When I was a kid in the 1970s, my best friend’s dad worked for Nabisco. That meant all the free Oreos, Nutter Butters and Chips Ahoy I could fit in my thin little body.
Nabisco’s brand was wholesome. Keebler had the cute little elf mascot, but Nabisco had all sorts of compelling cartoony endorsers, from Batman and Robin to, yes, “Spoonmen.” Ah, those were the days—and oh, how times have changed!
Nabisco’s brand is no longer wholesome. The makers of favorites like Nilla Wafers and Teddy Grahams is propagating same-sex marriage—complete with newborn babies—in its latest 30-second commercial. Dubbed “This Is Wholesome,” the agenda is indeed anything but.
The commercial kicks off with a man feeding a baby. One would assume the man was the baby’s father. Seconds later, another man leans into the screen and kisses the baby on the head. The commercial reveals the baby’s two fathers taking the baby out for a walk, followed by images of other families spending time together. Of course, Teddy Grahams and Honey Maid graham crackers are intended to be the real stars of the spot.
“No matter how things change, what makes us wholesome never will,” the voiceover states. “Honey Maid: Everyday wholesome snacks for every wholesome family. This is wholesome.”
Wholesome? Maybe Nabisco is using a different dictionary than the rest of us. Merriam-Webster defines wholesome as “promoting health or well-being of mind or spirit” and “sound in body, mind, or morals.” By either definition, Nabisco got it wrong.
According to research out of University College London, homosexuals are at a higher risk for mental-health problems. And a Family Research Institute study reveals that “married gays and lesbians lived about 24 fewer years than their married heterosexual counterparts.” Beyond that, homosexual is immoral. Wholesome and immorality don’t belong in the same sentence together.
One Million Moms, among others, is up in arms. The American Family Association-linked group insists Nabisco should be ashamed of itself for the cracker commercial that attempts to “normalize sin.”
“One Million Moms stands up for Biblical truth which is very clear in Romans 1:26-27 about this particular type of sexual perversion,” the group writes. “Honey Maid is also using the hashtag #thisiswholesome. There is concern about the way this ad is pushing the LGBT agenda, but an even greater concern is the way that they are changing the meaning of the word ‘wholesome.’ This is truly sad. If this is what Honey Maid thinks is wholesome, then my family will no longer purchase Honey Maid or Nabisco products.”
How did Nabisco respond? The cookie company defended itself, releasing a new commercial showing two women holding up printed sheets of complaints people sent to Nabisco. Lesbians by inference, the two glue together the complaints to spell out the word love in cursive. The advertisement’s key message: “Proving that only one thing really matters when it comes to family: love.”
Many are calling for a boycott of Nabisco. I’m not a fan of boycotts, but I am a fan of healthy eating—and I’m not a thin little 7-year-old anymore. I stopped eating Oreos, Nilla Wafers and Nutter Butters long ago to avoid packing on unwanted pounds.
That said, Nabisco is still trying to shove something down my throat for which I have no taste. Although I defend their right to do so, I grieve over the latest example of how immorality is the new normal. Our only godly response is to continue speaking the truth in love and to pray for those whose hand may be caught in the cookie jar of sexual immorality when Jesus returns.
Jennifer LeClaire is news editor at Charisma. She is also the author of several books, including The Making of a Prophet. You can email Jennifer at [email protected] or visit her website here. You can also join Jennifer on Facebook or follow her on Twitter.
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