Photo of Bud Light Stocked in Fridge at Game Goes Viral Amid Controversy

A photo of a refrigerator full of Bud Light next to an empty one that had a rival beer being chilled, has gone viral amid the controversy surrounding Anheuser-Busch's association with transgender TikTok star Dylan Mulvaney.

The company has faced a backlash after its decision to partner with Mulvaney, 26, who was given a customized Bud Light can this month. The can was intended to promote Mulvaney's video series, "Days of Girlhood," about the 365 days since her transition to a woman.

Since the partnership was announced, Bud Light and Anheuser-Busch have been the target of a backlash and calls to boycott buying the beer brand, which is heavily linked with various U.S. sports and teams through a number of sponsorships.

Social media influencer Matt Wallace has seen his post highlighting how Bud Light has been snubbed by sports fans viewed more than 3 million times as the controversy continues.

Wallace wrote in a post next to the Bud Light fridge photo: "Scenes like this at sporting events all across the country. Bud Light may literally go out of business because they hired woke activist Dylan Mulvaney as their brand ambassador."

The Bud Light stocks seem to be at an Arkansas Razorbacks game, with the bottles bearing special edition "Go Hogs!" packaging.

There were plenty of people who responded to the tweet, with one saying that it was: "Cancel culture."

This was dismissed by another, who replied: "It's not actually cancel culture when people decide that they are not supporting a corporation that no longer cares about the people that are buying their products."

Another celebrated what was happening, tweeting: "Go woke, go broke. A huge setback for their movement."

Mulvaney, though, has seen a huge rise in popularity on social media, which already included 10.8 million followers on TikTok prior to the controversy in early April, thanks to her Day 365 of Girlhood video series that charted her first year of transitioning.

The backlash has had a positive effect on Mulvaney's social media footprint, as she gained more than 87,000 new followers on Instagram this month.

She started April with about 1.76 million followers and gained an average of 2,901 new followers every day since. Mulvaney now has more than 1.82 million followers on Instagram, according to social media statistics website Social Blade.

The influencer is not the only one with a social media account that received a boost following the backlash, as Bud Light also saw an increase in its social media interactions.

In response to the criticism directed at Bud Light and Anheuser-Busch, CEO Brendan Whitworth, issued a statement saying, "We never intended to be part of a discussion that divides people. We are in the business of bringing people together over a beer.

"My time serving this country taught me the importance of accountability and the values upon which America was founded: freedom, hard work and respect for one another. As CEO of Anheuser-Busch, I am focused on building and protecting our remarkable history and heritage. I care deeply about this country, this company, our brands and our partners."

Newsweek reached out to Anheuser-Busch and the University of Arkansas via email for comment.

Do you have a tip on a sports story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have a question about the Bud Light controversy? Let us know via entertainment@newsweek.com.

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