Disgraced ex-Labour MP slams Kellogg’s for using monkey mascot for ‘brown’ Coco Pops but ‘white boys’ for Rice Krispies

DISGRACED ex-Labour MP Fiona Onasanya has slammed Kellogg’s for using a monkey mascot for “brown” Coco Pops and “white boys” for Rice Krispies.

Ms Onasanya, who was jailed for three months for lying to cops about a speeding ticket, wrote to the company demanding to know why they chose a monkey to be the face of their much-loved cereal.

She said the two cereals are largely the same with the only difference being Coco Pops are brown and chocolate flavoured.

The former Peterborough MP, 36, emailed Kellogg’s UK to ask why Rice Krispies have “three white boys” on the packet while Coco Pops is represented by a monkey.

She wrote on Twitter: “@KelloggsUK, as you are yet to reply to my email - Coco Pops and Rice Krispies have the same composition (except for the fact CP's are brown and chocolate flavoured)…

KELLOGG'S ROW

“So I was wondering why Rice Krispies have three white boys representing the brand and Coco Pops have a monkey?”

She added: “Well, given John Harvey Kellogg co-founded the Race Betterment Foundation (the Foundation's main purpose was to study the cause of and cure for 'race degeneracy'), it would be remiss of me not to ask….'

Her message caused “Coco Pops” to trend on Twitter last night with some social media users accusing her of being “offended at everything”.

One user wrote: “The monkey is called Coco. Remove the monkey and they are just called pops.”

So I was wondering why Rice Krispies have three white boys representing the brand and Coco Pops have a monkey?

Fiona Onasanya

Some Brits jumped to her defence with one saying it was an example of “subliminal messaging”.

They wrote: “It is called subliminal messaging in advertising. I wrote a paper on this in advertising and marketing.

“Plenty of info on this available. Actually if researched some may find this is not ''dim'' at all.”

Kellogg’s said the monkey mascot was created in 1986 to “highlight the playful personality of the brand”.

'PLAYFUL'

A Kellogg’s spokesperson said: “It’s important that we are all talking more about how we can build racial equality. Kellogg stands in support of the black community.

“We do not tolerate discrimination and believe that people of all races, genders, backgrounds, sexual orientation, religions, capabilities and beliefs should be treated with the utmost dignity and respect.

“The monkey mascot that appears on both white and milk chocolate Coco Pops, was created in the 1980s to highlight the playful personality of the brand.

“As part of our ambition to bring fun to the breakfast table, we have a range of characters that we show on our cereal boxes, including tigers, giraffes, crocodiles, elves and a narwhal.”

Onasanya was sentenced to three months for perverting the course of justice at the Old Bailey in January 2019 - but she was released after serving only one month.

Labour expelled Onasanya following her conviction but she still picked up part of her £77,000 salary while in prison.

She wrote a memoir about her time behind bars and whinged about there being no ALMOND MILK in jail.