Ben & Jerry’s Apologizes for Racist Jeremy Lin Reference

February 27, 2012

Ben & Jerry’s, the iconic ice cream brand famous, has apologized for including fortune cookies in its “Taste the Lin-Sanity” frozen yogurt sold at a Harvard Square location in Boston.

The Vermont-founded company has replaced the fortune cookies in its honey-swirl, Jeremy Lin-inspired variety with waffle cones.

“We offer a heartfelt apology if anyone was offended by our handmade Lin-Sanity flavor,” Ben & Jerry’s said in a statement.

Lin, the New York Knicks point guard who shot to NBA stardom this month after spurring a win streak in the absence of Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire, played four seasons for the Harvard Crimson before turning pro in 2010.

“We are proud and honored to have Jeremy Lin hail from one of our fine, local universities and we are huge sports fans,” Ben & Jerry’s said in the news release. “Our intention was to create a flavor to honor Jeremy Lin’s accomplishments and his meteoric rise in the NBA, and recognize that he was a local Harvard graduate.

“We try (to) demonstrate our commitment as a Boston-based, valued-led business and if we failed in this instance we offer our sincere apologies.”

ESPN have already disciplined its editors for using racist remarks towards Lin and MSG have apologised to make a similar fortune cookie reference in its ads.

by Ismail Uddin