Most people do not need their food to be attractive in order to eat it; however, Tucker Carlson seems to be the exception. 

In December 2022 M&M’s changed the look of their green M&M spokes candy, changing her shoes from boots to sneakers in an attempt to make her “less sexy.” The company did this in an effort to become more progressive and appeal to a more diverse audience. “We’re all about bringing people together,” the company wrote on their social media. 

 Some consumers saw the changes as controversial and thought the company was trying to push a liberal agenda. 

While many of the company’s consumers did not have an issue with the new changes, FOX news reporter Tucker Carlson, known for his rants on cancel culture, was very upset. Carlson went on several tangents about the new candies online, stating that M&M’s was trying to be too ‘woke’. 

“M&M’s will not be satisfied until every last cartoon character is deeply unappealing and totally androgynous. Until the moment you wouldn’t want to have a drink with any one of them,” Carlson said.

After seeing and hearing many of Carlson’s lectures, many people said his reaction was extreme. “He only cares about his personal values, and I feel like that’s what a lot of people are doing now,” junior Dakota Brides said. 

Disregarding Carlson’s views on the changes, other consumers were upset about the changes as they felt it takes away some of the nostalgia they feel for the candies. “[It matters] for more of a nostalgic feeling for some,” junior Shaquez Ratlefs said. 

“[The M&M’s] are funny. They have funny little jokes; those Christmas commercials are hilarious,” senior Maria Stine said. 

When the M&M’s company heard the backlash, they decided to change their marketing strategy “We have decided to take an indefinite pause from the spokescandies,” a statement on their social media said. 

Once the retirement of the spokescandies was announced, Carlson claimed that the company pulled the candies before FOX News was able to do their own investigation to expose the company’s alleged ‘real agenda.’ 

As he is a self proclaimed fighter against cancel culture, many people thought Carlson’s thinking was hypocritical. “What’s hypocritical about it is that he’s talking about doing an investigation into ‘woke’ things, but he’s the reason they’re gone; it’s all his fault,” Brides said. 

“He shouldn’t have had a big issue about it beforehand,” Ratlefs said. 

When consumers of the company saw that M&M’s pulled their newly designed candies in face of the backlash, many were quick to criticize the company’s choice to ‘give into the demands’ of Carlson and others that were upset. “If you’re going to do something with your candy and then take it away as soon as someone attacks it, then what’s the point?” Stine said. 

After the retirement of the M&M’s, many are strong in their opinion on who is to blame for the ‘death’ of the M&M’s. “[It’s] Tucker Carlson’s fault and people who support him because he made [the changes] a big deal when it’s just boots and it’s just M&M’s,” Brides said. 

“He didn’t have to be such a little baby about it. It’s fake candy,” Stine said. 

On February 12, the M&M spokescandies were brought back, keeping the physical changes to the characters the company previously made. “Our spokescandies are back for good!” the company wrote on their social media. The announcement was made on a Super Bowl commercial featuring the M&M’s holding a press conference to announce their return.