Yanked Mary J. Blige Burger King Ad: License Issues Or Controversy?

A Burger King ad featuring Mary J. Blige has caused racial furor, but the chain claims that's not why the spot was quickly pulled.

Rather, the fast-food purveyors say they yanked the spot after a week because arose over music-licensing issues with the Grammy-nominated "No More Drama" singer's ad, The New York Daily News reports. That runs counter to speculation it was nixed because of an outcry over a black woman singing soulfully about how much she loves Burger King's new chicken wraps.

"Crispy chicken, fresh lettuce, three cheeses, ranch dressing wrapped up in a tasty flour tortilla," Blige passionately sings. One YouTube commenter remarked that the ad "[sets] black people back another 60 years," according to Boombox. Likewise, Madame Noire dubbed the ad "buffoonery."

At the same time, a Burger King representative have expressed hope that they can return Blige's ad soon, though with no comment directly toward the racial tension that developed after the ad went viral. The same spokesperson also countered that the new menu item's endorsers also include Salma Hayek and Jay Leno in other spots.

For what it's worth, the fact that clicking on the available video on YouTube provides a message that music publisher UMG has blocked the ad on copyright grounds does lend Burger King's corporate claim at least some creedence.

Is this really where race relations are headed? A successful black entertainer can't, of her own volition, publicly proclaim her love of chicken without imagined subtext?

I weep for America and its over-sensitive future.