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[Viewt]

via Chicagoist

President Donald Trump isn't exactly the most popular political figure with much of the Chicago Hispanic community. So when a company whose co-founder publicly supported Trump showed up at Ruido Fest—the city's annual Latin alternative music festival—with a large interactive display of a wall, no less, some attendees were not happy.

Home Depot said the purpose of the wall was to allow festival-goers to try out a special product that supposedly simplifies laying tile, "by letting them decorate their tiles." But given Home Depot co-founder Bernie Marcus' support of Trump, and the president's "build a wall" anti-immigration rhetoric, protesters on Saturday shouted for the display to be taken down. (While Marcus is a co-founder of Home Depot, he retired from his CEO and chairman positions 14 years ago.)

Video from Saturday posted on social media shows protesters shouting, "We don't want it! We don't want it!" A Home Depot rep looks to be supporting the display as it appears to be jostled.

Meanwhile, don't expect to see the controversial display at a festival any time soon. "I don't think we'll tile a wall at these events because we don't want anyone to misunderstand the project," a Home Depot spokesperson added.

Check out the video at the link. The company line is that this is just an unfortunate misunderstanding, but like, it takes two seconds to realize the optics are fucking awful. Who signed off on this?

Okay, I laughed at first but how dumb do you have to be to put this up? Actually seeing it is worse than just hearing about it.

 

[Beartruck]

"Tone deaf" is putting it mildly.

 

[Slayven]

Holy shit, they knew what they were doing

 

[Mammoth Jones]

Home depot..

Jesus christ.

Cmon......

 

[PandaPandaPanda]

since home depot is a publicly traded company, i'm assuming there was someone(or a group of people) who thought this was a good idea/planned the deails. The worst part is that someone or a group of management level people approved the idea

 

[shamanick]

Holy shit, they knew what they were doing

You think that the sales reps for Home Depot were trying to subtly send a message about the Trump wall and seriously damage their brand just for the lulz?

Not everyone thinks about what everyone can be possibly feeling/thinking about every possible interpretation about everything all the time

 

[Saganator]

This is what happens when people are afraid to disagree with a manager in a meeting.

 

[TalonJH]

Okay, I laughed at first but how dumb do you have to be to put this up? Actually seeing it is worse than just hearing about it. How did no one say, "hmmm, I don't know about this guys."

This is a plot device straight from Arrested Development.

THIS SO MUCH!! ROFL

 

[HStallion]

You think that the sales reps for Home Depot were trying to subtly send a message about the Trump wall and seriously damage their brand just for the lulz?

Not everyone thinks about what everyone can be possibly feeling/thinking about every possible interpretation about everything all the time

Yeah maybe Hostess should have a giant oven you can walk into a Jewish celebration. Who thinks about optics at a gigantic company?

 

[Archaix]

You think that the sales reps for Home Depot were trying to subtly send a message about the Trump wall and seriously damage their brand just for the lulz?

Not everyone thinks about what everyone can be possibly feeling/thinking about every possible interpretation about everything all the time

If they're in marketing and didn't think about how this would be received by the audience at the festival, they should be fired for being incompetent.

Also they fucking knew damn well what they were doing.

 

[Raylan Targaryen]

As somone that works at Home Depot this isn't surprising. Someone mentioned optics but this company is shit from top to bottom, with absolute morons in higher positions

 

[Amagon]

This is a plot device straight from Arrested Development.

 

[Flo_Evans]

I thought eh, probably a misunderstanding, but then I looked at the pic of the wall... Jesus.

 

[NOLA_Gaffer]

Okay that's hilarious.

 

[shamanick]

Yeah maybe Hostess should have a giant oven you can walk into a Jewish celebration. Who thinks about optics at a gigantic company?

Yeah, because that's the same thing. Cool Godwin, bro

 

[Akuun]

I didn't know that Home Depot threw in with this lot. The article says the co-founder no longer works there, but it sounds like the current president is still anti-immigrant?

 

[Subv3rsi0n]

This is a plot device straight from Arrested Development.

Exactly what came to mind. This is a comically bad idea.

 

[Mammoth Jones]

You think that the sales reps for Home Depot were trying to subtly send a message about the Trump wall and seriously damage their brand just for the lulz?

Not everyone thinks about what everyone can be possibly feeling/thinking about every possible interpretation about everything all the time

So they're incompetent? Gotcha.

 

[kitchenmotors]

You think that the sales reps for Home Depot were trying to subtly send a message about the Trump wall and seriously damage their brand just for the lulz?

Not everyone thinks about what everyone can be possibly feeling/thinking about every possible interpretation about everything all the time

I hope you’re not in charge of anything that is related PR or marketing.

 

[Viewt]

Okay, I laughed at first but how dumb do you have to be to put this up? Actually seeing it is worse than just hearing about it.

THIS SO MUCH!! ROFL

Good point! Added it to the OP. Thanks!

 

[shamanick]

So they're incompetent? Gotcha.

yes that is what I am saying.

 

[Kodros]

I think it's a bit of a stretch to link the CoFounder to that wall considering he retired 14 years ago. I think it was just a lapse in judgement instead of Home Depot purposely trying to piss off a community.

 

[Socreges]

Have they done these walls at other festivals? Or just this Latino one?

Either way, baffling that they would do this, but I can't imagine it was deliberate.

 

[kadotsu]

 

[LakeEarth]

Oh yeah, they had one of those Home Depot wall displays at the rock festival I went to last month...

Oh wait, no they didn't. They specifically chose a Latin music festival to pull this shit, and were supposed to believe it was an innocent misunderstanding. Fuck off.

 

[geomon]

It's not funny to me and I would light that fucking thing on fire.

 

[BruceCLea]

Fuck Home Depot

 

[shamanick]

I hope you’re not in charge of anything that is related PR or marketing.

I hope you're not in charge of anything that involves critical thinking

 

[PancakeBurglar]

I used to work for Home Depot when I was younger, this is so disappointing to read about. Glad I'm not still working for them.

 

[CarpeDeezNutz]

This just tells me I need to stop shopping there, and go to Lowe's instead.

You think that the sales reps for Home Depot were trying to subtly send a message about the Trump wall and seriously damage their brand just for the lulz?

Not everyone thinks about what everyone can be possibly feeling/thinking about every possible interpretation about everything all the time

At a Latin music festival?

 

[HStallion]

Yeah, because that's the same thing. Cool Godwin, bro

Lol I can make like 30 other hypothetical similar situations that would have been just as dumb and poorly thought out if you like bro

 

[kitchenmotors]

I hope you're not in charge of anything that involves critical thinking

You’re lame, you made a dumb post. Own up to it and take the L.

But going by your responses, you’re the type that won’t.

 

[jstripes]

I hope you're not in charge of anything that involves critical thinking

Well, critical thinking obviously didn't come into play at Home Depot.

 

[HStallion]

I hope you're not in charge of anything that involves critical thinking

Well we got a Home Depot rep here to clear things up for us

 

[Escape Goat]

But given Home Depot co-founder Bernie Marcus' support of Trump, and the president's "build a wall" anti-immigration rhetoric, protesters on Saturday shouted for the display to be taken down. (While Marcus is a co-founder of Home Depot, he retired from his CEO and chairman positions 14 years ago.)

It's important to bring up this guy because he retired 14 years ago. What a poorly written article. Desperately trying to tie two disparate things together.

 

[Gordon Shumway]

LMAO

 

[How About No]

lmao you dense motherfucker Home Depot

 

[zeemumu]

The Gang Goes To A Music Festival

 

[kitchenmotors]

It's important to bring up this guy because he retired 14 years ago. What a poorly written article. Desperately trying to tie two disparate things together.

It doesn’t matter in the big picture, the optics at a fucking Latin festival.

It’s disgraceful and they deserve any backlash they get.

 

[Loudninja]

It doesn’t matter in the big picture, the optics at a fucking Latin festival.

It’s disgraceful and they deserve any backlash they get.

Yep

 

[crisdecuba]

The people saying "they knew what they were doing!" make no sense. This is incompetence.

 

[shamanick]

You’re lame, you made a dumb post. Own up to it and take the L.

But going by your responses, you’re the type that won’t.

Yeah I still think t was just dumb and not malicious

Well, critical thinking obviously didn't come into play at Home Depot.

No shit

 

[Socreges]

You’re lame, you made a dumb post. Own up to it and take the L.

But going by your responses, you’re the type that won’t.

Well, critical thinking obviously didn't come into play at Home Depot.

Well we got a Home Depot rep here to clear things up for us

Why are you guys acting like he's an apologist? He's just explaining why it's more likely that they're incompetent and fucked up, rather than them deliberately trying to troll Latinos.

 

[dbztrk]

YIKES...

 

[sixteen-bit]

This is a plot device straight from Arrested Development.

Stranger than fiction.

 

[crisdecuba]

Why are you guys acting like he's an apologist? He's just explaining why it's more likely that they're incompetent and fucked up, rather than them deliberately trying to troll Latinos.

Exactly. What the hell?

 

[Lowmelody]

Like a rock

 

[Loudninja]

Why are you guys acting like he's an apologist? He's just explaining why it's more likely that they're incompetent and fucked up, rather than them deliberately trying to troll Latinos.

Why is this more likely?

I am done giving the benefit of the doubt on this stuff.

 

[kitchenmotors]

Why are you guys acting like he's an apologist? He's just explaining why it's more likely that they're incompetent and fucked up, rather than them deliberately trying to troll Latinos.

I use to think incompetence played a role in these situations, but people are legit racist and vindictive. Diet racism is a real thing.

 

[Escape Goat]

It doesn’t matter in the big picture, the optics at a fucking Latin festival.

It’s disgraceful and they deserve any backlash they get.

Yes, it does matter how journalists present stories. Just because you might agree with them doesn't excuse bad reporting. That's Fox News job.