Last week Pepsi released a new advertisement that incited massive controversy across the internet. The add showcased an army of fashionable, conventionally attractive twenty-somethings parading through the streets of some vaguely Metropolitan area. They stormed the streets protesting... things. What things you ask? Well important things obviously! I mean they must be fighting for such a relevant and specific cause to be carrying signs with such provocative social commentaries as, "Unity," "Love," and "Join the conversation." Again, not clear on which conversation we're supposed to be joining, but you can bet that it has something to do with passionate beliefs of some kind.

And just in case you still weren't sure that this Pepsi add is marketing to the youth, here's celebrity model Kendall Jenner! See how she's so absorbed in her photo-shoot, completely unaware of all the revolution taking place just under her nose? Well that's all about to change. Suddenly, Kendall rips of her blonde wig, shedding the oppressive chains of her billion dollar modeling contract, and gives way to the current of the gorgeous racially mixed youth. But wait? Who are those scary men in baseball caps up ahead? Why, they're the police! But wait! Never fear young upper middle class activists, this rich white celebrity is here to save the day (even though she didn't even know there was a protest like two seconds ago. But never mind that, we're living in the moment!) Kendall steps out of the crowd and, in a stunning display of compassion and courage, offers the officer a soda. The office flashes her a smile and the entire crowd erupts in to applause.Wow. During these frightening and divisive times, turns out all we needed was some Pepsi to make everyone see eye-to-eye.

Suffice it to say, that the majority of the internet found the add to be a grossly transparent ploy to market to the youth and use the real, life-threatening work of actual activists to turn a profit. The outrage caused by the add is best encapsulated by this tweet from Bernice King, the last living child of MLK:

Pepsi initially released a statement defending the commercial as simply a depiction of “various groups of people embracing a spontaneous moment … to live life unbounded, unfiltered and uninhibited.” They later pulled the commercial after it was demolished by critics all over social media and came out with a public apology stating that the company was merely trying to "project a global message of unity, peace and understanding" and that they clearly "missed the mark." Yeah Pepsi. Ya sure did.

To me, the most remarkable part of this entire ordeal, has been how this poorly executed attempt to convey a message of unity and solidarity, has actually resulted in the uniting of a lot of people (even if they are uniting over how much they hate the add). All across the internet, people are responding to the add with pointed criticism and humor. The general mood seems to be equal parts disbelief and exasperation. One of my favorite responses has been the SNL skit, which depicts the imagined director of the add and his sudden realization of just how terrible his idea actually is. What SNL conveys beautifully, is the deep sense of naivete that the add conveys. It imagines the director as having the best of intentions, but absolutely no knowledge of the implications that he's sending.

And here's the thing, I don't believe that the creators of this Pepsi add were malintended. I believe that they were horribly blinded by their own privilege. Because the thing is, many Americans, myself included, don’t understand what real activism actually looks like. To those who's only view of social activism comes from Facebook or Twitter, the world really does look a lot like that Pepsi commercial. They see a sudden burst of belief in and passion for change and identify with the sentiment, without understanding the cause. In a way, those vague and totally non-committal protest signs in the Pepsi commercials represent a large portion of Americans today. We rally in support of things like peace, love, justice, and equality, without taking into consideration what all of those things mean for ourselves and others. We conflate the representation of activism for activism itself, and in turn are lulled in to a false sense of security. We believe that because I shared a post on Facebook, because I wear a safety pin on my shirt, because I bought a bumper sticker that says coexist, real change is being made. But it's not. Change is not made by consumption. Change is made by real people, doing real work, and in some cases, taking real risks. Activism is about action first.

Now, this is not to say that reading and sharing articles, or expressing your political or social views via what you wear or buy does not hold any value. I'm not here to tell you that you're not allowed to feel empowered by wearing a The Future is Female Shirt or what have you. I am here, however, to tell you not to mistake the expression of an ideal or a belief you hold for a political act. Consuming products that convey your ideals is not a substitute for actually going to a protest, calling your representative and especially not for actually voting. No one is under any obligation to be an activist. It's a hard job that takes a lot of work and resilience. But don't conflate your consumption with activism. And if you do decide to go to a protest, don't be surprised when it doesn’t look like a Pepsi commercial.