Say Anything Blog

Bob,

I disagree.

I vote with my wallet often, as that seems to be one of the few ways to actually make my pleasure, or displeasure, felt.  Note that I don’t go looking for products and manufacturers to boycott or reward so much as I consider who has been supporting which causes in a sufficiently public way to come to my attention.

French Products, just right out and have been for years.  If Sarkozy manages to turn things around in reality as well as rhetorically, I’ll reconsider.

Hollywood, just right out since last year’s academy awards.  The only movie I’ve paid to see since has been 300, and that will remain true until the next academy awards.

Ravenswood Vinyards.  A good vintner, but the Pelosi family label.  Just right out.

And now Lowes.  Just right out, I’ll take my business to Home Depot.

All the above can spend their advertising dollars however they choose, but my dollars will not go to their products.

Out Here
Rodney G. Graves
(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Ceterum censeo Parthia esse delendam
Latin: “Furthermore, Parthia (Persia aka modern day Iran) should be destroyed.”

I agree with Bob. As far as the free market is concerned, it’s not a big deal. Consumers controlling their producers by choosing whether or not to buy their stuff is what free market is all about. In this case, more liberals seem to shop at Lowes (or so Lowes thinks) than conservatives. Okay, so Lowes isn’t advertising on O’Reilly now, well people who watch O’Reilly will shop at whatever brand (like Home Depot) that chooses to take Lowes’ ad slot.

Meant to say that I agree with Rodney.

Rodney, this is a bit different than “voting with your feet.”  Simply advertising with Fox News is not an endorsement of the views on Fox News.  Just as the ads that appear on this site are not their endorsements of what I write.

I’m not saying that you shouldn’t fly Jet Blue if you don’t like that they support Daily Kos, but I think it’s rather silly.  They’re just a company trying to get customers.

Personally, I enjoy Ben & Jerry’s ice cream all the time even though Ben & Jerry are a couple of wackadoos.

The purpose of government shouldn’t be to do good, but simply to refrain from doing evil.

I agree that using your power as a consumer to silence the opposing viewpoint is childish—especially when the product has nothing to do with politics (unlike some music products). But I don’t see how it is destructive to political activism—it’s natural.

Activists will only be as loud as the money that supports them—this is the reason that main stream media has a liberal slant: the majority of the consumers have liberal inclinations. Take away the evangelicals, and America’s liberals would far outnumber its conservatives. This is because you need a better education than what the average American gets to agree with conservative values unless you dogmatically believe in those values (like evangelicals). Liberals, on the other hand, are simply reflecting traditional populist wants: More redistribution and more safety-nets—they do not have the critical thinking ability to see the negative aspects of these things.

Conservatives (in a fair, free-market) will always have the smaller voice, because they are the smaller group. Nothing short of continuing to court the evangelical vote will change that.

“Behind Communism, Fascism, behind all occupations and invasions lurks a more basic, pervasive evil… a parade of people marching by with raised fists and shouting identical syllables in unision.” - Milan Kundera

Rodney, this is a bit different than “voting with your feet.” Simply advertising with Fox News is not an endorsement of the views on Fox News.

Advertisers vote with their feet too.  If advertisers are unhappy about a particullar host or program and they pull ads, it puts pressure on the station to rectify whatever situation.

And ultimately if the public is upset with Lowes (and the Kos Kiddies are part of the public albeit a small part), then they rightly should put pressure on businesses for their advertising practices.  O’Reilly himself put pressure on Budweiser to halt using Jay-Z in their ad campaigns because of his rap lyrics.  O’Reilly played this game with Bud.  Lowes is playing it with O’Reilly.  And Kos thinks that he can do the same to get Home Depot to pull their ads from Fox News via Media Matters and Moveon.  It has been used by right wing religious groups to pressure Walmart to not carry music with explicit lyrics and so on.

I am totally down with the idea.  So Lowes gets to decide if they want to market to the urban elitist single asshole kiddies that read Daily Kos or DU or whether they want to market to upper middle class suburban soccer moms and dads that watch Fox News.  It is obvious that Lowes and HD advertise on Fox News for a reason.  And there is no shortage of advertisers that will fill the vacancy created.  It ain’t Like Lowes said they are pulling all ads from Fox News.  The revenue will just go to other shows and segments.

I’d put pressure on Air America advertisers too, but I couldn’t A. listen long enough to figure out who they were, B. Air America was gone before I had time, and C. They went away because they didn’t have any.

Go after the right wingers.  Target their media.  Fair enough.  But doing it with advertisers is a hell of a lot different than the Fairness Doctrine.

Rob et al,

Think of it this way: I decline to give my money to parties who I know will use part of the proceeds for things which I oppose.

Out Here
Rodney G. Graves
(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Ceterum censeo Parthia esse delendam
Latin: “Furthermore, Parthia (Persia aka modern day Iran) should be destroyed.”

Do we not all shop?

we all buy gas too and i’ve heard many an SA hardliner railing against citgo. double standard? just self serving whiners?

oh.

For truth is named after the daughter of time, not of authority.

-Francis Bacon

Not only do I not shop Lowe’s because of things like this, but also because I hate all the bold Spanish staring me in the face.  The last time I checked, this was America.  Learn the language.