Right-wingers are trying to pull a Bud Light against Doritos with anti-transgender outrage campaign

In a controversy echoing last year’s backlash against Bud Light, Doritos Spain has become the latest brand to incite right-wing outrage for its partnership with transgender artist and influencer Samantha Hudson.

The strong negative response follows the unveiling of a 50-second promotional video titled “Crunch Talks,” featuring Hudson, which the company deleted after being targeted by right-wing extremists — a decision that has reignited the divisive debate seen during Bud Light’s collaboration with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney.

Hudson, known for engaging content on fashion, beauty, travel, and lifestyle on social media, has been thrust into the center of this controversy due to past tweets resurfacing by critics. The tweets from 2015, made when Hudson, 24, was 15 years old, including a distasteful joke about a 12-year-old and other derogatory comments about victims of sexual assault, have sparked accusations and calls for a boycott against the snack food brand. Critics, particularly from far-right circles, have falsely labeled Hudson as a pedophile. She has explained that her teenage tweets were intended as humor, Newsweek reports.

The situation spurred a wave of social media activity, with users and influencers on platforms like X (formerly Twitter) condemning Doritos’ choice of ambassador and challenging the brand’s values. High-profile right-wing accounts have been pivotal in amplifying the boycott calls, with attempts to make #BoycottDoritos trend, aiming to mirror the commercial repercussions Bud Light faced after the Mulvaney incident.

“We have ended the relationship and stopped all related campaign activity due to the comments,” a Doritos Spain spokesperson told Rolling Stone, emphasizing that their decision to part ways with Hudson was not influenced by her gender identity but because of the comments.

This latest episode is indicative of a broader trend of conservative backlash against brands that engage with LGBTQ+ influencers or support related causes. Last year’s boycott of Bud Light resulted in a notable sales decline, revealing the financial risks associated with socially progressive marketing strategies in the age of right-wing outrage farming.

As Doritos Spain grapples with the backlash, the impact on the brand’s image and sales remains to be seen.