Going Viral: Planet Of The Apes Video is Amusing. But is it Racist?

Viewed nearly 1.5 million times, the above "Ape with AK-47" video is in fact a viral ad for the upcoming 20th Century Fox film Rise of the Planet of the Apes.

The vid, which claims to be from the 20th Century Fox Research Library, was uploaded on the movie's official YouTube channel, and links to an "Apes Will Rise" iTunes app: "Are you smarter than an ape? Challenge yourself with this memory test/iPhone app designed by scientists and tested on apes."

But is featuring Africans handing an ape an AK-47 really the best idea for a viral — let along a major media conglomerate?Continue reading...