I wish food companies wouldn't try to make buying their products a political statement. With today's announcement that Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream will change the name of their popular Chubby Hubby (a personal favorite) to Hubby Hubby in Vermont to celebrate the adoption of homosexual marriage by that state, they have complicated the buying process. Rather than just purchasing a wonderful ice cream treat with chocolate covered peanut butter filled pretzels, now we are making a tacit political statement in parallel with the their belief and position on the issue.
First of all I respect their political and moral conventions, as I hope they do mine. Many people of different beliefs can still respect one another's convictions. The unfortunate practice of barnacle-ing their ideologies to otherwise apolitical merchandise is the problem for me. Now I will be unable to purchase one of my favorite ice creams for the fact that it communicates my nod in agreement with their statement. But I also wouldn't want Kemp's to come out with The Obama Health Care Plan Stinks Old Fashioned Chocolate Milk.
I also uphold their ability to do so (make their ice cream political). We have free speech in this country. But part of that free speech includes the consumer's decision not to buy that product. The speech is free from imprisonment but not from free market consequences. Ask the Dixie Chicks.
I remember the old days when music was music and ice cream was just that, ice cream. Then again, I may just be showing my age.
I agree completely with all that you have written here Rob. If companies such as Ben and Jerry’s start to push their political agendas on the consumer they are opening themselves up to the possibility of offending a buyer who does not agree, me being one of them. I too agree that it is their right to use their ice cream company as a tool to push any cause that they feel is important to them. But I also have a right to choose what kind of ice cream I will buy from now on, and it definitely won’t be Ben and Jerry’s. I guess that all of us are going to have to be a little more diligent in our purchasing of products for fear of supporting a cause that we may not agree with. What ever happened to buying good old ice cream with no strings attached?
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