'This condition is no joke': Uber Eats removes peanut butter joke from Super Bowl ad after outrage from allergy groups

An Uber Eats commercial about being forgetful triggered a response from an allergy research group and others over a segment of the ad that featured a man eating peanut butter, forgetting that he is allergic to peanuts.

Food delivery company Uber Eats shelled out approximately $14 million for a one-minute spot during Super Bowl LVIII. The monumental price tag makes it more shocking that the company was willing to make an edit after several groups complained.

In the star-studded ad, actress Jennifer Aniston appeared to get an Uber Eats delivery from her assistant, who said she forgot about all the items she could get from the delivery service. Aniston responded by explaining that "in order to remember something, you’ve got to forget something else. Make a little room."

The spot then showed different celebrities forgetting seemingly memorable parts of their lives, like Victoria Beckham forgetting the name of her group, the Spice Girls. Aniston forgot who her "Friends" costar David Schwimmer was, and singer Jelly Roll didn't recall getting face tattoos.

Other segments featured a man forgetting to wear pants to work and an allegedly controversial man eating peanut butter.

The man is seen with a spoonful of peanut butter and an allergic reaction on his face, saying, "There’s peanuts in peanut butter?" followed by the realization, "Oh, it’s the primary ingredient."

This was enough to spark outrage from allergy research groups and organizations, which immediately condemned the ad publicly.

"We're incredibly disappointed by Uber Eats' use of life-threatening food allergies as humor in its Super Bowl ad. The suffering of 33M+ Americans with this condition is no joke. Life-threatening food allergy is a disease, not a diet. Enough is enough," said Food Allergy Research & Education.

The Elijah-Alavi Foundation, which promotes "equity" through food allergy education, wrote that the "ad mocking food allergies cuts deep."

"This is a serious health crisis, not a punchline. We demand respect and urgent change," they added.

As well, the outlet Allergic Living called on the "entertainment industry to stop the allergy 'jokes.'"

The pressure got to Uber Eats, which agreed to edit the commercial over the backlash.

“FARE would like to thank Uber for listening to our community and making the changes to their Super Bowl ad. After talking with them today, I believe we have a new ally in helping us navigate our journey with our disease," said Dr. Sung Poblete, CEO of the allergy researchers' organization.

"I hope this sends a message to Hollywood that food allergies will no longer be the butt of jokes," Poblete added.

The original version still exists online and is unlisted on Uber Eats' YouTube channel. The edited version that made the Super Bowl replaced the peanut butter lover with a man who forgets how to sit in a chair.

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