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Kanye West’s Super Bowl Ad Sparks Outrage as Anti-Semitism Controversy Deepens
Edited by: Fern Sidman
Late last week, just before Kanye West—now known as Ye—launched into a virulent anti-Semitic and sexist tirade on X, an advertising agency working on his behalf was finalizing deals to air a commercial for his Yeezy clothing line during the Super Bowl. The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday that the ad, featuring West in a dentist’s chair discussing getting new teeth, appeared on multiple local TV stations across the U.S., directing viewers to Yeezy.com. While the ad itself seemed unusual but harmless to broadcasters at the time, it soon led to a firestorm of controversy.
Kanye West’s Super Bowl commercial was just him grinning into an iPhone camera and flexing his new teeth.🤣🤣🤣
— I Meme Therefore I Am 🇺🇸 (@ImMeme0) February 10, 2025
According to the information provided in The Wall Street Journal report, shortly after the ad aired, visitors to the Yeezy website were met with a shocking sight: the only available product was a white T-shirt emblazoned with a swastika. This development sent shockwaves through the media industry, raising serious questions about the vetting process for Super Bowl commercials and exposing the oversight gaps in regional ad placements. Major broadcasters such as Fox and Nexstar Media Group aired the ad on stations in Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Atlanta, and St. Louis, inadvertently amplifying West’s latest controversy.
The situation quickly spiraled out of control, with social media erupting in backlash. The Wall Street Journal reported that Shopify, the e-commerce giant hosting Yeezy’s online store, took swift action by shutting down the website on Tuesday. “This merchant did not engage in authentic commerce practices and violated our terms, so we removed them from Shopify,” the company stated. The site, which had previously sold Yeezy T-shirts and sweatshirts, was now inaccessible, displaying only the message: “Something went wrong. What happened? This store is unavailable.” Despite the uproar, West himself has not responded to The Wall Street Journal’s requests for comment.
The Wall Street Journal report detailed how the advertisement was submitted last Thursday by USIM, the media agency handling the campaign. According to USIM’s president and chief operating officer, Doug Livingston, the agency vetted the ad before submitting it to local stations, and at the time, the Yeezy website displayed only “general athletic apparel.” The agency claims it was unaware of the offensive merchandise that would later appear on the site.
Executives at Fox and Nexstar also reviewed the website before approving the ad. However, as The Wall Street Journal report explained, regional ads undergo a different approval process than nationally broadcast Super Bowl commercials. While Fox and the NFL rigorously screen national advertisements that air during the game, local stations independently manage hundreds of ad submissions daily. The Yeezy ad, though seen as “weird” by some, did not raise any immediate red flags when initially reviewed.
It wasn’t until Friday—after West’s inflammatory posts on X—that USIM cut ties with Yeezy LLC. The Wall Street Journal report said that the agency instructed stations to stop airing the ad early Monday, after realizing the offensive product had been added to the Yeezy website. But by then, the damage had already been done, as thousands of viewers had seen the ad, unknowingly directed to a site featuring a symbol widely recognized as a hate emblem.
The controversy surrounding West’s Super Bowl ad is only the latest in a long series of damaging incidents linked to the rapper’s anti-Semitic rhetoric. According to the information contained in The Wall Street Journal report, over the past two years, his incendiary remarks have led to the severing of major business partnerships, including Adidas, Balenciaga, and Gap, all of which distanced themselves from the artist following his previous comments glorifying Hitler and espousing conspiracy theories about Jewish influence in business and media.
The current scandal once again highlights the risks brands and media companies face when associating with West. Fox and Nexstar now find themselves under scrutiny for airing the ad, while Shopify’s swift action signals an effort by corporate entities to avoid being complicit in spreading hate speech. The Wall Street Journal report noted that the incident also calls attention to the challenges faced by media agencies like USIM, which must navigate an increasingly volatile digital landscape where controversial figures can exploit advertising pathways to promote harmful ideologies.
Despite the widespread condemnation, West’s following remains sizable, with his posts on X continuing to generate engagement. However, as The Wall Street Journal report pointed out, the long-term implications of his latest actions could further isolate him from mainstream platforms and financial networks. The swift shutdown of his Shopify store demonstrates that companies are becoming less willing to tolerate his repeated provocations, even if his brand still commands attention.
Beyond the specific controversy surrounding West, The Wall Street Journal report highlighted the broader issue of advertising oversight, particularly for regional ad placements during high-profile events such as the Super Bowl. While national commercials undergo stringent reviews by major networks, local ad slots often lack the same level of scrutiny. The Yeezy ad fiasco demonstrates how an ad campaign can be approved under seemingly normal circumstances, only to later be weaponized for extremist messaging.
Industry experts cited by The Wall Street Journal argue that media companies must implement stronger safeguards to prevent similar incidents in the future. This includes real-time monitoring of advertised websites, stricter vetting protocols for controversial figures, and increased cooperation between advertising agencies and broadcasters to detect potential risks. The incident also raises ethical questions about platforms profiting from individuals with a history of hate speech, and whether more proactive measures should be taken to prevent such individuals from leveraging mass media exposure.
As The Wall Street Journal report detailed, neither Fox Sports nor the NFL was aware of West’s commercial before it aired. When asked about the controversy on Sunday night, executives from both organizations stated they had no prior knowledge of the ad’s placement. On Tuesday, an NFL spokesperson reiterated that the league had “no awareness of the ad buy or the spot until after it ran” and that the NFL “strongly condemns any form of anti-Semitism.”
The lack of oversight illustrates a growing issue in Super Bowl advertising: while major brands pay as much as $8 million for 30 seconds of national airtime, local advertising slots are significantly cheaper and receive less scrutiny. The Wall Street Journal reported that local ads have increasingly become a backdoor strategy for brands aiming to reach Super Bowl audiences without paying premium national rates. Viewers often do not realize that an ad running in their market is a regional placement rather than part of the national broadcast.
A 30-second local Super Bowl ad in Los Angeles cost an estimated $1 million this year—a fraction of what national advertisers paid. This lower barrier to entry made it possible for West’s team to secure ad space despite his highly controversial reputation.
Following West’s latest anti-Semitic rant on X—where he told people to “whip your Jews” and declared “I love Hitler”—his Super Bowl ad and the offensive merchandise on his Yeezy website provoked outrage from civil rights organizations. The Wall Street Journal reported that both the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and the American Jewish Committee swiftly condemned the ad, with the ADL sending letters to Fox and Nexstar demanding answers. The ADL also encouraged the public to email complaints about the advertisement, further amplifying calls for accountability.
Celebrities also joined in the backlash. Actor David Schwimmer, known for his outspoken opposition to anti-Semitism, publicly called for West to be banned from X. Despite the outrage, West’s X account remained active throughout the weekend, and his ad continued to air in select markets. However, as The Wall Street Journal report noted, by Tuesday, West had deleted his X account, likely in response to mounting criticism.
This is far from the first time West has faced repercussions for openly anti-Semitic behavior. His repeated inflammatory remarks have cost him lucrative business partnerships, including major deals with Adidas and Gap, as was noted in The Wall Street Journal report. In 2022, he was suspended from X—then known as Twitter—after posting a swastika in a tweet.
At the time, Elon Musk personally announced West’s suspension, stating that he had “again violated our rule against incitement to violence.” That suspension lasted approximately eight months before his account was reinstated in mid-2023, as was reported by The Wall Street Journal, Upon his return, X stated that West would not be able to monetize his account, and advertisements would not appear alongside his posts—a partial restriction meant to limit his influence on the platform.
However, West’s reinstatement on X did little to curb his behavior. His most recent tirade included a continuation of his pattern of hateful rhetoric, leading to renewed calls for social media platforms and advertisers to take stronger action against him.
The fallout from the Yeezy Super Bowl ad raises broader concerns about the mechanisms that allow controversial figures to bypass national advertising restrictions. The Wall Street Journal report explained that while Fox and the NFL meticulously vet national Super Bowl commercials, the local ad-buying system remains more flexible, making it vulnerable to exploitation.
West’s ad-buying strategy—leveraging regional placements to gain Super Bowl exposure at a lower cost—has drawn attention to the gaps in the system. While the Yeezy website did not feature the swastika T-shirt at the time the ad was submitted for approval, its sudden appearance afterward highlights how bad actors can manipulate advertising channels to spread harmful messaging.
The controversy has also placed additional pressure on media companies. The ADL’s demand for accountability from Fox and Nexstar reflects growing concerns that local broadcasters must implement stricter vetting processes. As The Wall Street Journal report noted, brands and advertising agencies will likely face increased scrutiny in the wake of this scandal, with calls for more stringent oversight to prevent similar incidents in the future.
The Super Bowl ad debacle is yet another chapter in Kanye West’s ongoing downfall. His continued embrace of anti-Semitic rhetoric, coupled with his attempt to exploit one of the biggest advertising platforms in the world, has further alienated him from mainstream businesses and audiences.
With Shopify shutting down Yeezy.com and civil rights organizations mobilizing against him, West finds himself increasingly isolated. While he retains a loyal fan base, his ability to maintain commercial viability continues to erode as more companies refuse to associate with him.
At the same time, this controversy serves as a wake-up call for the advertising industry, exposing how local ad placements can be manipulated by individuals with dangerous agendas. For now, West’s latest controversy leaves him once again at the center of global outrage—further proof that his once-glorified brand has become a cautionary tale of self-destruction.
