Backlash Intensifies on Pepsi as Some Question Why Soda Maker Apologized to Kendall Jenner

The late night comics took the soda giant to task over the ad.

The outrage against Pepsi has not yet fizzled, despite the soda company pulling and apologizing for a controversial ad featuring Kendall Jenner joining a street protest and handing a can of soda to a cop.

Read: Pepsi Apologizes, Yanks Controversial Kendall Jenner Ad: 'Clearly We Missed the Mark'

“We did not intend to make light of any serious issue," the company said in an apology to its Twitter followers Wednesday. "We also apologize for putting Kendall Jenner in this position."

pic.twitter.com/I21nQl68cY

— Pepsi™ (@pepsi) April 5, 2017

Some critics are confused as to why Jenner got her own apology.

"It’s incredible that @pepsi apologized to Kendall," tweeted DeRay Mckesson, a leader in the Black Lives Matter movement, on which some say the ad was based. "She chose to be a part of that ad. Pepsi needs to apologize to the protestors."

“The fact that Pepsi even thought Kendall Jenner being the face of that ad was a good idea really says a lot about their perspective lol,” he said in another tweet.

Other tweets went:

@pepsi Kendall chose to do it... but you're apologizing to her... pic.twitter.com/sf7gm9KGFa

— Protect Louis (@_blissfularry) April 5, 2017

@pepsi apologizing to Kendall makes this even more comical bruh ??? how u gonna apologize to a grown woman for makin her own decisions??done pic.twitter.com/vcjpfEfOkk

— Kenny Bell (@AFRO_THUNDER80) April 5, 2017

"We also apologize for putting Kendall Jenner in this position" .This is Kendall right now though ? ... pic.twitter.com/7ZdWla6zpC

— Cruélla de Ville ... (@Tshego_McTWiGGY) April 5, 2017

Jenner covered her face and kept silent while bombarded with questions after landing in Paris Wednesday.

During a city council meeting in Portland Wednesday, a man identifying himself as Carlos Enrique who claimed he was a journalist invoked the ad while "interviewing" to Mayor Ted Wheeler and began discussing how the leader of the Oregon city faces backlash from the public.

As Wheeler tried to get Enrique back on track to discuss the topics at hand, the civilian stood up and walked over to the panel on which Wheeler was sitting and handed him a Pepsi, a clear nod to the ad. 

"What I realized is that the language of resistance has not been properly translated [to] you," Enrique said. "So this is for you."

A shocked Wheeler told him never do that again and the man was confronted by security before leaving on his own.

The reaction continued on social media, Madonna weighed in on Twitter with a not-so-subtle photo of her holding a can of Coke.

? pic.twitter.com/QHqZNfvJbB

— Madonna (@Madonna) April 6, 2017

The ad, which dropped on April 4 — the 49th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.'s death — prompted the civil rights leader's daughter Bernice to tweet a photo of her dad in a standoff with cops, writing: "If only daddy would have known about the power of #pepsi.”

If only Daddy would have known about the power of #Pepsi. pic.twitter.com/FA6JPrY72V

— Be A King (@BerniceKing) April 5, 2017

Pepsi responded directly to Ms. King’s tweet, writing: “We at Pepsi believe in the legacy of Dr. King & meant absolutely no disrespect to him & others who fight for justice."

Late night jokesters couldn't resist making the commercial a part of their opening bits Wednesday night.

Steven Colbert poked fun at the ad on The Late Show Wednesday night.

“We have a deeply divided nation," he said. “But today, it seems that everyone has come together to join the protest against the new protest ad from Pepsi.”

Tonight: Stephen wades into the uproar around Pepsi's "protest" ad, and finds there may be a hidden message. #LSSC pic.twitter.com/PCm2q6VijU

— The Late Show (@colbertlateshow) April 6, 2017

He joked about how the ad was a protest for "Attractive Lives Matter" and "caused all of America’s hot extras to take to the streets" to vent their anger at something, but he can't figure out what.

Read: Casey Anthony Comes Out of Hiding to Protest Trump Outside Mar-a-Lago Estate

"Once Kendall Jenner has made the ultimate sacrifice of whipping off her lipstick, it is super fun until the march meets the world’s least intimidating police force," Colbert joked. "They are also extremely attractive. Watch out Kendall, those unarmed cops might start stripping!"

On The Daily Show, host Trevor Noah revealed how frightened he was over the recent chemical attack in Syria. As the host expressed his paranoia, correspondent Desi Lydic mimicked the Pepsi ad and handed him a can of soda, jokingly letting the South African comic know everything will be fine.

Watch: Trump Threatens to Cut Federal Funds at UC Berkeley After Protests Erupt on Campus