Pasta row in Italy after Barilla's president anti-gay remarks
- Thread starter Sickboy007
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way more
Member
I too also avoid going down the rabbit hole of who I should be buying from and not, except when it's simple and direct like this. I guess the message I want to send with my voter-dollars is that CEO shouldn't think they can say something like this and not get noticed.
Also, everyone saying "I just buy the cheapest," you should branch out a little. Barilla linguini was the first pasta where I was able to cook it to perfect al dente. It's not about taste with noodles, it's the texture and Barilla is denser than the other cheap brands.
User 73706
Banned
Boy, did the spagooter fall out of his pockets.
Man at the top's views are one thing, it's another when it's company policy imho. (But I don't read Orson Scott Card and never will)
Sorry but why is what he said "anti-gay"? Just because he doesn't state gays are the best thing ever? He has made no hateful remarks. I don't get the outrage. What he said is probably akin to your average Republican's stance in the US and nobody bats an eyelid about it.
Hell I'm bi myself but why would I care if other people don't think living out my life the way I do is a good idea, or raising a child with another guy, etc? As long as they don't actively try to prohibit me from doing it?
Now given he's a CEO of a big company I guess he could have been a bit less direct but on the other hand it's his company and he can do what he wants. I think the overly sensitive PC stuff is going too far these days.
It's this militant "if you're not with us, you're against us" attitude from a lot of gay guys that always made me feel disconnected from gay groups / gay subcultures even though I'm attracted to men as well.
Hell I'm bi myself but why would I care if other people don't think living out my life the way I do is a good idea, or raising a child with another guy, etc? As long as they don't actively try to prohibit me from doing it?
Now given he's a CEO of a big company I guess he could have been a bit less direct but on the other hand it's his company and he can do what he wants. I think the overly sensitive PC stuff is going too far these days.
It's this militant "if you're not with us, you're against us" attitude from a lot of gay guys that always made me feel disconnected from gay groups / gay subcultures even though I'm attracted to men as well.
Too many other companies around that aren't evil. It takes virtually no work from me not spend my cash with shitty companies.
User 73706
Banned
I'm bi too, but this is more "let's illustrate how ignorant, hearth/culturally-driven sexism and its extension into implied homophobia is losing this guy money he would have been making if he didn't go out of his ways to express his outdated views" more than "let's run a bake sale and fuck eachother in the streets to get back at this oppressive pasta chairman" by all means.
If you think people aren't offended by your average up-and-coming pudgy right-wing big wig who thinks women belong in the kitchen and gay men belong in that one time he got a little too drunk in college and opened up to Fabio, then I think you're hanging out with the wrong people.
dapperbandit
Banned
you never know, someone at the top of those companies may have some strong opinions he hasn't voiced yet, rendering that company the spawn of Satan.
I guess I need a new source of Farfalle then.
If he hasn't voiced them, he probably hasn't done very much to support them either. I'll take that over a loudmouth bigot.
If he hasn't voiced them, he probably hasn't done very much to support them either. I'll take that over a loudmouth bigot.
childplease
Banned
I always wondered if public outcry really affects a products sales.
chick-fil-a is still doing fine right ?
chick-fil-a is still doing fine right ?
robertsan21
Member
To him the core family is a man and female and he has is values. Respect that people.
If he does not want to have advertisment that portraits a gay family then so what? It´s his company and he can do whatever he wants. Some people are just to damn sensitive about shit.
I am not saying I am against gay families, I just don´t care, do what ever you like and mind your own business. why should other people have the right to tell him what he should have or not have in his commercials, this is getting out of hand.
If he does not want to have advertisment that portraits a gay family then so what? It´s his company and he can do whatever he wants. Some people are just to damn sensitive about shit.
I am not saying I am against gay families, I just don´t care, do what ever you like and mind your own business. why should other people have the right to tell him what he should have or not have in his commercials, this is getting out of hand.
Escape Goat
Member
Yeah, but they stopped donating to the anti gay organization. So it had some effect.
Of course he can do what he wants, as can those who feel the need to speak against it or not buy his product. It's a two way street.
The outcry at his "homophobic" remarks is a bit puzzling since the president of this company is more progressive than 60% of all Italians who are against same sex marriages. And how many companies in Italy (or the rest of Europe or the US) show ads with gay couples? 99.9% of all ads show happy hetero families. So why single this company out for views on homosexuality that are aren't ultra progressive but at the same time not ultra conservative?
Boom Boom Pow
Banned
so does this mean we can also speak out against people who speaks out against him and not buy their products/services?
Why the fuck wouldn't you be able to do that? You might get some feedback on that in turn, but nobody will stop you. Or did I miss the joke?
robertsan21
Member
you can, but you might have to defend yourself.. you might be accused of being anti gay. At least if your in politics.
People are allowed to be racists and homophobes - I'm allowed to find them distasteful for it, the world goes on - when it's part of the company's image, strategy, philosophy of course it becomes impossible for me to support them.
"Mind your own business" ? Fuck off, if everyone minded their own business the way you envision no one would be fighting for rights of any kind, or against discrimination.
Way to be equally douche-y in apology.
dapperbandit
Banned
Because the guy said it out loud when asked about it on the radio.
To me his opinions on women are by far more problematic than not wanting to put gay couples in your adverts. Don't know why more people don't bring up that.
robertsan21
Member
yes, but it is a huge difference of fighting someone that actually promotes anti gay propaganda, or racism etc etc. This man has not said ANYTHING remotely that can be used as him being against the gay community. He just wants to run his company the way he wants and with the values that he believe in .
Agreed - it's all linked of course - because he thinks a woman should cook in the family he doesn't think gay couples constitute a real family, etc etc. Turn the arguments up and down and you'll find the same asshole at the end.
This is basically what I was in the middle of typing up.
I don't fucking care if he doesn't want to put gays in his advertisements. That could easily hurt sales in his country -- the radio station asking that question was being kind of stupid, because it requires the person answering to come up with a 'probably not' answer that doesn't sound homophobic on the spot.
His response, however, was outwardly and absurdly homophobic. Dude could not have possibly handled it worse. That's what's leaving a bad taste in people's mouths.
Well, that and their shitty budget pasta.
dapperbandit
Banned
Well he said he doesn't think gay couples should be able to adopt children and that he believes it's much harder for same-sex couples to raise children.
Neither of those statements are objectively right or wrong, they are perspectives, but I don't know why he felt the need to summarise his views when he was only asked about the adverts, probably better just to keep it to himself then you don't get a hysterical shit storm in response.
ComputerMKII
Banned
I see nothing homophobic with what he said. Homophobe used to mean 'someone who hates homosexuals', which he does not. Now homophobe just means someone who doesn't comply with the thought police.
CTRL-F homophobia, and look at the posts in which appears. Seems to be more people saying it can't be homophobia, or they are sick of hearing about supposed homophobia than there are people calling this homophobic, as opposed to simply anti gay. Which it is.
Because cultural contexts of words never matter at all, right? It's always the strict definition from Green and Latin roots. That's why there are no idioms in the English language.
If we're really going to get that pedantic: I have no idea how anyone who actually read 1984 could ever make a parallel like that. It's really funny. People just love to twist themes from books with social relevance to mean whatever the fuck they want.
He made his remarks because he has some primitive fear that 'promoting' gay families will "upset" the natural order of reproduction in the classic family, a fear based in ignorance that naturally straight people can turn gay.
A fear, a phobia. Pretty simple, really.
Careful! Disagreeing with him makes you into the thought police, who were known to publicly critique the vacuous statements of others.
What a chilling novel. I'm glad we live in a world with free speech laws which guarantee nothing you say can ever have any consequences whatsoever.
edit: This was meaner than I wanted it to be, so yeah, sorry. Just... it's a little obnoxious when everyone who disagrees with you is suddenly "the thought police" or is "trying to take away your right to free speech." That isn't how that works. Freedom of speech is not freedom of consequence from saying something bigoted or controversial, and it absolutely never will be. Equating a government establishment suppressing controversial ideas to the public deciding not to support a man with beliefs they find detestable is completely illogical.
Putting a dent in the company's revenue is one of the few ways people can discourage the owner's statements. Subsequently, voicing that opinion becomes less acceptable from a business perspective and (hopefully, eventually) a social perspective. It isn't the "thought police". It isn't because people should have "thicker skin". It encourages progress in a more tolerant direction.
Well, clearly this fellow cares about his views... after-all he let all of Italy know about them in a radio talk show.
If not, he could have taken the high road and framed his answer so as not to come across as a bigoted clown.
Macho Madness
Member
Stop being so offended when someone treats you differently, GAWD!
Shanks D Zoro
Banned
I do not see what he said that is so bad. it is his company and he is free to do as he pleases.
How many ads are there on tv currently showing gay relationships???
How many ads are there on tv currently showing gay relationships???
Macho Madness
Member
I am also free to call him a bigoted asshole and no longer buy his products.
And people are free to do as they please in response: refuse to support a company that does not share their views. Freedom of expression does not equate to freedom from consequence.
Shanks D Zoro
Banned
he said he is for gay marriage.
How many marketing companies say to their clients let us use two men and two women to sell this???
He is just saying he will not use a gay family, just like the fast makority of ads dont currently use gay familys.
gutter_trash
Banned
businessmen saying stupid things that hurt their business don't deserve any sympathy.
Barilla is one of my favorite brands of pasta, my girlfriend is banning Barilla from my home because of the dumb comments from the CEO
so yeah, add one more household here to the list who will boycott the product.
It's a damn shame because their pasta are really good. Stupid bosses saying stupid shit
If it were up to me, I would still buy them, but my girlfriend is a defender of gay people so I am stuck with here decision.
Barilla is one of my favorite brands of pasta, my girlfriend is banning Barilla from my home because of the dumb comments from the CEO
so yeah, add one more household here to the list who will boycott the product.
It's a damn shame because their pasta are really good. Stupid bosses saying stupid shit
If it were up to me, I would still buy them, but my girlfriend is a defender of gay people so I am stuck with here decision.
Mystic Theurge
Member
sixteen-bit
Member
Fuck this clown.
cheapest non-generic/house brand is probably barilla
Yup. The other day I bought a bunch of barilla because it was actually on sale and cheaper than the off-brand.
dapperbandit
Banned
If that's what the guy thinks he's entitled to his opinion, however little you like it. What you're describing is a world where companies that employ a lot of people can be freely intimidated with boycotts because someone voiced an opinion that people disagree with.
Threatening people into not saying things you disagree with basically.
That's not how you make a more tolerant world.
Shanks D Zoro
Banned
He might be a dick and wrong, but he is just saying his views. Better than trying to keep it PC.
In some cases, it's not so much about turning a blind eye to certain compies. Not everyone looks up the history of a company and it's CEO before they buy something. Sometimes they just want to buy something, and don't know anything about the company until it hits the news.
Mystic Theurge
Member
Okay. And we're just saying our views. What's the problem?
So it has to be everything or nothing?
To me, boycotting one brand with a bad CEO is better than boycotting no brands with a bad CEO.
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