Daily Wire editor Ben Shapiro, long a darling for the right-wing, is being criticized after he complained on Twitter about an Oreo ad in which a young Chinese American man reads a note he prepared to come out to his grandmother as gay.
The ad, which has been viewed millions of times online, has garnered praise for the sandwich cookie company because of its positive message.
In a tweet, Oreo said coming out is "a journey that needs love and courage every step of the way."
You can see the add in their tweet below.
Coming out doesn\u2019t happen just once. It\u2019s a journey that needs love and courage every step of the way. Share our new film and let someone know you\u2019re their #LifelongAlly.pic.twitter.com/S5ipPxZRON— OREO Cookie (@OREO Cookie) 1649073601
The company urged its followers to share the ad, which was created in partnership with PFLAG, the United States' first and largest organization uniting parents, families and allies with people who are LGBTQ+.
But in a dig at the company, Shapiro said the ad serves as evidence Oreo's famous cookies "must affirm your sexual lifestyle," suggesting the ad is little more than propaganda.
Your cookie must affirm your sexual lifestylehttps://twitter.com/Oreo/status/1510950311577366529\u00a0\u2026— Ben Shapiro (@Ben Shapiro) 1649077230
Shapiro has a long history of attacking the LGBTQ+ community. In 2010, he generated significant controversy after he suggested homosexuality should be listed as a mental illness in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM).
Since then, Shapiro has gone on record against Obergefell v. Hodges, the landmark Supreme Court ruling that made marriage equality the law of the land, and stated that same-sex marriage should not be discussed in schools. Shapiro has also regularly attacked the transgender community, accusing its members of suffering from mental illness.
And Shapiro seems fairly convinced the LGBTQ+ community is hellbent on indoctrinating children into acceptance of what he believes is a perversion, as when he was mocked several weeks ago for claiming Star Wars actor Mark Hammill is trying to "indoctrinate" children after Hamill posted a tweet consisting of a rainbow emoji and the word “gay” 69 times.
Shapiro's latest tantrum has also earned him significant ridicule.
Worry about what you\u2019re doing with your own genitals!https://twitter.com/benshapiro/status/1510965533759397895\u00a0\u2026— John Gross (@John Gross) 1649262386
It\u2019s a cookie, dude.https://twitter.com/benshapiro/status/1510965533759397895\u00a0\u2026— Bradley Alan Rowe (@Bradley Alan Rowe) 1649163362
Ben's just mad because his wife's cookie can't affirm his sexual lifestyle.https://twitter.com/benshapiro/status/1510965533759397895\u00a0\u2026— The Real Deal (@The Real Deal) 1649131831
Ben is mad that gay people eat cookies.https://twitter.com/benshapiro/status/1510965533759397895\u00a0\u2026— Machine Pun Kelly \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 (@Machine Pun Kelly \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6) 1649084635
I believe the moral foundation of our country rests on snack foods.https://twitter.com/benshapiro/status/1510965533759397895\u00a0\u2026— JManJ (@JManJ) 1649088181
is someone going to tell him it's normal for brands to use their large following to bring attention to real world issues?https://twitter.com/benshapiro/status/1510965533759397895\u00a0\u2026— Kara\ud83c\uddee\ud83c\uddea (@Kara\ud83c\uddee\ud83c\uddea) 1649106512
Inspector Javert is back at it.https://twitter.com/benshapiro/status/1510965533759397895\u00a0\u2026— Franklin Joenz (@Franklin Joenz) 1649078146
Conservatives when a company appeals to a minority they don't likehttps://twitter.com/benshapiro/status/1510965533759397895\u00a0\u2026— Likun \ud83c\udf40\ud83d\udc35\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 (@Likun \ud83c\udf40\ud83d\udc35\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6) 1649081441
The Oreo ad, a two-minute short titled The Note, was directed by Alice Wu, the lesbian filmmaker responsible for Saving Face.
Wu, whose next project is the feature film Half of It, has described the ad as “a true labor of love and a great team of people who made it.”
