# Re the Chick-Fil-A "safety notice" pulling Muppet toys. Is this fake or for real? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 25, 2012, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-the-chick-fil-a-safety-notice-pulling-muppet-toys-is-this-fake-or-for-real/629318 "2012-07-25T04:27:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2012, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-the-chick-fil-a-safety-notice-pulling-muppet-toys-is-this-fake-or-for-real/629318/41 "2012-07-25T20:35:05Z")
> [@Cliffy](#): > > Well, first, so what? Local governments should be allowed to ban private entities whose politics they disagree with? Is that really the precedent you’d like to set? > [@Cliffy](#): > > But more importantly, it’s well within the power of local governments to ban discrimination. There is evidence that Chik-fil-A discriminates in recruitment of at least some of its higher-level employees. You’d have to check local law, but it seems well within a municipality’s rights to refuse a license to such an operation, if that evidence is accurate. Demonstrated discrimination against a protected class, in violation of local law, would of course be an _entirely_ different story. But that’s not what Boston and Chicago have said, as far as I’ve seen. They’re just saying, _we don’t want people who think like that round here_. ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2012, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-the-chick-fil-a-safety-notice-pulling-muppet-toys-is-this-fake-or-for-real/629318/42 "2012-07-25T20:42:00Z")
While I’m fully in support of boycotting those with hateful beliefs, it’s very troubling to me that political positions of any sort are grounds for a city to keep someone from opening a business. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2012, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-the-chick-fil-a-safety-notice-pulling-muppet-toys-is-this-fake-or-for-real/629318/43 "2012-07-25T20:49:46Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > What kind of toys were they, anyway? Fozzie Bear’s Anal Destroyer? I wish. I went looking for the toys to see what kind of danger they might pose but I couldn’t find pics on CFAs website or thru google. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2012, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-the-chick-fil-a-safety-notice-pulling-muppet-toys-is-this-fake-or-for-real/629318/44 "2012-07-25T21:11:05Z")
> [@Drunky\_Smurf](#): > > I went looking for the toys to see what kind of danger they might pose but I couldn’t find pics on CFAs website or thru google. Me, too. They’ll be collector’s items, whatever they are. ---
**Author:** ![Farmer\_Jane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Farmer\_Jane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Farmer_Jane)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2012, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-the-chick-fil-a-safety-notice-pulling-muppet-toys-is-this-fake-or-for-real/629318/45 "2012-07-25T21:17:45Z")
Whatever Chick-Fil-A is doing…they seem to know what they’re doing. I don’t know how much this will hurt business. It was never a secret - or maybe people weren’t paying attention. But CFA is _good_ and the restaurants are filled with _polite teenagers_…two things foreign to the fast food industry as it is. My dad and his ex wife had a company in the 90s. It was a ‘Christian-based’ company that had Bible studies during the lunch hour. My dad is now on his sixth wife/mistress/former Vegas callgirl so that wouldn’t fly today, but…it happens. For some places, it’s a legitimate business model. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2012, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-the-chick-fil-a-safety-notice-pulling-muppet-toys-is-this-fake-or-for-real/629318/46 "2012-07-25T21:46:00Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > We talked about this in another thread and apparently while Chick-fil-a calls them franchises, they’re not what everyone thinks of as a franchise. So what does it mean when somebody is described as “the owner of the Chick-fil-A franchise in [town],” looking “stricken” when asked about the news? Does he stand to suffer if business drops? Does he have control of management practices in the location, such that he could control how a gay employee or customer was treated? ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2012, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-the-chick-fil-a-safety-notice-pulling-muppet-toys-is-this-fake-or-for-real/629318/47 "2012-07-25T22:05:58Z")
As much control as any other mid-level manager in a corporation has, I would assume. As for suffering if business drops, well, that’s the risk you take when you hitch your wagon to a business that likes thumbing its nose at people. ---
**Author:** ![LonghornDave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a87d85/32.png) [@LonghornDave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LonghornDave)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2012, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-the-chick-fil-a-safety-notice-pulling-muppet-toys-is-this-fake-or-for-real/629318/48 "2012-07-25T22:20:31Z")
> [@Peremensoe](#): > > So what does it mean when somebody is described as “the owner of the Chick-fil-A franchise in [town],” looking “stricken” when asked about the news? It means that the person describing them that way is doing so incorrectly. They do not franchise in the way that you typically would think of a restaurant chain doing so. In effect, the franchisee, which Chick-fil-A terms the operator, is the manager of the location with some incentive compensation tied to performance. Chick-fil-A states it pretty clearly in their [franchise section of their website](http://www.chick-fil-a.com/Company/Careers-Franchise-Opportunity). [QUOTE=Chick-fil-A] This is not the right opportunity for you if you: •Are seeking an investment or an equity position in a business. [/QUOTE] Simply put, they are not owners. > [@Peremensoe](#): > > Does he stand to suffer if business drops? Certainly so. However, not as much as if he was an owner. > [@Peremensoe](#): > > Does he have control of management practices in the location, such that he could control how a gay employee or customer was treated? Of course the manager has some degree of limited control. The headquarters is not an omnipotent entity. They don’t know every minor detail that goes on at everyone of their thousands of locations. However, ultimately the final decisions are made by the owners of the company, which is the Cathy family. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2012, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-the-chick-fil-a-safety-notice-pulling-muppet-toys-is-this-fake-or-for-real/629318/49 "2012-07-25T22:21:00Z")
> [@Farmer\_Jane](#): > > Whatever Chick-Fil-A is doing…they seem to know what they’re doing. I don’t know how much this will hurt business. It was never a secret - or maybe people weren’t paying attention. But CFA is _good_ and the restaurants are filled with _polite teenagers_…two things foreign to the fast food industry as it is. Whataburger is also damn good and the staff has never been anything less than pleasant and accommodating to me, and they manage to do it without the creepy cult vibe I get from CFA. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2012, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-the-chick-fil-a-safety-notice-pulling-muppet-toys-is-this-fake-or-for-real/629318/50 "2012-07-25T22:31:43Z")
Couldn’t Henson&Co. or the toy manufacturer sue them if the toys are actually safe? They’re hurting someone’s reputation by doing this. ---
**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 25, 2012, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-the-chick-fil-a-safety-notice-pulling-muppet-toys-is-this-fake-or-for-real/629318/51 "2012-07-25T22:43:40Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Couldn’t Henson&Co. or the toy manufacturer sue them if the toys are actually safe? They’re hurting someone’s reputation by doing this. I would think so – they’re accusing Henson & Co. and their suppliers of producing and distributing an unsafe product based on a story they pulled out of their ass. To use the first example that comes to mind, I would think that Henson would have at least as strong a case as Procter & Gamble did when they unleashed their attack lawyers on folks who spread rumors about their [supposed Satanism](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/520/is-procter-gamble-run-by-satanists) – if anything, Henson would have a stronger case, inasmuch as toy safety is more firmly grounded in the realm of objectively measurable fact. I wonder if those signs are displayed next to the chain’s copy of the Nine Commandments. ---
**Author:** ![dnooman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/839c29/32.png) [@dnooman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dnooman)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-the-chick-fil-a-safety-notice-pulling-muppet-toys-is-this-fake-or-for-real/629318/52 "2012-07-26T04:59:07Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Yo, Mr Cathy. Dude. I think ya fucked up. I tend to think that too, but I’m not sure if he feels that way at all. I’ve heard from a few people off the boards that say they won’t ever return, but those are _my_ friends. Obviously there are some people somewhere that will now decide to eat there more often based on their stated position. They’re not public, so we can’t see what sort of impact this has on say a stock price or earnings report. I’d guess they lose a little bit, but nothing ground shaking. People don’t get married in Chik-Fil-A’s, so the direct part of his message doesn’t affect operational procedure. Would they serve openly gay people, or even a gay couple wearing “We want to get married” shirts? I think they would. Alienating any demographic segment by saying they don’t want your money is tantamount to brand suicide, with exceptions of course. I’m wondering if Mr. Cathy isn’t feeling justified by all of this. He did have a “There, I said it” tone in the interview. Maybe he thinks this move will attract more people that share the same views as he, and maybe he is fine without the patronage of people that oppose his beliefs. Who knows other than he? I’ve seen no back-pedaling at all, which is what usually follows a PR disaster, but I have seen what people have been calling “doubling down”. I think he’d say the same thing over again if asked, doesn’t really like the bad press, but sees it as what he needs to endure to be loyal to his beliefs. ---
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 10:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-the-chick-fil-a-safety-notice-pulling-muppet-toys-is-this-fake-or-for-real/629318/53 "2012-07-26T10:30:29Z")
> [@dnooman](#): > > I’ve seen no back-pedaling at all, which is what usually follows a PR disaster, but I have seen what people have been calling “doubling down”. I think he’d say the same thing over again if asked, doesn’t really like the bad press, but sees it as what he needs to endure to be loyal to his beliefs. Yeah, there’s no politician-style back-pedaling, because he really and truly believes what he says and doesn’t care what anyone thinks. He’s dedicated, at least. I wonder which way the balance will tip between the boycotters and the folks eating there more often to _support_ CfA. Are there more of us or of them? ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-the-chick-fil-a-safety-notice-pulling-muppet-toys-is-this-fake-or-for-real/629318/54 "2012-07-26T16:31:34Z")
> [@astro](#): > > [News outlets treating it is as real](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/24/chick-fil-a-jim-henson-toy-recall-gay_n_1699597.html) > > I thought this was someone’s failure obvious photoshop joke ie (“fingers stuck in the holes”) but the media says otherwise. > > Addition after posting - Looked at site updates apparently it’s for real. I think it’s great that they’re taking a stand for Judeo-Christian values by breaking one of the Ten Commandments. I think that shows how deeply they care about those values! ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-the-chick-fil-a-safety-notice-pulling-muppet-toys-is-this-fake-or-for-real/629318/55 "2012-07-26T17:10:43Z")
Well, at least their sandwiches live up to their vision of the ideal Christian life: white, bland, and boring. Had one once out of curiosity while visiting relatives in Macon, Georgia. I thought, I wouldn’t go out of my way for this. Now, I’ll go out of my way **not** to have one. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-the-chick-fil-a-safety-notice-pulling-muppet-toys-is-this-fake-or-for-real/629318/56 "2012-07-26T18:44:57Z")
> [@Antigen](#): > > Yeah, there’s no politician-style back-pedaling, because he really and truly believes what he says and doesn’t care what anyone thinks. He’s dedicated, at least. > > I wonder which way the balance will tip between the boycotters and the folks eating there more often to _support_ CfA. Are there more of us or of them? How about those of us who hate his stand but love those sandwiches? I think they’re delicious; easily the best of the fast food chicken sandwiches. But I’m in favor of gay marriage too. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-the-chick-fil-a-safety-notice-pulling-muppet-toys-is-this-fake-or-for-real/629318/57 "2012-07-26T18:49:09Z")
> [@suranyi](#): > > How about those of us who hate his stand but love those sandwiches? I think they’re delicious; easily the best of the fast food chicken sandwiches. But I’m in favor of gay marriage too. You’re the real victim in all of this. ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-the-chick-fil-a-safety-notice-pulling-muppet-toys-is-this-fake-or-for-real/629318/58 "2012-07-26T19:22:58Z")
> [@bup](#): > > You’re the real victim in all of this. Tell me about it. I’m struggling with my decision to avoid the place. Good thing I’m trying to eat more salads. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-the-chick-fil-a-safety-notice-pulling-muppet-toys-is-this-fake-or-for-real/629318/59 "2012-07-26T19:27:22Z")
> [@suranyi](#): > > How about those of us who hate his stand but love those sandwiches? I think they’re delicious; easily the best of the fast food chicken sandwiches. But I’m in favor of gay marriage too. Welcome to the club. I love their food, but I haven’t set foot in one since I discovered their anti-gay stance. Principles required sacrifices or else they’re just hot air. ---
**Author:** ![Accidental\_Martyr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ce7236/32.png) [@Accidental\_Martyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Accidental_Martyr)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-the-chick-fil-a-safety-notice-pulling-muppet-toys-is-this-fake-or-for-real/629318/60 "2012-07-26T19:53:16Z")
> [@Antigen](#): > > Yeah, there’s no politician-style back-pedaling, because he really and truly believes what he says and doesn’t care what anyone thinks. He’s dedicated, at least. > > I wonder which way the balance will tip between the boycotters and the folks eating there more often to _support_ CfA. Are there more of us or of them? Here in Alabama, they will probably gain business because of this. They certainly won’t see any reduction of customers. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-the-chick-fil-a-safety-notice-pulling-muppet-toys-is-this-fake-or-for-real/629318.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-the-chick-fil-a-safety-notice-pulling-muppet-toys-is-this-fake-or-for-real/629318.md?page=4)