# 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:** 5
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2023, 8:49pm 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/986372/81 "2023-07-02T20:49:31Z")
> [@Horatius](#): > > And when push comes to shove, white heterosexuals still outnumber any one minority group, and probably has more money than them, as well. White heterosexuals do outnumber LGBT people. But that’s not true of anti-LGBT bigots. That’s the entire reason that the whole “rainbow” advertising exists. Companies don’t participate in that because they actually care about LGBT people. They do it because it is profitable. The issue here is not pure numbers. It is radicalization. Target specifically isn’t concerned about sales, but violence. Bud Light is more complicated. Their issue was that, whether intentional or not, they had a huge following among the same base that has been targeted by the anti-trans hysteria. So, when they did the logical thing and tried to branch out to more customers, to make their brand appeal to more people, there was an intense backlash. The problem is that they weren’t immediately able to make up for the backlash with new customers. There were some people who saw the outrage and wanted to buy Bud Light out of some sort of solidarity. But the product on its own just doesn’t appeal to many outside of the rural areas. It’s a source of mockery. So sales went down quickly, and Budweiser quickly backpedaled, losing even what support they had, while not actually stopping the backlash. You could say that is about numbers. But it’s about the numbers who will buy Bug Light, not numbers in general. According to a recent survey, 75% of non-LGBT Americans believe that companies should openly support LGBT causes. [https://thehill.com/homenews/lgbtq/4030298-most-americans-say-companies-should-voice-public-support-for-lgbtq-community-survey/](https://thehill.com/homenews/lgbtq/4030298-most-americans-say-companies-should-voice-public-support-for-lgbtq-community-survey/) Do remember that the intensity of the culture war is directly proportional to how threatened the bigots feel. And they feel more threatened the fewer there are of them. When they felt like they were the majority, they didn’t feel the need to get upset. Don’t mistake that for them increasing in numbers. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2023, 8:54pm 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/986372/82 "2023-07-02T20:54:25Z")
But Lite could have come up with an ad appealing to traditional customers. Instead, they ran this: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/wg7iiVKJ2CU/maxresdefault.jpg "Bud Light | Easy to Summer") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wg7iiVKJ2CU) Which the right sees as mocking them as stupid. This also went viral against Bud Lite, and not a trans person is in sight. This is a culture war. I don’t even think the ad was intentionally insulting - just the product of an ad team disconnected from its customers and guessing what they are like. In other words, a terrible ad team. Everyone should just lighten up. Maybe that’s all this ad was trying to do, and it backfired. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2023, 8:56pm 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/986372/83 "2023-07-02T20:56:34Z")
> [@Dallas\_Jones](#): > > One can of beer, one can, made up for Dylan Mulvaney, and used by him in a TikTok short video, cost the Bud Lite brand aprox. 25 billion dollars, so far. Used by her, not him. ---
**Author:** ![Chingon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chingon/32/17645_2.png) [@Chingon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chingon)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2023, 9:00pm 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/986372/84 "2023-07-02T21:00:14Z")
No, the conservatives wanted to send a message. ---
**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 2, 2023, 9:03pm 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/986372/85 "2023-07-02T21:03:09Z")
Step 1: people are boycotting Bud Light because they hate trans people and want Bud Light to either hate trans people or ignore them. It is, in your own words, a culture war Step 2: Bud Light makes an ad that has nothing to do with trans people and is obviously just goofy like most other ads Step 3: the same people from step 1 freak out again anyway. Step 4: you conclude this was something Bud Light did I think based on this analysis it’s fair to ask you about your actual position here. You’ve obviously got your finger on the pulse of the right wing media sphere. You know how the people freaking out about Bud Light promotions feel about trans people. Me, I’m against them. Where are you in the culture war? And if the answer is “I’m on Matt Walsh’s side” wouldn’t it just be easier to say that than pretend you think anyone else is going to watch that ad and think it proves something about Bud Light being in the wrong? ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2023, 9:14pm 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/986372/86 "2023-07-02T21:14:27Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > Which the right sees as mocking them as stupid. That’s a weird interpretation. Is there anything in that ad to suggest the people tripping and getting sunburned are right wing? It’s just a silly story about little mishaps, with the tagline, “leave your cares behind”. I see the moral not as “our customers are stupid” but as “everyone has little mishaps”. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2023, 9:50pm 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/986372/87 "2023-07-02T21:50:45Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > > [@](#): > > > > What’s equivalent to that is insisting that everybody who isn’t straight must not be shown in public. > > This is ridiculous. This fuss is being made about showing somebody drinking a beer. If LGBQT people can’t even be shown drinking a beer, how is it not about insisting that they shouldn’t be shown in public? > [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > appeal to something universal, like 4th of July barbecues You think that’s universal? It isn’t even Canadian. > [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > Do gay people not enjoy a cold beer on a hot day? Sure. That’s exactly why a beer company was advertising to a LGBTQ+ influencer. > [@madmonk28](#): > > not if there is a political movement to exterminate you. > [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > Wow, a personal dig AND wishing death on me. That has got to be one of the worse mis-readings I’ve ever seen on these boards. > [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > If the marketing executive is hired to increase profits, and is deciding between a course of action that will increase profits and a course of action that will decrease profits — or, if you prefer, _one they reasonably believe will increase profits, and one they reasonably believe will decrease profits_ — are they, in light of the real-world situation you just mentioned, to choose the former or the latter? And the next year, when these people say ‘oh, that worked. Now let’s take on anything that shows professional women as equal to or heaven forbid bosses over men’ or ‘anything that shows Black people doing anything other than menial jobs’? Or how about this year, when maybe that fictitious marketing executive’s kid suicides, because their parent doesn’t think they’re fit to be seen in public? > [@BigT](#): > > Do remember that the intensity of the culture war is directly proportional to how threatened the bigots feel. And they feel more threatened the fewer there are of them. When they felt like they were the majority, they didn’t feel the need to get upset. > > Don’t mistake that for them increasing in numbers. This. Very much this. > [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > not a trans person is in sight How do you know? – yeah, that’s a terrible ad. But it’s terrible because it says that people who drink the product are incompetent. Are you saying that Bud Light is losing market sale, not because any of this fuss over non-straight people, but because they sneer at their buyers? If so, then including LGBTQ+ people in the ads shouldn’t be a difficult decision for the ad executive at all; they just have to show smart and capable people, of whatever category, drinking their beer, and they’ll be fine. And if not, how do you know that all that lost money had to do with Mulvaney, and not to do with the incompetence ad? > [@puzzlegal](#): > > I see the moral not as “our customers are stupid” but as “everyone has little mishaps”. That’s probably how they meant it; but I can easily see it coming off the other way. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2023, 9:53pm 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/986372/88 "2023-07-02T21:53:00Z")
> [@thorny\_locust](#): > > > [@puzzlegal](#): > > > > I see the moral not as “our customers are stupid” but as “everyone has little mishaps”. > > That’s probably how they meant it; but I can easily see it coming off the other way I guess so. There’s a reason I’m not in advertising. ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2023, 9:57pm 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/986372/89 "2023-07-02T21:57:28Z")
> [@kanicbird](#): > > I was thinking that many on the right may feel that Bud Light commercial was actually insulting them, calling them gay on some level. I honestly don’t believe for a second a significant portion of the protestors were worried drinking Bud Light would make others think they had caught “teh gay.” No, what was intolerable was the implication that Bud Light drinkers were willing to share space with some folks who might be a little different from them. There’s no figleaf here of “protecting the children,” this is just raw, naked hositility on the part of bigots who want to hurt LGBTQ+ people as much as possible. ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2023, 10:40pm 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/986372/90 "2023-07-02T22:40:03Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > But forcing people to take DEI classes and sign DEI statements as a condition of employment certainly is, and people on the right see it all as part of the same big push by the left to subsume American life into the progressive world view. What employers are requiring their employees to sign DEI statements? In the HR world, a DEI statement is somethign the company puts out stating their commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion and may outline their plans to see that commitment through. It isn’t a document employees sign. And American employers have required their employees to sit through classes on all types of harassment for the last 30 years, why does DEI bother people? ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2023, 10:53pm 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/986372/91 "2023-07-02T22:53:05Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > Imagine you and I work for a beer company, and someone pitches us an idea: _let’s show a wide variety of people, including Dylan Mulvaney, enjoying our products; let’s not overemphasize any specific group, but let’s make clear that Dylan — like a number of other people — enjoys our products, and is someone we want to feature even more prominently in our marketing than Bud Light ever did._ Aside: I now know this fuss is about Dylan Mulvaney, who’d I had never heard of apparently, and not John Mulaney. Carry on ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2023, 10:54pm 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/986372/92 "2023-07-02T22:54:49Z")
And for anyone else who might be confused; we’re not talking about Dylan Thomas or Bob Dylan for that matter. ---
**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 2, 2023, 11:23pm 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/986372/93 "2023-07-02T23:23:55Z")
> [@Odesio](#): > > > [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > > > But forcing people to take DEI classes and sign DEI statements as a condition of employment certainly is, and people on the right see it all as part of the same big push by the left to subsume American life into the progressive world view. > > What employers are requiring their employees to sign DEI statements? In the HR world, a DEI statement is somethign the company puts out stating their commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion and may outline their plans to see that commitment through. It isn’t a document employees sign. And American employers have required their employees to sit through classes on all types of harassment for the last 30 years, why does DEI bother people? I was wondering about this, too. Is there an example of a company actually doing this? My company is as progressive as they come. Yes, we do have to sit through anti-harassment training, and yes, we do have to acknowledge receipt of the employee handbook, but both of those deal with treating everyone with respect and not being a jerk. I’d really be interested in knowing if some company is forcing people into DEI training and making them sign some sort of commitment. Even my work doesn’t do that. ---
**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 2, 2023, 11:26pm 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/986372/94 "2023-07-02T23:26:03Z")
> [@snowthx](#): > > treating everyone with respect and not being a jerk The most insidious and dangerous element of wokeness. ---
**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 2, 2023, 11:32pm 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/986372/95 "2023-07-02T23:32:24Z")
I think Sam is misremembering an ongoing right wing talking point about a would-be UCLA professor who had a lot to say about wokeness, including universities making DEI statements. That professor’s podcast was found and objected to, and he was not hired. Right wingers were not pleased. Basically 100% of the discussion online, as these stories tend to go, is from right wing sources, but his name is Yoel Inbar if anyone would like to waste their time. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2023, 11:42pm 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/986372/96 "2023-07-02T23:42:48Z")
**And for anyone else who might be confused; we’re not talking about Dylan Thomas or Bob Dylan for that matter.** _I knew a man, his brain was so small He couldn’t think of nothing at all He’s not the same as you and me He doesn’t dig poetry. He’s so unhip that When you say “Dylan”, he thinks you’re talking about Dylan Thomas Whoever he was The man ain’t got no culture._ ---
**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 2, 2023, 11:48pm 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/986372/97 "2023-07-02T23:48:54Z")
There’s also the complication that after comically protesteth-too-much cases like Larry “Tappy Toes” Craig and George “Luggage-Lifter Rentboy” Rekers, spewing vehement anti-gay rhetoric is practically a form of coming out… ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2023, 12:16am 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/986372/98 "2023-07-03T00:16:58Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > There is a backlash brewing, and it will get worse unless everyone just calms down and learns to live and let live, on both the left and the right. Unfortunately, we are at the point where everyone seems to want to escalate. > > I’ve been warning my family of a coming backlash for several years. We’ve had a pride flag in our window for years, and in the last few months we’ve started getting vandalism and pranking because of it So you’ve been the victim of a criminal offence for exercising your constitutional right to express your views (vandalism in Canada is caught by the _Criminal Code_ offence of “mischief”). Who do you blame for that? From your post, it sounds to me like you blame LGBTQ people for triggering a “backlash”, not the person committing a criminal offence and violating your constitutional right of expression. If I’m mistaken and haven’t correctly stated your position, I apologise. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2023, 12:31am 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/986372/99 "2023-07-03T00:31:37Z")
> [@snowthx](#): > > was wondering about this, too. Is there an example of a company actually doing this? > **[Stop requiring diversity statements when hiring, academic freedom group says](https://www.hrdive.com/news/stop-requiring-diversity-statements-when-hiring-academic-freedom-group-say/630387/)** > > The Academic Freedom Alliance calls diversity, equity and inclusion tests "forced pledges of conformity" amid struggles over hiring practices. > **[American universities are hiring based on devotion to diversity](https://www.economist.com/united-states/2023/02/04/american-universities-are-hiring-based-on-devotion-to-diversity)** > > Mandatory statements are quickly taking hold of academia There is a huge amount of material online about the controversies surrounding mandatory DEI pledges as conditions of employment and promotion in higher educcation. > **[Ontario law professor challenges Law Society's mandatory 'diversity and...](https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/law-society-upper-canada-diversity-pledge-1.4393431)** > > A new requirement from the Law Society of Upper Canada aimed at tackling systemic racism in the legal profession has already generated heated debate among lawyers — but this week the controversy hit a new level as a law professor launched a court... Lawyers in Ontario forced to sign DEI statements. ---
**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 3, 2023, 12:36am 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/986372/100 "2023-07-03T00:36:59Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > You know who else exists? Hunters. But would you want your beer can featuring hunters or guns on it? Maybe you would, but anti-hunting and anti-gun advocates would not, and they wouldn’t see it as just ‘recognizing that hunters exist’. They’d see it as a political campaign favoring a side they don’t support, and rightly so. Instead of nebulous hypotheticals, could you cite some actual examples of outrage directed at, for example, one of the beer-and-hunting ads featured here: > **[Brews and Bullets: Mixing Beer and Hunting](https://bottlesboozeandbackstories.blogspot.com/2016/03/brews-and-bullets-mixing-beer-and.html)** > > Several weeks ago I posted a piece on ads that juxtaposed whiskey and hunting.   Most of them were from a pre-Prohibition era when the 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=4) [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=6)