How Could the Trump Skittles Meme Get More Idiotic? By Using an Unauthorized Photo...from a Refugee

By Courtney Enlow | Politics | September 20, 2016 |

By Courtney Enlow | Politics | September 20, 2016 |

Last night, Skittles poured like tears from the angry maw of the Trump family. The effort blew up spectacularly (though it’s hard to take enjoyment from this—they just love attention, good or bad) but if only it could be dumber. More ignorant. More terrible.

Like, how about if they stole the image from a photographer who himself is a refugee.

These fuckin’ maroons.

Take it away, BBC.

David Kittos, who does not follow Twitter, was alerted to the use of the image by friends.

A keen photographer, he told the BBC he originally took the picture in his home studio: “I was just experimenting with something called off-camera flash.

“This was six years ago when there were no Syrian refugees at the time and it was never done with the intention of spreading a political message.

“I have never put this image up for sale. This was not done with my permission, I don’t support Trump’s politics and I would never take his money to use it.”

Mr Kittos’ personal history means he is particularly dismayed by his image being used in a debate around accepting refugees.

“I am now a British citizen but I am Greek-Cypriot by birth and in 1974 I was a refugee because of the Turkish occupation.

“I was six years old. We lived in the area of Cyprus that is now under Turkish military control. We had to leave everything behind overnight. Our property and our possessions.”

Skittles themselves had a great response:

A rep for @Skittles gives me their response to @DonaldJTrumpJr pic.twitter.com/OmkJQkIqug

— Seth Abramovitch (@SethAbramovitch) September 20, 2016

Our thoughts are with all of us having weirdly conflicting candy cravings today.