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*To almost no one's surprise, it didn't take Pepsi long
to bow to pressure and end up agreeing to terms that averted
a boycott of it's products by Russell Simmon's Hip-Hop
Summit Action Network.
Specifically, Pepsi will pay several million dollars
to urban charities, heading off a threatened boycott
over its decision to fire rapper Ludacris as its pitchman.
The agreement came after Simmons charged that
Pepsi unfairly yanked an ad campaign by Ludacris last
year. Oh, and did we mention that Ludacris just happens
to be black?
Simmons pointed out that Pepsi pulled the plug
on Ludacris as a celebrity pitchman over complaints about
his profanity-laced lyrics -- then hired equally foul-mouthed
white rocker Ozzy Osbourne for a Super Bowl spot.
Under the deal, reportedly, Pepsi and the Ludacris
Foundation have agreed to distribute millions of dollars
in contributions from Pepsi to grass-roots, nonprofit
organizations targeting disadvantaged youth
in the United States.
The controversy began last year when conservative
Fox News commentator Bill O'Reilly assailed Pepsi as
"immoral" for featuring Ludacris and urged his viewers
to boycott the beverage company. Pepsi yanked the
30-second television spot, saying it had received
complaints about Ludacris' profane song lyrics.
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Sig heil
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