.

'It was sold to us that I would be shot in an iconic way,' a frustrated Blige told Hot 97's Angie Martinez during a radio interview today. 'I did it because I thought it was something that wouldn't come out like that.'

The Be Without You singer remained silent while critics slammed her for taking part in a short film that many deemed racist.

But she told Martinez: 'I would never just bust out singing about chicken and chicken wings.'

The black woman-oriented website Madame Noire labeled the ad 'buffoonery,' saying it depicted blacks in a stereotypical way.

The I Can Do Bad All by Myself Grammy winner said the whole debacle 'hurt my feelings. It crushed me for like two days.'

Blige appears in Tom Cruise's new flick Rock of Ages, in which she plays the role of a strip club manager. She was on Martinez' show to introduce new artist, Starshell.

Burger King did not admit to pulling the ad because of the criticism. The fast food giant said it did so because of music licensing issues. Nonetheless, the company has since apologized to the singer.

And Blige also wanted to say sorry if it appeared she knew in advance how the commercial would turn out.

'I want to apologize to everyone who was offended who thought I would do something that was so disrespectful to our culture,' the Prison Song musician said.

'I would never do anything like that. I thought I was doing something right.'

oh please, she and Erykah can take their loads back-peddling bullshit right out of here.

grow some fuckin' nuts, ladies.

[Edited 6/29/12 18:56pm]

Uhmmmm eryaaaaa...

So i will get flamed for this and such. But this commercial is so not racists lawd if a black person sings about a chicken people want to go & say it's politically incorrect the fuck?

The problem should be the commercial is stupid & look's like it was made on a 2.50 budget.

Gunsnhalen said:

Uhmmmm eryaaaaa...

So i will get flamed for this and such. But this commercial is so not racists lawd if a black person sings about a chicken people want to go & say it's politically incorrect the fuck?

The problem should be the commercial is stupid & look's like it was made on a 2.50 budget.

yeah, that too.

That wasn't racist.

smoothcriminal12 said:

That wasn't racist.

Sure wasn't.

Timmy84 said:

smoothcriminal12 said:

That wasn't racist.

Sure wasn't.

I swear people will make a big deal out of nothing.

smoothcriminal12 said:

Timmy84 said:

Sure wasn't.

I swear people will make a big deal out of nothing.

I have a serious question fellas....

So when did black people eating chicken become this huge sterotype?

Me and my friend's found out about it in middle school & we where like huh? even my friend's who where black didn't fully get how it was a racists sterotyope.

Chicken is fucking good... if it's grilled it's usually healthy.. if fried... it's NOT but it tastest good as a motha fucka

So lots of people from all backgrounds like chicken so i don't get why it's this big supposed negative look on African Americans

Someone please enlighten ole guns

Gunsnhalen said:

I have a serious question fellas....

So when did black people eating chicken become this huge sterotype?

In the United States, fried chicken has stereotypically been associated with African Americans. The reasons for this are various. Chicken dishes were popular among slaves before the Civil War, as chickens were generally the only animals slaves could raise on their own.

smoothcriminal12 said:

Gunsnhalen said:

I have a serious question fellas....

So when did black people eating chicken become this huge sterotype?

In the United States, fried chicken has stereotypically been associated with African Americans. The reasons for this are various. Chicken dishes were popular among slaves before the Civil War, as chickens were generally the only animals slaves could raise on their own.

I think they also said that black American folks during that same time also ate watermelon all the time. So both types of food were typecasted as derogatory after that. We're still stinging with that stigma but Mary J. Blige didn't do shit wrong with her ad. Maybe it was stupid but racist? Nah.

I don't think the ad was racist but how exactly is doing an ad for Burger Kind "doing something something right" exactly?

aardvark15 said:

I don't think the ad was racist but how exactly is doing an ad for Burger Kind "doing something something right" exactly?

That was another comment that got me . It was just a stupid commercial. Jesus.

Timmy84 said:

aardvark15 said:

I don't think the ad was racist but how exactly is doing an ad for Burger Kind "doing something something right" exactly?

That was another comment that got me . It was just a stupid commercial. Jesus.

My guess is white people were the ones calling it racist

aardvark15 said:

Timmy84 said:

That was another comment that got me . It was just a stupid commercial. Jesus.

My guess is white people were the ones calling it racist

I guess. But I don't count out a number of social justice black bloggers saying that.

[Edited 6/29/12 19:56pm]

Timmy84 said:

aardvark15 said:

My guess is white people were the ones calling it racist

I guess. But I don't count out a number of social justice black bloggers saying that.

[Edited 6/29/12 19:56pm]

Are you talking about the ones who saying everything is racist?

aardvark15 said:

Timmy84 said:

I guess. But I don't count out a number of social justice black bloggers saying that.

[Edited 6/29/12 19:56pm]

Are you talking about the ones who saying everything is racist?

Yup.

"It was a mistake"

Mary....please....don't

[img:$uid]http://i.imgur.com/mA0Qf.gif[/img:$uid]

Such a non event, but she's gotta stay in the headlines if she's gonna sell a movie. Couldn't help but think it was a coincedence Katie filed for divorce from Tom this week.

This whole thing was a stupid overblown mess! That commercial was not racist! And at the people who said it was. I bet there were only 2 people that complained it was and the media jumped on it and blew it out of proportion like they do everything else.

Timmy84 said:

smoothcriminal12 said:

In the United States, fried chicken has stereotypically been associated with African Americans. The reasons for this are various. Chicken dishes were popular among slaves before the Civil War, as chickens were generally the only animals slaves could raise on their own.

I think they also said that black American folks during that same time also ate watermelon all the time. So both types of food were typecasted as derogatory after that. We're still stinging with that stigma but Mary J. Blige didn't do shit wrong with her ad. Maybe it was stupid but racist? Nah.

It was dumb but had no racial undertones.

RKJCNE said:

Such a non event, but she's gotta stay in the headlines if she's gonna sell a movie. Couldn't help but think it was a coincedence Katie filed for divorce from Tom this week.

Divorce just to PROMOTE Rock Of Ages?

Cinny said:

RKJCNE said:

Such a non event, but she's gotta stay in the headlines if she's gonna sell a movie. Couldn't help but think it was a coincedence Katie filed for divorce from Tom this week.

Divorce just to PROMOTE Rock Of Ages?

A shitty abortion of a film at that.

.... Hmmm well now that i kind of understand. Cause i mean everyone loves chicken maybe not vegans but people like chicken... people like watermelon. It's just dumb it's seen as racists because of certain foods you eat

It's apperently a sterotype for African Americas to also like kool aid i really just don't personally get it.. i just know in a madea movie or one of those types people lol like crazy when someone mentiones chicken or kool aid

Caramelpfe said:

People love to get hot under the collar for nothing. The ad was not a good fit for her brand but the way the social networks & blogs were going at her you would have thought she had robbed a bank.

You gotta love the overused anger at something that they didn't need to be angry about.

Gunsnhalen said:

Uhmmmm eryaaaaa...

So i will get flamed for this and such. But this commercial is so not racists lawd if a black person sings about a chicken people want to go & say it's politically incorrect the fuck?

The problem should be the commercial is stupid & look's like it was made on a 2.50 budget.

Thank you. I'm like, how in the hell is singing about a chicken wrap racist? Silly maybe, yes, but racist, hell no. Some of these damn folks out here need some serious hobbies.

It was the biggest display of coonery I have seen in quite a while.

Sangin' about chicken?! C'mon man.

The only way it would've been worse if it was a KFC ad.

...

It was kinda catchy though, I will say.