M&Ms 'Pause' Spokescandies Amid Controversy, But Many Suspect It's Merely A Super Bowl Ad Stunt

Incredibly, social media is still talking about the M&M spokescandies, who have been at the center of public discussion since Mars made small design and character tweaks to their cast of anthropomorphized candy mascots just over a year ago.

Since that time, many conservatives and other outspoken critics (particularly Tucker Carlson) have voiced their outrage over the "woke" new characters, centering most of the ire on the newly less horny Green M&M.

This morning, it appeared as though the company had given into the so-called "anti-woke mob" and announced a "pause" on the use of M&M's revamped spokescandies.

"Now, we get it," M&Ms wrote in a statement posted on its official Twitter account. "Even a candy's shoes can be polarizing. Which was the last thing M&Ms wanted since we're all about bringing people together."

"Therefore, we have decided to take an indefinite pause from the spokescandies. In their place, we are proud to introduce a spokesperson everyone can agree on: the beloved Maya Rudolph."

The statement was apparently brain-melting for a massive swath of the internet who could not believe that M&M had apparently raised the white flag in the surreal culture war that broke out because they made the candies "less sexy" (to quote Tucker).

If you are among those deeply invested in the continued success of the M&M candy characters, there may be hope. Many suspected that the "indefinite hiatus" announcement from M&M is a PR stunt and viral marketing ploy in anticipation of a set of ads that will run in the upcoming Super Bowl, likely featuring the anthropomorphic M&Ms overcoming their cancelation in a set of scenes with Maya Rudolph.

Planters pulled a similar stunt in 2020 when it murdered Mr. Peanut in an ad ahead of the Super Bowl, then introduced the much-maligned Baby Nut during the big game.

It seems few on social media are pleased about the announcement, whether the "paused spokescandies" statement is genuine or merely a marketing stunt. In either case, it forces many who would otherwise not care about M&M commercials to sacrifice valuable brain space considering the culture war surrounding a ubiquitous candy treat.