Australian senator says he’s worried Magnum ice creams will be cancelled for ‘glorifying gun violence’

An Australian senator has revealed his love of Magnums, and his hope that the ice cream won’t be “cancelled” over its name.

Alex Antic, of the country’s Liberal party, aired his unexpected concerns on Facebook, posting a photo of himself nursing one of the chocolate-covered frozen treats.

Alongside the snap, he wrote: "Taking a moment in between estimate sessions to eat a MAGNUM before the radical left try to cancel it for glorifying gun violence.

“I’m just going to keep ignoring them and so should you."

Magnums are a type of firearms cartridge, which contains more gunpowder and/or more bullets than a standard one.

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Fellow users of the platform were up in arms over the suggestion, with one commenting: “‘I’m just going to keep ignoring them’ says the guy who just invented a grievance out of thin air and is literally the only person to have ever mentioned it.”

However, other – perhaps more savvy users – saw Antic’s antics as a jibe at a broader public debate.

Australians have been sharply divided over whether certain popular goods should be updated to keep up with the times; most notably a popular ice cream called Golden Gaytime.

A petition, started by a man calling for the name to be changed, has sparked fierce debate across the country.

The unnamed man, wrote in his Change.org plea: “In 2021, Gay’s meaning primarily is related to sexuality. As a Gay man I have needed to fight to be myself, overcoming many things in my life, I am a proud Gay man.

“As a part of the LGBTQIA+ community I believe my sexual identity is owned by me, not a brand and that the outdated meaning no longer applies. Isn’t it time for this double entendre to end?”

However, the dessert’s manufacturer, Streets, has refuted any suggestion that Gaytime is offensive, insisting critics should view the name within the correct historic context.

A spokesperson for the Unilever-owned brand explained that the Golden Gaytime was released in Australia during 1959, prior to “gay” being used to denote a person’s sexuality.

"The origin of the ‘Gaytime’ name was and remains related to having a joyous or happy time and is meant to capture the pleasure that comes with enjoying an ice cream," they said in a statement to the NCA NewsWire

"The ‘Gaytime’ name is not and never has intended to cause offence and this petition is the first that we have been made aware of.”

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