CASTING CALL FOR “ALT-RIGHT” SPURS CADILLAC APOLOGY

General Motors was under fire this weekend after a casting call for Cadillac sought members of the “alt-right” movement.

According to an image of the casting call posted by the news agency Reuters and many, many others, the notice said an agency filming the ad was looking for “any and all real alt-right thinkers/believers.”

“This is a beautifully artistic spot that is capturing all walks of life of America,” the casting call says, adding that it would be filmed this month. “Standing together as a union. This is not meant to be offensive in anyway. Just a representation of all sides. Thank you.”

The “alt-right,” or alternative right, is an offshoot of conservatism mixing racism, white nationalism and populism. The name is embraced by some white supremacists and white nationalists to refer to themselves and their ideology, which emphasizes preserving and protecting the white race in the United States in addition to, or over, other traditional conservative positions such as limited government, low taxes and strict law and order.

The casting notice, circulated on Twitter and Facebook, said an agency was looking for men and women of all ethnicities between ages 20 and 40.

Cadillac tried to quell the criticism with postings on Twitter and on its Facebook page: “Cadillac did not authorize or approve a casting notice for an ‘alt-right (neo-nazi)’ role in a commercial. We unequivocally condemn the notice.” BBB