# Is the real Bud Light problem that the right is now insulted because they have been identified as having 'the gay'? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 30, 2023, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-real-bud-light-problem-that-the-right-is-now-insulted-because-they-have-been-identified-as-having-the-gay/986372 "2023-06-30T19:34:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 12
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2023, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-real-bud-light-problem-that-the-right-is-now-insulted-because-they-have-been-identified-as-having-the-gay/986372/221 "2023-07-06T12:27:08Z")
> [@thorny\_locust](#): > > I suspect because the people putting money into publicizing this want to start by taking on one or two companies at a time. _Pour encourager les autres._ The idea is to multiply their effect by making the **next** company think twice before going there, and even better if it makes them stop _two_ steps before even _thinking_ of going there. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2023, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-real-bud-light-problem-that-the-right-is-now-insulted-because-they-have-been-identified-as-having-the-gay/986372/222 "2023-07-06T16:18:50Z")
> [@Dr\_Paprika](#): > > But I assume you can’t or shouldn’t show people actually drinking it You are correct; my understanding is that, in the U.S., advertisers are prohibited from depicting someone actually drinking the product in an ad for beer or any other alcoholic beverage. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2023, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-real-bud-light-problem-that-the-right-is-now-insulted-because-they-have-been-identified-as-having-the-gay/986372/223 "2023-07-06T16:30:14Z")
> [@JRDelirious](#): > > The idea is to multiply their effect by making the **next** company think twice before going there [Exactly.](https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/jun/01/gay-and-trans-people-deserve-to-live-without-persecution-why-is-that-so-hard) > “Here’s what we should do,” instructed the right-wing pundit Matt Walsh recently. “Pick a victim, gang up on it, and make an example of it. We can’t boycott every woke company or even most of them. But we can pick one, it hardly matters which, and target it with a ruthless boycott campaign. Claim one scalp and then move on to the next.” “Backlash” my backside. It’s 100% pure AstroTurf[tm]. ---
**Author:** ![EastUmpqua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eastumpqua/32/6025_2.png) [@EastUmpqua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EastUmpqua)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2023, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-real-bud-light-problem-that-the-right-is-now-insulted-because-they-have-been-identified-as-having-the-gay/986372/224 "2023-07-06T20:07:38Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > That was the point of my question to Sam upthread. How do you not market to a specific segment, in today’s atmosphere? I should have read the whole thread before offering my 2-cents. My apologies. > [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > (Note that none of this discussion involves the actual merits of Bud Light as a beer. 😉 ) I think that’s where I went wrong above. Beer isn’t marketed to its customers based on the merits of the beer. It’s based on the merit of the customers. ---
**Author:** ![EastUmpqua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eastumpqua/32/6025_2.png) [@EastUmpqua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EastUmpqua)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2023, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-real-bud-light-problem-that-the-right-is-now-insulted-because-they-have-been-identified-as-having-the-gay/986372/225 "2023-07-06T20:24:14Z")
> [@EastUmpqua](#): > > > [@Miller](#): > > > > Again, > > I don’t really like it when people start a reply to a comment on a thread with ‘Again’. It seems unnecessary. I mean no disrespect. Well, I read more of this thread, and now I see why you said ‘again’. Yeah, I feel stupid. I learned an overdue lesson here. > [@Miller](#): > > It’s not like there was a big push from LGBT activists for Budweiser to put a trans person on a beer can ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2023, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-real-bud-light-problem-that-the-right-is-now-insulted-because-they-have-been-identified-as-having-the-gay/986372/226 "2023-07-06T20:29:48Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > So what would be an effective way to **target** the LGBTQ+ community? (emphasis added) That’s a question I would be very careful about asking the right wingers these days. ---
**Author:** ![EastUmpqua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eastumpqua/32/6025_2.png) [@EastUmpqua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EastUmpqua)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2023, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-real-bud-light-problem-that-the-right-is-now-insulted-because-they-have-been-identified-as-having-the-gay/986372/227 "2023-07-06T23:50:14Z")
> [@Horatius](#): > > That’s a question I would be very careful about asking the right wingers these days. I don’t really understand what this post means. Why do you have to be careful about asking ‘right wingers’ questions? Also not exactly sure what you mean by right wingers. Any chance you would care to elaborate on what you mean? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2023, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-real-bud-light-problem-that-the-right-is-now-insulted-because-they-have-been-identified-as-having-the-gay/986372/228 "2023-07-07T00:14:17Z")
The key word is “target”. As in how Trump targeted his ire by giving out Obama’s home address: > **[Trump posted what he said was Obama's address, prosecutors say. An armed man...](https://apnews.com/article/jan-6-obama-justice-department-capitol-mccarthy-27934bbd095111e7eb2bac5b5bb24e06)** > > Federal prosecutors say former President Donald Trump posted on his social media platform what he claimed was the home address of former President Barack Obama the same day a man with guns in his van was arrested near the property. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2023, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-real-bud-light-problem-that-the-right-is-now-insulted-because-they-have-been-identified-as-having-the-gay/986372/229 "2023-07-07T00:21:51Z")
> [@EastUmpqua](#): > > Also not exactly sure what you mean by right wingers. You’ve been here for seven years, and _this_ extremely common phrase stumps you?? ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2023, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-real-bud-light-problem-that-the-right-is-now-insulted-because-they-have-been-identified-as-having-the-gay/986372/230 "2023-07-07T12:28:36Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > The key word is “target”. Exactly. “With an AR-15” is what passes for a clever answer with these people. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2023, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-real-bud-light-problem-that-the-right-is-now-insulted-because-they-have-been-identified-as-having-the-gay/986372/231 "2023-07-07T12:41:33Z")
Going back to the beer, I’ve seen it at the store at regular prices, so it doesn’t seem to be a market where they are in big trouble. Then again, my current base of operations is inside-the-Beltway so what do I know about 'Murrika, there may have been people around here drinking Bud Lite “ironically” even before this latest froofraw. As for “knowing your market”… look, even if you know your general consumer base is cheap Middle Americans, I don’t think anyone at marketing would be making the connection to “ergo they are ignorant reactionary bigots who’ll lose their shit if someone says _look Bud sells beer to trans people_”. At least not without then needing something stronger than beer to be able to bear continuing to work there. ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2023, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-real-bud-light-problem-that-the-right-is-now-insulted-because-they-have-been-identified-as-having-the-gay/986372/232 "2023-07-07T14:14:48Z")
Agree. Did someone at Bud marketing say “Hold on. I don’t think we should categorize a large number of our customer base as reactionary, bigoted rednecks. That’d be stereotyping!” ---
**Author:** ![filmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7993a0/32.png) [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2023, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-real-bud-light-problem-that-the-right-is-now-insulted-because-they-have-been-identified-as-having-the-gay/986372/233 "2023-07-07T14:39:15Z")
Still, it’s telling about how But Light feels about the LBGTQIA+ community in that they backed off once there was controversy. Rather than telling the transphobes to find a different beer, Bud Light pulled back on the campaign and is now trying to regain the transphobe market that they lost. That’s sign to me that this marketing campaign was just a facade to gain additional market share rather than the company really supporting the transgender community. I imagine that if a company like Ben and Jerry’s did something similar, they’d tell the transphobes to get lost and increase their support for LBGTQIA+ causes. ---
**Author:** ![Jimmy\_Chitwood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jimmy\_Chitwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jimmy_Chitwood)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2023, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-real-bud-light-problem-that-the-right-is-now-insulted-because-they-have-been-identified-as-having-the-gay/986372/234 "2023-07-07T14:47:17Z")
Yeah, of course. No mega-corporation is ever doing activism. That’s why this whole situation is so asymmetrical. Bud Light was assuredly just trying to get some younger customers. They probably devoted .0001% of their marketing resources to anything related to trans people. Then conservative activists devoted 90% of their resources to Bud Light, knowing that they could cause enough pain to make Bud Light back off. The fact that Bud Light backed off means that they’re a corporation, and no one should look to them to lead the fight for civil rights. But no one was, and no one ever really thought Bud Light was being activist or engaging in a culture war. Conservatives just pretended to believe that so they could further their culture war. Which is why anyone who says that we should all be mindful of the “backlash” as a lesson that the pendulum swung too far or whatever (or who brings up the Bud Light bottom line as an important factor here) is either unaware of what actually happened, or is using those as convenient cover because they agree with, and want the right wing to win, the war. There was no pendulum swing. It wasn’t a backlash, it was an attack. ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2023, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-real-bud-light-problem-that-the-right-is-now-insulted-because-they-have-been-identified-as-having-the-gay/986372/235 "2023-07-07T15:02:58Z")
When Trump was charged by the DOJ a while back, my conservative boss decided that we are not allowed to talk about politics anymore. But last week he brought up this topic, which I knew almost nothing about. In his world, the CEO of Bud Lite was fired for this decision and Bud Lite is on the verge of bankruptcy. I have no idea where he gets his news. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2023, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-real-bud-light-problem-that-the-right-is-now-insulted-because-they-have-been-identified-as-having-the-gay/986372/236 "2023-07-07T15:12:48Z")
… “the CEO of Bud Lite”? Forget news, ask where he got his info on how companies and brands work. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2023, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-real-bud-light-problem-that-the-right-is-now-insulted-because-they-have-been-identified-as-having-the-gay/986372/237 "2023-07-07T17:02:51Z")
There’s a word for it, [_pinkwashing_](https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/companies-tout-gay-rights-during-pride-give-to-anti-lgbt-politicians-1181006/). ---
**Author:** ![EastUmpqua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eastumpqua/32/6025_2.png) [@EastUmpqua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EastUmpqua)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2023, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-real-bud-light-problem-that-the-right-is-now-insulted-because-they-have-been-identified-as-having-the-gay/986372/238 "2023-07-07T19:35:30Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > > [@EastUmpqua](#): > > > > Also not exactly sure what you mean by right wingers. > > You’ve been here for seven years, and _this_ extremely common phrase stumps you?? I’m a native speaker of English, so I know the definitions of all the words you used. I don’t really exactly understand either ‘right wingers’ or ‘left wingers’. Would you mind elucidating ‘right wingers’ ? ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2023, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-real-bud-light-problem-that-the-right-is-now-insulted-because-they-have-been-identified-as-having-the-gay/986372/239 "2023-07-07T19:36:56Z")
> **[Right-wing politics](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right-wing_politics)** > > Right-wing politics describes the range of political ideologies that view certain social orders and hierarchies as inevitable, natural, normal, or desirable, typically supporting this position based on natural law, economics, authority, property or tradition.: 693, 721  Hierarchy and inequality may be seen as natural results of traditional social differences or competition in market economies. > Right-wing politics are considered the counterpart to left-wing politics, and the left–right polit... > **[Left-wing politics](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Left-wing_politics)** > > Left-wing politics describes the range of political ideologies that support and seek to achieve social equality and egalitarianism, often in opposition to social hierarchy as a whole or certain social hierarchies. Left-wing politics typically involve a concern for those in society whom its adherents perceive as disadvantaged relative to others as well as a belief that there are unjustified inequalities that need to be reduced or abolished through radical means that change the na Within the ... > **[Centrism | United States](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centrism#United_States)** > > After World War II, centrism was a dominant political philosophy in the United States but lacked its party in the traditionally two-party country. For example, historian Arthur Schlesinger Jr. characterized political moderation as a vigorous "Third Force" in his 1949 book, The Vital Center. The book defended liberal democracy and a state-regulated market economy against the totalitarianism of communism and fascism. Harry Truman, who served as U.S. president from 1945 until 1953, is regarded a The... ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2023, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-real-bud-light-problem-that-the-right-is-now-insulted-because-they-have-been-identified-as-having-the-gay/986372/240 "2023-07-07T19:37:12Z")
I’m not really into wasting my time for the amusement of others so, no. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-real-bud-light-problem-that-the-right-is-now-insulted-because-they-have-been-identified-as-having-the-gay/986372.md?page=11) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-real-bud-light-problem-that-the-right-is-now-insulted-because-they-have-been-identified-as-having-the-gay/986372.md?page=13)