In a stunning display of corporate hypocrisy that would make even the most seasoned cynic blush, C.E.O. of MegaCorp, Bartholomew Buttercup III, has been exposed for blocking his company's planned Pride ad campaign – only to be spotted later that day leading a gleefully flamboyant family float in the city's annual Pride parade.

Sources within MegaCorp claim Buttercup argued the campaign was "too niche" and "might alienate certain… uh… demographic segments." These segments, it has since been unofficially revealed, mostly consist of Buttercup’s extended family, who, ironically, were all decked out in custom-made, glitter-encrusted MegaCorp-branded rainbow apparel on their elaborately decorated float featuring a life-sized, singing animatronic Bartholomew Buttercup III.

"It was quite the spectacle," reported local resident Agnes Periwinkle, who caught the whole thing on video. "The float had a fog machine, disco lights, and Buttercup was literally shaking his groove thing, while simultaneously handing out free MegaCorp-branded rainbow-colored fidget spinners to the kids. The irony was palpable, like a really strong, high-quality rainbow-flavored artisanal cheese. It smelled strongly of hypocrisy."

When confronted with these apparent contradictions, Buttercup’s spokesperson released a statement stating that the CEO had merely "accidentally wandered into the parade while seeking a good vantage point to admire the, um, ‘vibrant displays of community spirit.’" He further clarified that the decision to block the ad campaign was entirely unrelated to Buttercup’s personal support for the LGBTQIA+ community, and that ‘the timing was just really unfortunate, and had absolutely nothing to do with the shiny, new rainbow-colored MegaCorp branded yacht he's naming 'The Rainbow Warrior.'" The spokesperson concluded with a firm reminder that 'MegaCorp strongly supports diversity and inclusion, which is why we're now introducing a limited-edition line of Pride-themed fidget spinners in four pastel shades, available next Tuesday, only on our website. And they will be priced aggressively. '

MegaCorp stock is currently up 3%, largely attributed to the viral nature of the video footage and the resulting social media buzz. The buzz, some analysts suggest, is primarily composed of the collective head-scratching of the general public.