Actor Terry Crews has faced criticism after appearing on an Amazon advert that caused some to accuse him of “cosplaying as a poor person”.
In the advert, the 53-year-old Brooklyn NineâNine star is seen working in an Amazon warehouse and goofing around with staff.
He encouraged people to apply for the “bajillion” jobs Amazon is currently hiring for, singing praises for the company’s “flexible hours” and benefits.
Terry Crews posted the advert to his TikTok and quickly racked up almost half a million views.
One comment with over a thousand likes reads: “Yeah, but do they pay a living wage?”
Another TikToker wrote: “They let you use the bathroom?”
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The remark about the bathroom break harks back to a previous controversy when it was alleged that time-poor workers resorted to peeing in bottles in lieu of toilet breaks. In 2018 bottles of pee were allegedly found by author James Bloodworth when he went undercover at an Amazon warehouse. Amazon has denied the claim.
In a second video posted by the actor titled “Why work at Amazon?” he is seen using an Amazon box as a weight as he works out. On-screen text reading “flex” appears with each rep before “flexible schedules” is spelled out.
Both adverts on the actor’s TikTok include #ad in the caption.
People took to Twitter to share their thoughts on Crews’s collaboration with the brand.
Journalist Elie Mystal slammed the clips as “Terry Crews cosplaying as a poor person” to do an advert for “union-busting”.
This is Terry Crews cosplaying as a poor person to do an ad for union busting.
— Elie Mystal (@ElieNYC) November 10, 2021
He's basically John Cena's character from Suicide Squad now. https://t.co/Inb5MBKFTk
This isn’t the first time the multinational has been accused of “union-busting”. Earlier this year The New York Times ran a piece titled “How Amazon Crushes Unions” while The Guardian reported on an “aggressive anti-union drive” at an Alabama warehouse in February of this year.
Amazon has previously received criticism over employee working conditions. In 2017 an investigation found employees falling asleep standing up and when the pandemic hit, warehouse workers spoke of “an atmosphere of fear”.
Others also chimed in, including journalist Edward Ongweso Jr who shared the video with a vomit emoji.
— Edward Ongweso Jr (@bigblackjacobin) November 10, 2021
this is deranged man pic.twitter.com/3CTPZsCLZ2
— hasanabi (@hasanthehun) November 10, 2021
I wonder how much they paid @terrycrews that could have been used to pay workers an actual livable wage or otherwise improve the well-documented poor conditions that workers face when they aren't a rich celebrity followed by a camera crew. https://t.co/IK7aRrGN4p
— Ezra (@GrandmasterEzra) November 10, 2021
Propaganda is all around you. https://t.co/o1sAkeWlW3
— Gravel Institute (@GravelInstitute) November 11, 2021
This is shocking and unforgivable lol https://t.co/if2DTnxjp6
— Jason Okundaye (@jasebyjason) November 10, 2021
oh yeah i totally believe terry crews, a famous actor, is enjoying experiencing a 10-hour shift in a warehouse https://t.co/KzrqRfydoa
— tyler (@invaderler) November 10, 2021
I really wish I was in the room when someone decided that Terry Crews portraying a poor person to do an ad for union busting was a winning idea.
— Vince (@VPMirenzi) November 10, 2021
The disconnect between Amazon and its employees is beyond comprehension at this point.
pic.twitter.com/gMYQS1EPyb
Others didn’t see anything particularly wrong with the advert. One Twitter user said: “It’s a recruitment ad, no more no less.”
It's a recruitment ad, no more no less. I saw nothing about unions. And stop right there, I am pro-union.
— D.A. Smith - I choose democracy & equality.🌊🌊 (@ctbballfan) November 10, 2021
Naturally, some also made fun of the advert:
when my order from amazon arrives crushed to shit bc terry crews didnt know wtf he was doing pic.twitter.com/9wFfpc5leq
— marty, (@ovtrvn) November 10, 2021
What are your thoughts on the advert?
Indy100 has reached out to Amazon for comment.
