Supporting the brands that agree with your values seems easy, but it's a lot more complicated than Kid Rock shooting up cases of Bud Light because the parent company had a small marketing campaign with a transgender influencer. It's even more complex than boycotting the brand because its vice president insulted its customer and its parent company isn't American.
Anheuser-Busch InBev (BUD) -) has done all of those things. It did have a promotion with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney, it does have a VP who called its customers "fratty," and it is owned by a foreign company.
DON'T MISS: Some Bud Light Drinkers Say Dylan Mulvaney Isn't Why They're Mad
On the other hand, the vast majority of Bud Light advertising dollars do not target LGBTQ+ communities or causes. And, while the company does technically have foreign owners, it's also public and in the portfolios of tens of thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands, of working-class Americans through their retirement accounts.
In addition, the Anheuser-Busch brands remain headquartered in St. Louis, and tens of thousands of Americans directly collect a paycheck from the company while hundreds of thousands support its ecosystem. So, when you boycott Bud Light or Anheuser-Busch brands, who exactly are you hurting and helping?
The new best-selling beer in America is Modelo, which is a Mexican brand that also has thousands of workers in the US. Will the Budweiser boycott hurt the company? Yes, because light beer is a pretty undifferentiated product. Coors Light, Miller's Lite, Modelo, and a lot of other beer brands just aren't that different, so you can boycott, feel morally superior, and not think about the people a lot like you that your action may be hurting.
A Look at Disney Versus DeSantis
Ron DeSantis has made Walt Disney (DIS) -) his top enemy in his so-called "woke" war. Disney, he argues, has fought to put sexual politics in schools and take away rights from parents.
In reality, after much prodding from his employees, former Disney CEO Bob Chapek took a stand against DeSantis' so-called "Don't Say Gay" bill. That law literally does not allow teachers in Florida's schools from grades K-3 to mention anything that even implies sexuality. That means a teacher in a same-sex marriage can't put a picture of their spouse on their desk. And, well, if Heather has two mommies, she's not allowed to talk about it, nor can she read the books that might show her that her reality -- something a kid did not choose -- is shared by other people.
DeSantis wants to paint Disney as a monster, and many parents may agree with his legislative agenda, but they also have likely let "Frozen," "Cars," or some other Disney classic babysit their kids for a few hours. Some parents might not like that some Disney cartoons reflect diversity, and Star Wars vaguely (very vaguely) has diverse characters.
Disney also creates billions of dollars for Florida and employs over 100,000 people in the state directly with a starting wage well above the state's minimum. It's also a huge taxpayer, and no matter your politics, it's really hard to argue that Disney World's theme parks aren't fun (and really hard to make anything about them political.)
Garth Brooks Gets It Right
Boycotts aren't just right-wing things. A lot of liberals won't eat at Chick-fil-A because its owners have made some questionable comments on LGBTQ+ issues. But, your local Chick-fil-A, the one in your town, is 50% owned by one of your neighbors, someone who's part of the community.
It's never simple, and that's why Garth Brooks may be the guiding light in how he has approached Bud Light and the concept of diversity.
“I know this sounds corny, I want it to be the Chick-fil-A of honky-tonks,” Brooks shared. “I want it to be a place you feel safe in. I want it to be a place where you feel like there are manners and people like one another.”
Brooks simply wants people who come to his bar to be joined in the idea that it's fun to be in a bar and that the person next to you doesn't have to become a friend. They just deserve the right to have their drink (no matter what it might be) while feeling safe.
The country singer has made his vision really clear and it sounds like he's running a bar where most people would want to be and maybe where you can meet someone who's not like you.
"Our thing is this, if you [are let] into this house, love one another. If you're an a**hole, there are plenty of other places on lower Broadway," he shared. "The goal is a classic honky-tonk that welcomes all and encourages love and kindness while playing the greatest music in the world in the home of country music."
