CNN torpedoed after cuing ill-timed Applebee's commercial alongside wailing air raid sirens in Ukraine

CNN took heavy criticism on Thursday morning after airing a poppy, upbeat Applebee's commercial alongside footage of air raid sirens blaring across Kyiv, Ukraine, amid the Russian invasion.

What are the details?

CNN bizarrely aired an Applebee's commercial on Thursday morning while myriad air raid sirens rang out across the smoky streets of Kyiv.

The upbeat commercial featured the Zac Brown Band's "Chicken Fried" and showed off a man dancing in skin-tight jeans to lyrics such as: "A little bit of chicken fried/ Cold beer on a Friday night/ A pair of jeans that fit just right/ And the radio up."

Air raid sirens could be heard on the newscast before the network superimposed the commercial over the dystopian footage in split screen fashion.

What was the response?

Much of social media could not fathom why CNN would air such devastating footage juxtaposed with a lighthearted commercial celebrating fried chicken and beer at a mid-range casual dining restaurant franchise.

Journalist Arash Markazi wrote, "A friend once yelled the opening lyrics of Smash Mouth's 'All Star' in a movie theater during a silent moment in a dramatic movie as a dare. This is worse than that moment."

Broadcaster Keith Olbermann added, "Death from the skies...sponsored by @applebees[.]"

Research director Scott Whitlock wrote, "Really, CNN? There's this thing called tone and tact. Look it up. Because your blending of commercials and all hell breaking out in Europe isn't working."

Another user added, "Cutting away from air raid sirens in Kyiv for an Applebee’s commercial with a guy in jeans shaking his ass is certainly a choice, @CNN. What sort of dystopian hell is this?"

"Applebees couldn’t get a Super Bowl commercial, so they took the WW3 CNN slot. Savage," another user wrote.

Yet another chimed in, "Nothing like sliding on a pair of jeans that fit right while preparing for ww3."

Another user quipped, "Why is there Ukraine content in the middle of CNN's Applebees coverage?"