And after putting out that Pablum, Miller still refused to remove its Lite or Genuine Draft logos from adorning the event or the event's promotional Website.
Then the Catholic League noticed that the Miller-funded event would also mock the Last Supper through the "queer nun" group the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, which would also receive funds from the event. On their Website, the nun-mockers promised: "No gastric craving will go unsatisfied, no bag of silver will go unspent, and no sin will go unforgiven. ... Don't be a Judas! Come, eat, drink and be Mary! Be sure to mention The Last Supper With The Sisters when you make your reservation."
When the Catholic League complained to Miller about this, "they were unimpressed," the League reported. The League has now called for a nationwide boycott of Miller beer. (Full disclosure: I am on the Advisory Board of the Catholic League and have endorsed the boycott.)
In turn, Miller announced it was conducting an immediate full-scale audit of its marketing and promotional procedures, which sounds like the company is being responsive, except again there was a dodge. The last line in this message underlined its lack of a moral spine: "It is important to understand that the Folsom Street Fair does not target the general public in its communications. The fair itself and the organization's Website are only intended for the adult alternative lifestyle community."
Translation: We market to Christians in the mass media. We also apply our logo to ads trashing those same Christians in our niche marketing to the "alternative lifestyle community." Anything for a buck.
The Miller Brewing Co. has a "Distributor Agreement," which reads in part, "Distributor shall preserve and enhance the high quality image, reputation and goodwill of Miller and its products through (i) the appearance and attitude of Distributor personnel." What do you suppose would be the corporate response if one of its drivers got into a truck cross-dressed as a Catholic nun? Or strolled into the company lunchroom and proceeded to dump on the table an assortment of X-rated sex toys?
In 2005, a Miller worker in Wisconsin was fired when he was photographed in the newspaper drinking a Budweiser. Now that, that was intolerable. |