# Which companies do you boycott and why? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 8, 2010, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-companies-do-you-boycott-and-why/535368 "2010-04-08T02:06:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![tumbleddown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@tumbleddown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tumbleddown)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2010, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-companies-do-you-boycott-and-why/535368/61 "2010-04-08T20:25:11Z")
[ul] [li]Nestle, Walmart, Whole Foods, Microsoft, Dominos & Curves for reasons already enumerated.[/li][li] Weinstein Co. movies, for Harvey Weinstein’s arm-twisting on behalf of Roman Polanski.[/li][li]Films made by any and all of the directors and actors who signed that open letter in Polanski’s support.[/li][li]Nike for reasons already mentioned, plus that horrific ad with the voice of Tiger Woods’ dead father. Absolutely declasse.[/li][li]Southwest Airlines for their broken implementation of their poorly constructed “passenger of size” policy as well as their discrimination against employees of size that had to be resolved through threats of litigation.[/li][li]Anything related to Gordon Ramsay, for his offensive comments about and behavior towards vegetarians, including saying that he’d rather his children **die** than stop eating meat.[/li][li]Anything and everything NewsCorp. Fox News, a given. Murdoch-owned newspapers. Fox Broadcast network (no American Idol, I’m surviving) 20th Century Fox films. And so on.[/li][li]Any and everything related to Amanda Palmer, for her crip drag project “Evelyn Evelyn” and her subsequent choice to mock disability activists who enumerated the problems with said project, then her suggestion that the Ku Klux Klan is “ironic” now, and subsequent recording and releasing of a song entitled “Do You Swear to Tell the Truth, The Whole Truth and Nothing But the Truth So Help Your Black Ass” as a nose-thumb to people who took issue with the KKK thing.[/li][/ul] ---
**Author:** ![Algher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Algher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algher)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2010, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-companies-do-you-boycott-and-why/535368/62 "2010-04-08T21:40:57Z")
> [@Rick](#): > > Toshiba for their illegal selling of CNC milling machines to Russia, which made Russian submarines much much quieter. [Wiki link](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toshiba) (under history) I remember that, I didn’t buy Toshiba either. Meaningless boycott from me now, since I am not in the market for any of their products. No Jane Fonda movies were allowed in my home growing up, due to her activities during the Vietnam War. As dad put it, “She did a cheesecake pose on a gun that probably shot at me.” I won’t watch a Polanski movie. He drugged and raped a 13 year old girl. I won’t watch Michael Moore documentaries after his distortions in Bowling for Columbine. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2010, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-companies-do-you-boycott-and-why/535368/63 "2010-04-08T21:48:58Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > Walmart - for destroying the businesses in small towns all over. This. I once lost my Hollywood Video card in the store, and someone picked it up and rented a movie. I had to pay for it and I have never gone back in since. It’s so asinine. They didn’t ask for any ID from the other person at all when they were confronted with the iron-clad excuse “Well Yog said I could use it”. The worse thing is, after about a month after the movie was overdue and determined to be lost, they still fucking charged me the LATE FEES for a movie that was lost! Why the hell should I pay for a late fee when the movie’s gone? Just charge me the damn cost of the video! I could have stolen it and it would have costed me less! > [@Ruby Sees](#): > > I refused to go near a Circuit City after a warranty fiasco. Oddly enough, I go to Best Buy specifically because of a warranty fiasco, but the opposite of what you experienced. Their return policy is 14 days on unopened equipment, but I had gotten something defective and it was past teh 14 days. They wouldn’t let me return it and I was prepared to let it go, but my Taiwanese aunt raised hell (and Chinese women from China or Taiwan have huge, hell-raising, mouths!) and berated them and got my item returned. It showed me that 1) I should bring my aunt wherever I go to return stuff and 2) Best Buy cares a lot about pleasing their customers, which I believe is the MAIN POINT OF ALL BUSINESSES, not helping out your already-rich shareholders or some other dumb shit like that. You open a business because there’s a need for the services and you treat your customers like people. If that cuts into profits, so be it. ---
**Author:** ![Cardinal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardinal/32/4000_2.png) [@Cardinal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardinal)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2010, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-companies-do-you-boycott-and-why/535368/64 "2010-04-08T22:06:35Z")
Customer service: Citibank. I had paid off my credit card totally, and there was still money being paid into my account every month. I later remembered setting up an automatic payment through a debt consolidation company, but at the time I didn’t know where it was coming from, and I got into literal shouting matches with the women on the phone, who said there was no colored-sky-world-of-imagination in which they would be able to tell me who was paying this money. Their computer trusted this other computer, but according to them, there was no record of this. Riiiiigggghhhht. Philisoophically: Wal-Mart, mostly, for reasons others have stated. Citgo I’ll have to remember, but we don’t have them in So. Cal. Chick Fil-A I don’t like any more just because they use foam cups and plastic containers for their wraps. Who uses all this non-biodegradable stuff anymore? Everyone else is fine with paper and cardboard, and McDonald’s hasn’t used foam containers in a long time. Get with the program. ---
**Author:** ![Acid\_Lamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Acid\_Lamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acid_Lamp)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2010, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-companies-do-you-boycott-and-why/535368/65 "2010-04-08T22:32:56Z")
Wal-mart, Chik-fil-a, and Dominos for reasons already listed. Locally, we boycott non local or US produce. I will NOT buy oranges from California when I live in Florida; that is simply absurd. Likewise we don’t buy out of season produce from other countries, we just wait until we can buy it locally or do without. We also boycott any business that has a jesus fish logo, or adds some christian tripe to their motto or advertising. This one is a shame because a few of the local restaurants that do this are awesome. Lastly we also boycott a few local small businesses that had signs advocating voting against gay rights. Also a shame because we try to patronize our local businesses as much as possible. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2010, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-companies-do-you-boycott-and-why/535368/66 "2010-04-08T22:46:05Z")
> [@gravitycrash](#): > > Apple: Smug and proud of it. I’m not hating on Apple owners but they also tend to have an umm… attitude. _ducks_ **Apple** for me too, and entirely for their douchebag marketing. I also avoid **Papa Johns** , but that’s for my personal health. I’m not supposed to have basil because it gives me hives and I had the worst reaction of my life after eating a piece of their pizza - with the sauce scraped off. I wasn’t aware until then that your tongue and the roof of your mouth _could_ itch too. They must use more basil than other chains. > [@Acid\_Lamp](#): > > We also boycott any business that has a jesus fish logo, or adds some christian tripe to their motto or advertising. This one is a shame because a few of the local restaurants that do this are awesome. Lastly we also boycott a few local small businesses that had signs advocating voting against gay rights. Also a shame because we try to patronize our local businesses as much as possible. Wow. I’ve never seen a store do either of these things. No wonder people say conservatives up here tend to be libertarian-leaning rather than part of the religious right. ---
**Author:** ![kathmandu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kathmandu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kathmandu)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2010, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-companies-do-you-boycott-and-why/535368/67 "2010-04-08T23:05:59Z")
> [@Acid\_Lamp](#): > > We also boycott any business that has a jesus fish logo, or adds some christian tripe to their motto or advertising. This one is a shame because a few of the local restaurants that do this are awesome. I don’t really get this. Are you boycotting them because they’re Christians? Without more, I don’t really understand why you specifically avoid an otherwise good and reputable business. If they hold specific views that you don’t agree with, I get that, but why would you boycott them simply for believing in God? ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2010, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-companies-do-you-boycott-and-why/535368/68 "2010-04-08T23:13:47Z")
> [@Acid\_Lamp](#): > > We also boycott any business that has a jesus fish logo, or adds some christian tripe to their motto or advertising. See, I do that with Jewish places. Boycotting businesses because the owners display their religion is just so wickedly-cool modern that I’m surprised more people don’t do it. Guess we’re just a special type of people, huh? Better, of course, but also special. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2010, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-companies-do-you-boycott-and-why/535368/69 "2010-04-08T23:58:36Z")
> [@campp](#): > > I didn’t know that about Chik Fila. I always just hated their name. I honestly thought it was pronounced “chik fill-ah” How do you pronounce it? ---
**Author:** ![Risha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/5fc32e/32.png) [@Risha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Risha)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2010, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-companies-do-you-boycott-and-why/535368/70 "2010-04-09T00:03:11Z")
> [@kathmandu](#): > > I don’t really get this. Are you boycotting them because they’re Christians? Without more, I don’t really understand why you specifically avoid an otherwise good and reputable business. If they hold specific views that you don’t agree with, I get that, but why would you boycott them simply for believing in God? I don’t specifically boycott as such, but where possible I do go out of my way to avoid any business that puts Christian logos or sayings or such in conspicuous places, like packaging. (Aside from an actual business where it makes sense, such as a Christian bookstore. That’s why a Jewish deli is a false equivalence, by the way - they’re selling that they’re a Jewish deli, not shoehorning symbols of their religion onto an unrelated business. I’d do the same thing to a restaurant that had an explicit statement supporting Israel on their wall, for instance, though I’ve never actually seen any such thing.) There are two reasons for this: - due to the policies of most sects of Christianity that would do this, the odds are that this is specifically proselytizing, which I have a major ethical objection to; and - for the same reason, the odds are excellent that they support, financially or otherwise, politics and/or social policies that disgust me. I may be punishing one or two perfectly nice people as well, but given the alternative, I’m completely fine with that. ---
**Author:** ![Rumor\_Watkins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d9b06d/32.png) [@Rumor\_Watkins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rumor_Watkins)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2010, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-companies-do-you-boycott-and-why/535368/71 "2010-04-09T00:06:07Z")
Another Apple vote, here. Although it’s only half active boycotting. Don’t like the closed source mentality, their lame attempts to corner you into products and lock-out 3rd party competitors, their marketing bothers me (but that’s more of a chicken-and-egg causality thing - I don’t think them changing their marketing would make he hate mac users any less because they’d still be pretentious yuppies who don’t know shit about computers but think they’re still better than you) The other half is that their products are not compelling purchases, cost/benefit wise. oh, and ditto on the in-your-face christian proprietors. i threw out a miele vacuum which needed cleaning to return to good functionality because the only repair shop in town has a decently large billboard in its main window with some scripture talking about the return of god and going to hell or some junk. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2010, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-companies-do-you-boycott-and-why/535368/72 "2010-04-09T00:53:31Z")
> [@Risha](#): > > I don’t specifically boycott as such, but where possible I do go out of my way to avoid any business that puts Christian logos or sayings or such in conspicuous places, like packaging. (Aside from an actual business where it makes sense, such as a Christian bookstore. That’s why a Jewish deli is a false equivalence, by the way - they’re selling that they’re a Jewish deli, not shoehorning symbols of their religion onto an unrelated business. I’d do the same thing to a restaurant that had an explicit statement supporting Israel on their wall, for instance, though I’ve never actually seen any such thing.) When I was growing up in New York there were butcher shop with the Star of David in their window representing that they sold kosher food. (You could also tell by the Hebrew.) Anyone going in, of whatever faith, was 100% safe from being proselytized. I steer away from business in the yellow pages with fish symbols also - they are basically telling me they don’t want my business, which is fine with me. Where I live if I call a plumber at random I’ll get an Afghan or Iraqi - and they don’t put religious symbols in their ads. There are lots of Afghan groceries near me also, with Arabic writing - same deal. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2010, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-companies-do-you-boycott-and-why/535368/73 "2010-04-09T01:12:17Z")
Pfizer. They pushed and sold a pain medication that was approved for narrow and special use as a pain reliever. They wooed doctors and hospitals with gifts, trips and cash to use it frequently and prescribe it often. They made billions off it. They had studies proving it was unsafe for general use. In some cases the patients skin actually came off their bodies. The program I saw put deaths at 1000. They were fined 2.3 billion dollars which they paid the next day with a wire transfer. The whisleblowers who of course were fired early in the incident got 102 million. The main whistleblower says this Bextra case is the tip of the problem and many more are coming down the pike. How is a sick patient suppose to know what the drugs they take actually do and are? We have to rely on the drug companies and they will kill you to make a lot of money. > **[MoneyWatch: Financial news, world finance and market news, your money,...](https://www.cbsnews.com/moneywatch/)** > > Get the latest financial news, headlines and analysis from CBS MoneyWatch. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2010, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-companies-do-you-boycott-and-why/535368/74 "2010-04-09T01:48:41Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > Citgo. I figure that Hugo Chavez actively wants to be our enemy and I see no reason not to oblige. Chavez wants to be whose enemy? He’s never done anything to me that I’m aware of. Meanwhile, Citgo provides heating oil to poor Americans. > [@](#): > > CITGO is partnering with Citizens Energy Corporation, a non-profit energy supplier founded by Joseph Kennedy - son of Robert F. Kennedy - to distribute heating oil to families in 25 states, including tribal nations in 15 states. > > President and CEO of CITGO, Alejandro Granado, joined Joseph Kennedy and Venezuelan ambassador to the U.S.Bernardo Alvarez, in Harlem to provide the first shipment to an apartment building. > > Alejandro Granada, President & CEO, CITGO: > > ``` > "This demonstrates a great effort. We recognize that the circumstances call for sacrifice, but it is a sacrifice we make with love. We have been helping the poor with this since 2005. We have been helping them a little with their heat." > > ``` > > The program started five years ago in the aftermath of Hurricanes Rita and Katrina as a response to the demand by low-income households for assistance due to the high price of heating oil that winter. > > Key U.S. political leaders sent an open letter to the petroleum industry requesting assistance in meeting the demand. **CITGO was the only company to respond.** > > Joseph Kennedy, President & CEO, Citizens Energy Corporation: > > ``` > "It is, at the end of the day, unmistakably, a CITGO-Venezeula engine that provides us the resources that are necessary to carry it out." > > ``` > > Chyresse Lopez is one the program’s beneficiaries who has received over 14 hundred gallons of oil for her apartment building for the past three winters. > > Chyresse Lopez, Heating Oil Program Beneficiary: > > ``` > "I can't say thank you enough to CITGO, the people of Venezuela, and Citizens Energy. I can't thank them enough for allowing us to be able to continue to own our own homes and keep them warm in winters. Thank you." > > ``` Among petroleum corporations, the one that I can’t bring myself to patronize is Shell, for the blood they have spilled in Nigeria. ---
**Author:** ![Risha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/5fc32e/32.png) [@Risha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Risha)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2010, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-companies-do-you-boycott-and-why/535368/75 "2010-04-09T01:51:42Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > When I was growing up in New York there were butcher shop with the Star of David in their window representing that they sold kosher food. (You could also tell by the Hebrew.) Anyone going in, of whatever faith, was 100% safe from being proselytized. Yes, to me that falls under the “actually makes sense as part of your business” exception. Foods (and stores) need to be marked as kosher or not and to what degree so that people it already applies to know that it’s safe to shop there. They’re not doing it just to force their religion into your face in an attempt to impose their morals on you. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2010, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-companies-do-you-boycott-and-why/535368/76 "2010-04-09T02:19:59Z")
> [@spark240](#): > > Among petroleum corporations, the one that I can’t bring myself to patronize is Shell, for the blood they have spilled in Nigeria. What did they do in Nigeria? ---
**Author:** ![breezman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4491bb/32.png) [@breezman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/breezman)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2010, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-companies-do-you-boycott-and-why/535368/77 "2010-04-09T02:29:25Z")
Nissan Motor company, for their treatment of [Nissan Computer](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nissan_Computer). ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2010, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-companies-do-you-boycott-and-why/535368/78 "2010-04-09T02:45:38Z")
> [@YogSosoth](#): > > What did they do in Nigeria? They collaborated with various authoritarian governments to steal and despoil the lands and resources of those native people who had the misfortune to live above oil fields. And, from time to time, to kill those who stood in their way. [http://www.ratical.com/corporations/OgoniFactS.html](http://www.ratical.com/corporations/OgoniFactS.html) ---
**Author:** ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2010, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-companies-do-you-boycott-and-why/535368/79 "2010-04-09T02:45:50Z")
Cracker Barrell, for it’s anti-gay philosophy. ---
**Author:** ![Rumor\_Watkins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d9b06d/32.png) [@Rumor\_Watkins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rumor_Watkins)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2010, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-companies-do-you-boycott-and-why/535368/80 "2010-04-09T02:58:18Z")
> [@spark240](#): > > They collaborated with various authoritarian governments to steal and despoil the lands and resources of those native people who had the misfortune to live above oil fields. And, from time to time, to kill those who stood in their way. lol, of which oil company is this not true? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-companies-do-you-boycott-and-why/535368.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-companies-do-you-boycott-and-why/535368.md?page=5)