Ford, where backing down to nutcases is Job One

December 6, 2005

The poorly-named American Family Association seems to announce a new boycott at least once a month. Usually the targeted company more or less ignores the silly little religious right group, nothing happens, and the AFA moves on to its next victim. Unfortunately, Ford seems confused about how this is supposed to go.

The AFA launched a nine-year boycott of Disney, for example, during which time none of the group’s demands were met and the company enjoyed a surge in profits. The AFA also launched boycotts against Crest toothpaste, Volkswagen, Tide detergent, Clorox bleach, Pampers, MTV, Abercrombie & Fitch, K-Mart, Burger King, the Carl’s Jr. hamburger chain, Kraft Foods, Mary Kay Cosmetics, Old Navy stores, NutriSystem, and American Airlines. Late last year, the AFA went after the movie “Shark Tale,” because the group believed the movie was designed to brainwash children into accepting gay rights. Then, it was American Girl dolls. Then it was Target for its lack of the word “Christmas” in its advertising. The whole thing is pretty embarrassing, but the AFA just keeps doing it.

So, in June, when the AFA went after Ford Motor Company for its support of the “homosexual agenda,” the company was supposed to just blow it off. Instead, it’s doing what the AFA demands.

After a threatened boycott from a conservative religious organization, the Ford Motor Company has said it will cut back on advertising in gay-oriented publications.

The group, the American Family Association, called for the boycott in May because of what it said was the company’s “track record for supporting the homosexual agenda.”

After a meeting last week between Ford executives and members of the group, the company said that its Jaguar and Land Rover brands would no longer be advertised in gay publications.

Ford representatives said the move was part of a cost-cutting measure, but Aravosis knows better.

Ford ought to be embarrassed by the entire mess. Caving to a fringe group like this is ridiculous.

The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force apparently want to have a little chat with Ford about this. http://www.thetaskforce.org/media/release.cfm?releaseID=897

Ford really stepped in in this time.

  • This topic showed up just as I was completing an email to some friends with this remark in it. I think it applies here as well:

    That’s what’s basically wrong with “don’t ask, don’t tell”. Clinton’s policy, far from accommodating gays in the military, basically treats homosexuality as the “love that dare not speak its name” (Lord Alfred Douglas, d. 1945), “a detestable and abominable sin among Christians not to be named” (English jurist, Sir Edward Coke, d. 1634). “Don’t ask, don’t tell” invites further ignorance/prejudice, as does the Roman Catholic Church’s current crusade to discover and exclude anyone who “supports the gay lifestyle”. It’s gonna take a long, long time for America to get over it. I do wish Clinton had had Truman’s courage when it came to integrating the military (which was hardly integrating the whole society) but he didn’t.

    Ford, I guess, is even more retrograde. And AFA, of course, is a joke … or should be.

  • FORD = “Fix Or Repair Daily”
    “Found On Road, Dead”

    Any more good anagrams out there? And they wonder why they can’t keep their factories open.

  • For that matter, you can send a thank you note to Wells Fargo since they refused to knuckle under to the knuckledraggers.

  • This is great timing. I am looking to purchase a small truck, and was looking at a Ranger as I had one about 10 years ago and got good use out of it. Guess I can rule out the Ranger.

  • You sure this isn’t a case of the crazies accepting victory where there isn’t one? I mean, they haven’t had any luck before now…

    “The decisions with regard to advertising was a business decision,” Ford spokesman Mike Moran said. He said Ford’s Volvo brand would continue advertising in gay publications.

  • This is a Class-A stupid fucking maneuver. Which group is bigger:

    a. Focus on the Family
    b. Gays in America (possibly worldwide implications, too)

    Why an executive for a struggling automotive company would want to piss off group (b), a group that is not only bigger but statistically more likely to have disposable income, is utterly beyond me.

  • So now AFA doesn’t want homosexuals driving Ford vehicles? That’s effectively what they’re saying by demanding that Ford cease advertising to this target segment.

    I think this shows that these ultra right wing groups are not satisfied with simply quashing the gay marriage thing. Obviously, they’re against the gay driving thing, too. What next? Gay banking? Gay PC use? Gay eating? Geez, where does it end?!!

  • I think corporations should do the same thing as what the courts should do when faced with essentially a kulturekampf (sp?) or political issue- let the democratic process decide. Place the question to the shareholders in a annual meeting for a vote. That would make whatever outcome results have a huge response to whatever PAC or org is roving around trying to twist arms- left or right.

  • I’m probably going to be in the market for a new truck in the coming year. The full sized, gas guzzling variety that the auto industry is having a problem moving right now.

    I’m driving a Ford now. It’s served me faithfully for 13 years. All things being equal, I would have happily bought another Ford. Unless Ford makes a dramatic turn around, they’ve surrendered any tiebreaker status they had with me. All things being equal now, I’ll probably go with a Chevy

  • I would like to hear an AFA spokesperson’s answer to the question, “Why were members of the AFA reading gay publications in the first place?”

  • There was little news on Proctor and Gamble’s caving in to the demands, but a little on Wal-Mart caving on the Christmas demands.

    I’ve heard both reports involved someone at the company being sacked – can this be verified?

    Honestly, I’m going to stick to an American made car anyhow – my next car is a Honda or maybe Toyota.

  • I think what everyone is missing here, is not that the AFA does not want gays to drive fords. They do not want gay supported companies to make money that will further support their life style.

    its quite smart if you think about it. They are attacking the revenue sources for these magazines that promote a lifestlye not of their own. In essence denying someone the ability to make money, be happy, and support what they believe in.

    They will continue to attack the revenue sources of these outlets untill they can effectually illeminate them… I do fear some tragic times ahead with the mind set growing in America.

    We need to tear down the walls, not re build them. People are People… Stop trying to impose yoru way of life on ME!!!

  • Ziad Ojakli and David Leitch, are actually former top officials in the Bush White House. And now we find out, below, that one of those same top Bush/Ford officials is also running secret meetings out of Ford’s own offices in support of Bush’s far-right Supreme Court nominees.

    Oh, and I read where one of these guy’s wives gave $250 to the Swift Boat Group.

    The real story here is how CORPORATE FASCISM is taking hold in Amerika.

    Enjoy.

  • I heard this story on the radio yesterday, and it was almost certainly NPR, but specifically local “Michigan Public Radio” that the rest of you may not have heard.

    Ford claims that Jaguar and Land Rover are hemorrhaging money and that these are part of an overall gutting of their advertising for those lines.

    Yeah, that sounds like bullshit, and a cover story for caving to the AFA. Except for this: Ford will continue to advertise its VOLVO line in the same magazines, and has NO PLANS to withdraw any of those ads or respond to a boycott.

    So, for now, I’m willing to give Ford the benefit of the doubt. If the Volvo ads get canned, get back to me.

    It is entirely possible that the plan really has “been in the works for a year and a half,” and the AFA released their statement NOW to make it seem like they had an impact.

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