14 December 2005

Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar...


Well the GLBT blogosphere has claimed victory over Ford in the case of a perceived slight. It seems that Ford met with members of the American Family Association over a number of issues.

Now Ford is a BAC (Big Ass Company) or BEC (Big Evil Company) depending upon your view. As a footsoldier in a BAC/BEC I can attest to the leviathan like nature of their actions. Most simply chug along, trying to avoid perilous pitfalls and just conduct business to avoid the fate of Enron, Kodak, US Steel or a host of other has beens.

After this "meeting" too place, Ford was accused of pulling ads from several GLBT magazines.

This was never proven. No news trumpeting the AFA strong arming Ford into submission appeared anywhere. Only innuendo and supposition on a few trade sites and within the CAIEAL (Corporation Are Inherently Evil and Always Liars) world.

Ford issued a strongly worded press release on December 7, Pearl Harbor Day for the uninformed.

This was clearly a lie.

Thus the might array or electronic unrest rose up to smite the unworthy giant.

Another meeting was held.

Ford issued another strongly worded press release.

VICTORY!

Justice triumphs, the evil doers are vanquished.

Unless. Ford's messages were remarkably consistent. What if Ford was telling the truth the whole time? Meeting with a group is not the same as caving in to their demands (in both cases).

Ford, a progressive BAC/BEC has taken a beating it may not have deserved.

It is one thing to spite one's enemies, quite another to spite ones friends.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yes,yes, not all big companies are bad. And just because you are paraniod, doesn't meand that everyone's not out to get you :)
....However, as in all great theatre, timing is everything. It was the timing of the Fords intital advertising announcement that caused this ruckous to begin with. Announce to pull ads very shortly after meeting with the AFA, pretty much on the same day that AFA calls off the boycott of your products? MMMMM........time to spin, spin.....
Here is a good Washington Post article on the whole brouhaha:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/14/AR2005121402361.html

Citizen Deux said...

Interesting that the WaPo article gets it so wrong. Ford's letter did not indicate that they are restarting advertising for Land Rover and Jaguar. Most telling are the last few paragraphs, which seem to have the only useful analysis.

"Ford officials have maintained that they did not make a secret deal with the American Family Association to pull the advertising. But gay groups questioned the timing of the ad withdrawals and the decision by the American Family Association to call off the boycott.

According to the dealer who participated in the meetings, Ford's willingness to meet with the AFA leaders led to the cancellation of the boycott. At the about the same time, Ford announced that it was canceling advertising of Jaguar and Land Rover in the gay-themed publications.

Gay groups accused Ford of making a secret deal with the Christian group to pull back the ads in exchange for dropping the boycott."

Anonymous said...

And it seems the gay groups were right, according to the AFA. Cause they are, um, just a wee bit upset.
Please check out today's press release from the AFA. Yes, they are psycholoons, but it would have been interesting to have been on a fly on the wall at their meetings with Ford. Methinks you, and Ford, doth protest too much.

http://media.afa.net/newdesign/ReleaseDetail.asp?id=3336

Citizen Deux said...

Interesting, AFA claims to have had an agreement which Ford violated. If that was true, why not reveal the agreement publicly?

The damage to Ford would far exceed any boycott. Methinks the AFA is lying.

Anonymous said...

Speaking of the AFA et.al., My review of BROKEBACK went up last night. It includes not only my take on the film, but the social issues it brings up. I have revised and added to it this morning, cause I am still devastated by what I saw onscreen. Enjoy. Then "go watch those cowboys make out." It's in midtown, for all of you Atlantaites. Of course.