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CNN slammed for airing Applebee's ad during Ukraine coverage, restaurant agrees!

While Applebee's released a statement, CNN has decided to remove 'squeezeback' ads from its ongoing coverage of Russia's Ukraine invasion

While CNN aired its coverage of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on Thursday, an Applebee's commercial started playing alongside. The news network transitioned from its footage of air raid sirens blasting throughout Kyiv to the upbeat country advertisement for the restaurant chain.

The Applebee's commercial featured fried chicken, frothy beer, and a man in a cowboy hat twerking to Zac Brown Band's 'Chicken Fried' as the lyrics to the song popped up on the screen. The clip has gone viral on the Internet as users slammed CNN for being insensitive and questioned the channel for the unnecessary transition during important and sensitive coverage like the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

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The song lyrics said, 'a little bit of chicken fried' and 'cold beer on a Friday night' while the advertisement played on a split-screen with the Ukraine footage playing simultaneously, making the incident even more inappropriate. Scott Whitlock, Research Director at the Media Research Center tweeted, "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."

Users also joked about Putin's war in Ukraine being 'sponsored' by Applebee's. Political commentator Keith Olbermann wrote, “Death from the skies... sponsored by @applebees," while another said, "WW3 sponsored by Applebees. We’re living in an episode of South Park." A third added, "WWIII brought to you by Applebees … What the actual crap @CNN."
 

"Applebees couldn’t get a Super Bowl commercial, so they took the WW3 CNN slot. Savage," a user joked while another said, "this is especially funny because this song has a verse that's like "thank god for the troops who died so we can party." A third commented, "Not now, @Applebees"

"It's so f***ing awkward that CNN will cut from an interview with a Ukrainian family that has had their home bombed and lost everything to a commercial with upbeat music for f***ing Applebees so quickly," said one user, while another chimed in, "The farmer twerking in the Applebees commercial on CNN as it covered the Ukraine invasion was just-- ...I mean, I didn't think it could actually get worse, but then it did."

"We are deeply concerned about the situation in Ukraine. When we were made aware that our ad was placed in this manner, we immediately reached out to CNN to pause our advertising on their network. It never should have aired, and we are disappointed in the actions of the network," Applebee's spokesperson said in a statement.

Meanwhile, CNN has removed 'squeezeback' ads from its ongoing coverage of Russia’s Ukraine invasion. A spokesperson for WarnerMedia, which owns CNN, told HuffPost in an email that "squeezeback advertisements have been removed from the coverage."