Recently a series of Snickers television spots featuring Mr. T wearing the chocolate bars as bombs on his vest created instant buzz once they hit YouTube.  One of the spots, which primarily air in the UK features Mr T pulling up in a truck alongside a man speedwalking in yellow booty shorts.

Mr. T jumps out his tank and shouts “I pity you fool. You are a disgrace to the man race. It’s time to run like a real man.” He then fires at the man with his Snickers machine gun.

Critics of the ad which was created by BBDO advertising say it clearly implies through his manorisms and tight fitting attire that the speedwalker is gay and the new Snickers slogan ‘Get some nuts‘ which Mr. T utters at the end of the ad is somehow disparraging and encourages homophobic behavior and violence against gays.

A spokesperson for Snickers parent company Mars says, “This ad is the second in a series of UK Snickers ads featuring Mr T, which are meant to be fun and have been positively received in the UK. However, we understand that humour is highly subjective, and it is never our intention to cause offence. Accordingly, we have pulled the Mr T speedwalker ad globally.”

Snickers as you’ll remember has not had a great deal of luck with their ads lately.  They were the same brand that spent millions of dollars on the Snickeroplois campaign that tested very poorly.  Although I completely agree the ad portrays Mr. T as homophobic, I don’t think it’s in anyway threatening to the gay community. Perhaps we’re all a little too senstive…a little too “gay.”