There has been a minor kerfluffle regarding the giant home improvement retailer Loewe’s this past week.
There is a show called “All American Muslims” on TV. This show, centered on the large Muslim community in Dearborn, Michigan (also home to Ford Motor Company’s headquarters), is designed to show American Muslims assimilating into American culture. Something along the lines of “See, we’re not all terrorists. We’re just like everyone else. We just don’t serve bratwurst at our backyard barbeques. Or beer.” I have to admit I’ve never watched the program, but apparently Loewe’s was a major advertiser.
So Loewe’s was contacted by a Christian interest group called FFA. These guys felt that “All American Muslims” was actually Islamic propaganda, softening us up for the stealth jihad agenda of imposing Sharia law on the United States. FFA began organizing a boycott of Loewe’s.
In response to their threats, Loewe’s decided to pull their ads from the program. This decision got them in hot water with a bunch of other people. Crying out “Religious discrimination” a number of other commentators are calling for a boycott of Loewe’s.
Of course, Loewe’s did not pull their ads because of religious discrimination. If they were concerned about Islam, they never would have run the ads on the show in the first place. Loewe’s in neither pro Islam or pro Christianity. What Loewe’s is in favor of is DIY home improvement.
What Loewe’s is opposed to is the same thing every giant corporation is opposed to: getting their brand identity tied up into controversy. A little buzz about the show that gets people to tune in and be exposed to your advertising: good. A little buzz about your running your ads on that show: bad.
So now Loewe’s is trapped in a classic no win scenario. Continue to run the ads, and risk angering the hard Christian right. Pull the ads, and risk angering the ACLU types and the not insignificant Muslim-American community.
I don’t feel sorry for Loewe’s, though. Nor do I have a lot of sympathy for the FFA, the Muslim-American community, or the ACLU types. My sympathy is reserved for the low level media buyer who decided to place the ads on “All American Muslims” in the first place. Because that poor schlemiel is the guy who placed a multibillion dollar retailer right in the middle of a no win scenario. And somebody is going to have to pay for that mistake.
It’s a dreary, sad thing, losing your job in the middle of the holiday season.
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2 comments:
You are correct. I saw a news segment where a Lowe's representative basically said that Lowe's is not making a judgement on the show, just removing their ad from a show that is seen by many as controversial.
I guess what really grinds my gears is that the lefties are somehow crying free speech. Like Lowe's has some obligation to advertise during this program, or that because Lowe's pulled their ad, they have somehow violated the free speech of American Muslims.... I mean....REALLY?? that, my friend, is a stretch.
Why should anyone but Lowe's get to decide where Lowe's spends their advertising dollars? Lowe's is in the business of making a profit. They don't care what religion their customers are. If memory serves me, they didn't ask my religion the last time I swiped my card at the register to pay for a cart full of home improvement supplies.
why did I laugh all the way through this blog? I guess it is just the idocity of it all!
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