It's time to NOT buy all the Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Aquafina etc that you can........

[Ioo]

http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid73414.asp

PepsiCo announced Wednesday morning a multiyear distribution deal with the makers of the energy drink Rockstar, prompting calls among gay rights activists for a company-wide boycott.

Rockstar was co-created by Dr. Michael Weiner, better known as conservative radio host Michael Savage, who has often broadcast antigay tirades, referring to gay callers as “sodomites” who should “get AIDS and die.”

His equally conservative wife, Janet, serves as the company’s CFO, while his son Russell -- cofounder of the Paul Revere Society, which campaigns for the deportation of all illegal immigrants -- serves as the CEO.

Savage has been equally outspoken on issues including abortion and autism, once defining an autistic child as “a brat who hasn’t been told to cut the act out.”

[ogneopasno]

1. Wait, a company going only for the bottom line, and being used by both sides to advance their own

agendas? Pinch me.

[FreeState]

4. Human rights are not an agenda n/t

[ogneopasno]

7. You're right, and I apologize for the flippant post. I've seen so many "buy this! boycott that!"

posts over the past few weeks, my sarcasm got the better of me.

[crikkett]

24. I'm sorry, yes they are, albeit a very important agenda. n/t

[FreeState]

2. Thank you for posting this - here are some more PepsiCo brands to not buy

PepsiCo owns 18 different billion-dollar brands. These are Pepsi, Tropicana, Frito-Lay, Quaker, and Gatorade. The company owns many other brands as well.
Pepsi, Caffeine-Free Pepsi, Diet Pepsi/Pepsi Light, Caffeine-Free Diet Pepsi, Caffeine-Free Pepsi Light, Wild Cherry Pepsi, Pepsi Lime, Pepsi Max, Pepsi Twist and Pepsi ONE.

Other U.S. carbonated soft drinks, including Mountain Dew, Mug Root Beer, Sierra Mist, Tropicana Twister Soda and Frawg,
7 Up (Globally, outside the USA)

Other U.S. beverages, including Aquafina (Flavor Splash, Alive, and Twist/Burst), Tava, Dole, Gatorade, Izze, Mountain Dew AMP, Propel Fitness Water, SoBe, Quaker Milk Chillers, Ben & Jerry's MilkShakes, and Tropicana

Beverages marketed outside the U.S.: Alvalle, Concordia, Copella, Evervess, Fiesta, Frui'Vita, Fruko, Junkanoo, Kas, Loóza, Manzana Corona, Manzanita Sol, Mirinda, Paso de los Toros (drink), Radical Fruit, San Carlos, Schwip Schwap, Shani, Teem, Triple Kola, and Yedigun

Frito-Lay brands: Baken-ets, Barcel, Bocabits, Cheese Tris, Cheetos, Chester's, Chizitos, Churrumais, Cracker Jack, Crujitos, Doritos, Fandangos, Fritos, Funyuns, Gamesa, Go Snacks, James' Grandma's Cookies, Hamka's, Lay's, Miss Vickie's, Munchies, Munchos, Nik Naks, Ollie's Meat Snacks, Quavers, Rold Gold, Ruffles, Rustler's Meat Sticks, Sabritas, Sabritones, Sandora, Santitas, Smartfood, The Smith's Snackfood Company, Sonric's, Stacy's Pita Chips, Sun Chips, Tor-tees, Kurkure, Tostitos, Walkers, and Wotsits
Quaker Oats brands: Aunt Jemima, Cap'n Crunch, Coqueiro, Crisp'ums, Cruesli, FrescAvena, King Vitaman, Life, Oatso Simple,Quake, Quisp, Rice-A-Roni, and Spudz


(got that from the GLBT forum post on the same subect)

[dixiegrrrrl]

13. Fortunately, not only are these items poor in nutrition,

they are rapidly exceeding the food budgets of many of us.
Easy to pass on these at the grocery store.

[lonestarnot]

3. Damn!

Time to just give up soda pop period!

[Incitatus]

5. I rarely drink that crap, anyway.

I get Coca Cole made with real sugar from local Spanish stores when I can.

[RebelOne]

31. I never drink that crap. And I filter my water at home

and have never bought Aquafina.

[TheCowsCameHome]

6. Screw Michael Sewage. And his wife and kid.

That guy spews drano.

[BlooInBloo]

8. Phew. Good thing I don't let DUers drive my purchasing decisions.

[MadBadger]

9. It would be kind of hyprocritical for me to boycott since my Education was paid for by Murdoch

Father works for 2oth Century Fox

[Ernesto]

10. Time for a fresh beer! nt

[Pab Sungenis]

11. Pity, and I was so looking forward to Pepsi Throwback

http://www.uncrate.com/men/culture/drinks/pepsi-throwback/

[Occam Bandage]

12. I have sitting next to me a bottle of Pepsi Natural.

It's sweetened with cane sugar, flavored with kola extract, and colored with apple extract. I bought a four-pack for $4.99 on a whim while grocery shopping today. Not a wise financial investment, but I thought I'd see what it was like. See, I don't like the cloying, syrupy nature of HFCS-sweetened colas. I don't know if it's something about the HFCS itself, or if it's because they add more HFCS than they would sugar because HFCS is cheaper, or what. But this stuff is fairly good. I wouldn't drink it regularly, but it's better than Pepsi; it's lighter, rounder, and has a nice bitter aftertaste.

I bring this up because what propelled me to put this product in my basket instead of some other waste of five bucks was my knowledge that fundy nutbags were pissed off and calling for a boycott because Pepsi donated a million dollars to gay-marriage advocacy groups.

As for Rockstar? I'll admit I didn't know it was the creation of Savage's kid, not that I really care about "energy drinks." Here I'm not really sure if a boycott is called for. When a company donates money directly to a cause you oppose, sure, don't give your money to people who will in turn give it to causes you disagree with. When a company makes a business deal with a company that's owned by a RW douchebag who's the son of a homophobic RW douchebag, well, I'm not quite as enthused. Pepsi's donations to PFLAG and HRC are a clear and unambiguous corporate statement on politics. Pepsi's deal with Rockstar is a business transaction in which the personal politics of the father of one company's CEO is abhorrent, and one in which not a cent of the $4.99 I provided them will go towards said CEO or his father.

I don't regularly buy Pepsi, so it doesn't really affect me. Today's was the first PepsiCo purchase I've made in God knows how long. Would this news have changed my decision to purchase the four-pack of "natural" brown sugar water? Maybe, maybe not. At any rate, I suppose I'm glad people are vigilant for politics in our sugar-water industry. Now I can scowl at cans of Rockstar, so that's something.

[applegrove]

14. Didn't know that about Rockstar.

[cabluedem]

18. It's quite true. Savage had his son on KSFO a few times before going syndicated radio. Both RW scum.

[cabluedem]

15. Savage used to bash women & made outrageous remarks about children in the SF bay area. He is scum.

[Cheap_Trick]

16. Just remeber, when you call for a boycott, you look to hurt not only the company,

but people who work for that company.

Such as me.

I've been working for Pepsi since 1983.

They pay my paycheck, and my EXCELLENT health insurance.


Since Pepsi has donated to gay causes, and recognize "domestic partners" in our insurance here's an alternative idea:


Support Pepsi for the good they do for the causes you support, and DON'T buy Rockstar drinks. If it becomes unprofitable enough, they will drop it.

[Mollis]

17. Very well said.

And a good idea. I don't drink Rockstars anway, but what you say makes much more sense.

[CraftyGal]

19. Well said...

rather than a blanket boycott, boycott the product that is at issue, mainly the Rockstar drinks. To boycott is all well and good, however we need to remember the workers that will be affected by said boycott.

CraftyGal

[Lorien]

20. All that stuff is a big waste of money anyway, and a drain on the

environment. Brita or Pur filter plus a Sigg or glass bottle. It's cheaper, healthier and greener.

[KharmaTrain]

21. Quick...Name The Last Boycott You Knew That Was Effective...

We live in a world of companies "too big to fail". Boycott one product and they still make tons on another. Hell, I've been boycotting Pepsico since they gave tons of money to Nixon in the 70's. Sure showed them didn't I. LOL.

[crikkett]

28. Apartheid South Africa

[KharmaTrain]

30. And How Did Americans Boycott???

I will admit I didn't purchase any DeBeers Diamonds during the 80's (I couldn't afford even if I wanted), but that was more a government boycott rather than a consumer one. That's what I'm refering to. When was the last time that a boycott of a specific product brought about some kind of change. I'm curious.

[crikkett]

33. We didn't buy grapes, diamonds, and Bruce Springsteen didn't play Sun City.

I can't remember who else was part of that song... Stevie Wonder?

We also boycotted/pressured artists to avoid that place, and we boycotted/pressured US companies who sought to do business with that place.

Honestly it was something of an uprising. Voluntary sanctions that amounted to a triumph of Humanity.

[FreeState]

35. Look up Dr. Laura's TV show - off the air due to boycotting n/t

[Initech]

22. I dont buy that shit anyways so no need to convince me.

[The Doctor.]

23. That A$$hole's a 'Doctor'?!?

That's embarrassing.

[democracy1st]

27. yep he's a mad scientist !

[crikkett]

25. Forget about how bottled drinks are unhealthy and bad for the planet...

[Bluebear]

26. "I don't buy that shit anyway" is not the way to convey that you are boycotting.

If you write Pepsi, please don't complain how their products are rotgut. You are only telling them that you weren't a customer to begin with, so they won't be apt to listen to you! :)

[Baikonour]

29. Michael Wiener? Wiener? Really?

What's wrong, Michael? Couldn't deal with the "homo-erotic" nature of your last name so you had to change it to something "manly" like Savage?

What a dolt.

[Veritas_et_Aequitas]

36. TYT had a whole bit on his a while ago.

Long story short, Cenk argued that Wiener has self-esteem issues, craves attention and acceptance and is border-line psychotic.

It was interesting to listen to.

Oh, and he's not a medical doctor. His PhD is in something botany related. Even tried to get a position a Berkley back in the day.

[TBF]

32. I like my oatmeal in the morning :) but I'll find another brand. n/t

[NightWatcher]

34. please tell me that we can still drink RedBull