Battle lines are being drawn, nobody’s right when everybody’s wrong Buffalo Springfield For What It’s Worth
Enough of this bullsh*t is enough. Back on my soapbox I go, and this time righteously pissed. Because whether it’s you, or me, or corporate America, No man can serve two masters.
What the hell is going on here? Anheuser-Busch, allegedly an LGBTQ friendly company and Pride Month supporter celebrates Pride Month by posting an online video ad featuring a transgender woman. Far right troglodytes throw an online trolling Trumper tantrum, Bud Light’s profits takes a 30% hit, and they pull the ad.
Target is a longtime corporate supporter of LGBTQ rights, and Pride Month merchant, but when other troglodytes, or maybe the same start trashing Target, posting nasty videos, threatening to trash stores and harass employees and customers, the Pride Month display either get shoved to the back of the store, or get removed together.
I would like these giant, billion dollar multi-national corporations to please explain to me, What the f*ck is going on here?!? Do you support LGBTQ rights and Pride Month, or don’t you? It’s that simple. You can’t comport yourself to support something only when it’s convenient for you. You can’t proudly proclaim yourself a Catholic until you decide to have an affair, and then you’re not a Catholic anymore while you’re screwing around. It doesn’t work that way.
Look gang, I’m going to explain to you as simply as I can, and I’m going to type these words v-e-r-y s-l-o-w-l-y since you appear to have the moral IQ of a 2 year old, and a moral compass with a $ on the bottom instead of an S. Whether you’re an individual like me, or a soulless corporation like y’all, you don’t support profits. You support causes. It’s that simple. And you support them because they’re right, even if they don’t pay.
Because your way is stupid. Everybody likes to make a profit. Hell, I’ll be the first to admit that I like turning a buck writing these articles, but I also did it for five long years on Daily Kos for free, because it felt right, and I was trying to make a difference for the good. And I still am. And guess what, guys? I’ve had my share of sh*t thrown at me for doing it.
Let me give you two shining examples of what moral corporate courage looks like, since you seem to be struggling with the concept. When Florida Governor Ron DeathSantis signed his anti LGBTQ Don’t Say Gay school law, the Disney Company, a world class LGBTQ friendly workplace, and Florida’s largest employer immediately came out publicly and condemned the law.
It wasn’t just paying media lip service. In speaking out quickly and loudly, Disney was showing their LGBTQ workforce that they weren’t going to turn their backs on them for a buck. When DeSantis went to war with Disney, Disney spanked him by pulling a $2 billion project from Florida that would have created some 4,999 new jobs. I’m betting that LGBTQ couples will buy Disney stuff even if they don’t have kids, just to support Disney for supporting them.
Another example of corporate moral courage on a non LGBTQ note. Several years ago, After yet another senseless school slaughter, Dick’s Sporting Goods, one of the country’s largest sporting goods chains, made a moral decision that enough was enough. They voluntarily pulled all of their semi automatic rifles from their shelves, for good.
The Death Eaters over at the NRA promptly lost their sh*t, and NRA members made loud moo-moo noises about a national boycott. Last I saw, Dick’s bottom line was doing just fine, and while late to the party, Walmart followed suit and also stopped selling the AR-15.
I know what I’m about to say is so far out of your corporate orbit that you’ll need the Hubbell telescope to read it, but here goes. It. Isn’t. Always. About. Money. Sometimes it’s as simple as doing what’s right. Otherwise, how do you look your LGBTQ customers and their supporters in the eye after you sold their dignity and civil rights for a pocketful of simpleons?
You’ve made your choices, and now you get to live with them. But don’t forget this. A handful of far right rockheads threw a hissy-fit, and you ran away like a clutter of kittens. Bud Light lost 30% for a few days? Poor babies. But the LGBTQ community and their supporters have been organizing on social media for decades. What if they decide a pox on all of their houses, and decide to boycott every Anheuser-Busch product for a couple of months? And what if faithful LGBTQ community members and their supporters switch to Walmart, or start shopping online with Amazon? 30% of one brand, or a handful of screaming idiots in the store until the cops escort them out? Which will hurt more?
You never get a 2nd chance to make a 1st impression, but as an Irish Catholic I can tell you it’s never too late for confession and penance. Make a public statement of support, put the ad and the products back out and grow a pair. because a recent poll shows that 85% of Americans want full LGBTQ rights. You want to piss the all off? Because you’re all missing one simple thing.
These brainless troublemakers have the attention span of a two week old puppy. The same cretins who are pestering you right now are the same idjits who were showing up screaming and frothing at city council meetings and state legislative hearings slobbering all over themselves about drag shows. And two months before that, it was school board meetings to ban books from school shelves. So relax. Take a chill pill. All you are right now is the flavor of the month for them. Besides, it’s no fun for craven cowards when their intended victims stand up to them. By the end of the 3rd quarter, this will be like cod liver oil, a really bad taste in your mouth.
Disney aside…should a corporation decide “damn the profits, this is the right thing to do” and it hurts earnings, don’t doubt for one second there won’t be a swarm of pissed off shareholders suing the board for malpractice. The corporation and board owe ONE allegiance….to provide profit for their investors and themselves. PERIOD. It’s been that way in this country for several decades. I do NOT trust ANY corporation to do “what is right” about ANYTHING. They are in it for YOUR MONEY and NOTHING more. You have to watch them like a hawk.
Bot at all…But if you’re going to take a public stance in SUPPORT of a cause or issue, then you had fucking-A better be ready to put your money where your fat mouth i…
I should have looked for this scene from The Contender earlier. It sprang to mind right after I commented the first time but if you don’t want to watch the entire clip the key moment is when Joan Allen’s character says “Principles only matter if you stick by them when they’re inconvenient.” People, including and especially those executives you wrote about ought to think about that.
True. Once you take the public stance, if there are going to be pissed off shareholders they’ll make it known just how pissed they are, so you might as well go all in. Hypocrisy is not a good look-just makes me spend my money elsewhere.
The key part of your comment is that it’s been the guiding corporate mentality for several decades. Prior to Milton Friedman gaining fame and influence things were different. Not a lot. But some. Corporate America recognized that their was an overall need to factor in the public good. Profits were still the primary driver of decision making to be sure, but prior to Friedman it was tempered a bit with a sense of “we can and have every intention of making gobs of money BUT there are some limits to how far we’ll go.” However, as you say the guiding principle became profits above any and all other considerations! The public good? F**kit. The National Interest? F**kit. These are people who would sell their children into sexual slavery before voting in a board meeting for something that would curtail, even by a small amount the bottom line and shareholder returns!
The belief that the song you referenced was an anti-war song (and it does apply to things r.e. Vietnam and protests) Stephen Stills’ inspiration was the Sunset Strip uprising that took place in L.A. in the mid 60s. Residents and businesses close to certain clubs (I think the focal point was a place called Pandora’s) got a set of curfew laws enacted (10pm? What did the city council THINK the reaction would be?) and music lovers and the counter-culture raised hell in protest. Check out the lyrics – they are every bit as relevant today as then:
There’s something happening here
But what it is ain’t exactly clear
There’s a man with a gun over there
Telling me I got to beware
I think it’s time we stop
Children, what’s that sound?
Everybody look, what’s going down?
There’s battle lines being drawn
Nobody’s right if everybody’s wrong
Young people speaking their minds
Getting so much resistance from behind
It’s time we stop
Hey, what’s that sound?
Everybody look, what’s going down?
What a field day for the heat (Ooh ooh ooh)
A thousand people in the street (Ooh ooh ooh)
Singing songs and they carrying signs (Ooh ooh ooh)
Mostly say, “Hooray for our side” (Ooh ooh ooh)
It’s time we stop
Hey, what’s that sound?
Everybody look, what’s going down?
Paranoia strikes deep
Into your life it will creep
It starts when you’re always afraid
Step out of line, the men come and take you away
We better stop
Hey, what’s that sound?
Everybody look, what’s going down?
You better stop
Hey, what’s that sound?
Everybody look, what’s going down?
You better stop
Now, what’s that sound?
Everybody look, what’s going down?
You better stop
Children, what’s that sound?
Everybody look, what’s going down?
Some comments I’ve read from the LGBTQ+ community and allies about Target’s caving were of the “Why aren’t you having these terrorists arrested?” nature. And that’s a very fair question that Target’s executives have not answered. The executives may talk “employees’ safety” and all that but, you know what leads to your employees’ real safety? Making sure the terrorists who are threatening your stores and your employees wind up in jail, preferably to rot for the rest of their miserable lives.
It’s hard to nail people who phone threats. And emails, if they use a fake name and not their own phone.
Well, that’s true, but, by the same token, why–as a business claiming to support the LGBTQ+ community–are you CAVING to “phone threats” and “email threats?”
Hey, can we stop it with the old song lyrics that everyone knows, has heard for decades, and are not really relevant to our current century? It’s a waste of space and communicates a lot less than you think. The less I have to scroll down to see others’ opinions the better. We have the annoying effing ads: isn’t that enough?
I rather appreciated the song lyrics and think they are still relevant. Enjoyed singing along in my mind….
Glad I’m not the only one annoyed by the preponderance of ads on these pages. It’s overwhelming and they interfere with my enjoyment of PZ. And while I appreciate these old songs, I don’t have to see them repeatedly. I listened to them plenty back in the day, thank you very much.
You cannot serve two masters…you will love one and hate the other. Jesus
“… and a moral compass with a $ on the bottom instead of an S.”
That’s *brilliant*! If you didn’t make that up, please credit the person who did but you get credit for bringing it before my eyes!😂
What is challenging is that the worst of our perspectives appears to be a contender for truth.
The meme that leads headlines this article is disingenuous to the point of nausea. Apparently When this statement was made, he didn’t realize that often time crime against LGBTQ people was unreported, or ignored by law enforcement, not passing the obstacle of official recognition of the humanity, personhood or citizenship of the victim.
As an ally of the community, I would not declare I understand all the challenges, concerns or perspectives. But as someone who has experienced the disregard of the institutions of society which are meant to protect the people because of the same level of individuals normalizing violence, ostracism and alienation I would contend – When do we collectively say, ‘enough’?
The struggle is not against left versus right, it is human acceptance and social incorporation of all the members of our society. The codification of the rights of all persons to have self determination and the bodily autonomy to declare what they choose to do with their bodies an lives and the prohibition of laws or practices which restrict the ability of any person who has not relinquished the basic human and societal rights we are assured to experience the full benefits of the society within which they live.
But who am I to believe in this? Oh, yeah, A person in the struggle of life merely seeking peace.
I think you’re missing the point. A corporation is nothing more than a fictional entity designed to maximize profit. Nothing more. In fact, in ‘Merica, they are legally required to do only that.
The shareholders are all that matter. Disney is fighting DeStupid because they know that money is money whether coming out of a gay or straight wallet. They have no moral purpose other than that.
Nike stood behind Colin Kapernik (a risky move) and it paid off. Had people not bought their product, they would have scraped him off like gum on the sole of an Air Jordan.