Recently, the popular clothing company Forever 21 came under fire for releasing a shirt with the words: “The question isn’t who is going to let me, it’s who is going to stop me.” The criticism became so powerful that the product was pulled within days.
What could possibly be harmful about that quote? One could easily picture it coming from Muhammad Ali or your local Congressman. It would be a non-issue except that the quotation in question can be traced back to Ayn Rand, archenemy of the liberal masses.
Once in a while, a company will produce something legitimately distasteful, and it deserves to be rejected in the market. However, liberals often go to great lengths to find ‘causes’ to support – including products to slam. This is hardly the first time the American people have seen this scenario – it seems there is something about conservatism mixing with good old capitalistic merchandise that really rubs liberals the wrong way. Here are 4 examples:
1. Lululemon - Ayn Rand Quote
Rand seems to be a popular one. This product earned Lululemon harsh criticism from the liberal media and a consumer boycott.
2. University of Tennessee - Mocking Obama
UT sold a tin of mints mocking President Obama and called them “DisappointMINTS.” What can only be described as a fun and hilarious product was abruptly pulled from the school for being offensive.
3. Forever 21 - "Christian Propaganda"
Poor Forever 21 can’t seem to catch a break. Even though the company has a long Christian tradition, shirts printed with words like “God,” “Love,” and “Jesus [Loves] Me” inspired outrage and were characterized as “Christian propaganda.”
4. The New Yorker - Too Many Men
According to the activist who spearheaded public condemnation of The New Yorker: if you own a publication, you should run pieces on the basis of affirmative action or you might just earn yourself a boycott. This liberal woman was offended by the man-to-woman ratio in an issue, so she led a massive effort to boycott the periodical wholesale.
What’s next, boycotting entire communities supporting a political party? Oh, wait.