The War on Christmas begins with boycotts
Filed under: Shopping
Each year, it seems, the holiday season starts earlier. The decorations, the music, the Black Friday deals. So it makes sense that the finger pointing and accusations that retailers are anti-Christmas starts earlier too.
That first shot was fired by the American Family Association, calling for "a limited two-month boycott of Gap, Old Navy and Banana Republic, the three stores owned by San Francisco-based Gap Inc., over the company's censorship of the word "Christmas."
The War on Christmas is on.
Except as Los Angeles Times columnist Dan Neil points out, the Gap did use the word Christmas in it's ads.
The Gap just didn't use Christmas exclusively. "Go Christmas, go Hanukkah, go Kwanzaa, go solstice. . . . " goes the song.
There's little need to argue semantics or religion here. But does the AFA's campaign and boycott effect shopping habits? Is anyone forgoing a good deal or something they really want because a sales association says,"Happy Holidays" instead of, "Merry Christmas?"
Apparently not. Notes Neil in his column: "If you look at the history of the organization's boycotts -- often involving punitive actions against companies that support gay rights -- you'll see that they have no commercial impact. Actually, these boycotts seem to be good for business: In the decade of the AFA's boycott against Disney, which ended in 2006, the world's largest entertainment conglomerate's revenue roughly doubled to $34 billion."
As fellow Walletpop blogger Sarah Gilbert wrote at Daily Finance in February, sometimes a boycott backfires. Especially if it's being called for by the AFA.
Such was the case when the AFA announced boycott of Pepsi, McDonald's and Ford for these companies support of, or involvement with, gay rights groups. Both Pepsi and McDonald's are doing fine, growing even, in a bad economy. Ford's financial troubles were more likely tied to the collapse of the auto industry than the denial of dollars from AFA supporters. In fact, of all the auto companies, Ford is recovering the quickest, posting a billion dollar profit in the third quarter of 2009.
Does the AFA dictate where you shop?
That first shot was fired by the American Family Association, calling for "a limited two-month boycott of Gap, Old Navy and Banana Republic, the three stores owned by San Francisco-based Gap Inc., over the company's censorship of the word "Christmas."
The War on Christmas is on.
Except as Los Angeles Times columnist Dan Neil points out, the Gap did use the word Christmas in it's ads.
The Gap just didn't use Christmas exclusively. "Go Christmas, go Hanukkah, go Kwanzaa, go solstice. . . . " goes the song.
There's little need to argue semantics or religion here. But does the AFA's campaign and boycott effect shopping habits? Is anyone forgoing a good deal or something they really want because a sales association says,"Happy Holidays" instead of, "Merry Christmas?"
Apparently not. Notes Neil in his column: "If you look at the history of the organization's boycotts -- often involving punitive actions against companies that support gay rights -- you'll see that they have no commercial impact. Actually, these boycotts seem to be good for business: In the decade of the AFA's boycott against Disney, which ended in 2006, the world's largest entertainment conglomerate's revenue roughly doubled to $34 billion."
As fellow Walletpop blogger Sarah Gilbert wrote at Daily Finance in February, sometimes a boycott backfires. Especially if it's being called for by the AFA.
Such was the case when the AFA announced boycott of Pepsi, McDonald's and Ford for these companies support of, or involvement with, gay rights groups. Both Pepsi and McDonald's are doing fine, growing even, in a bad economy. Ford's financial troubles were more likely tied to the collapse of the auto industry than the denial of dollars from AFA supporters. In fact, of all the auto companies, Ford is recovering the quickest, posting a billion dollar profit in the third quarter of 2009.
Does the AFA dictate where you shop?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
11-20-2009 @ 8:02AM
Jayne said...
Just for the record...I am NOT homophobic. I used to work with a lot of gay men and women. They are some of the best coworkers ever. I don't support gay marriage or specific rights for gays or any other group. As a Christian, I will boycott these stores and also Levi's. It will never, ever hurt the companies but it makes a statement to me and my family & friends.
Reply
11-20-2009 @ 2:07PM
Frankling said...
"Christian" organizations like the AFA are one of the harmful elements in American society, focusing on the technicalities of "morality" and "family values", endorsing a naroow and specific form of correct behavior of their own determination, and ignoring the spirit of their supposed faith. Their rigid intolerance for anything deemed bad by their arbitrary standards is un-American and can't be confused with true Christian values.
11-22-2009 @ 9:22PM
Frank said...
What specific rights? You mean the same rights you have to marry? To be an equal? WHY CAN YOU HAVE THOSE AND GAYS CAN'T.
You're one heck of a Christian. Ya know, if you have to keep telling people you're a Christian, but still are a bigot, then honey, YOU AIN'T NO CHRISTIAN...no matter HOW MANY TIMES YOU SAY IT>
11-20-2009 @ 9:42AM
djtonydee said...
jesus is the reason for the season !
Reply
11-20-2009 @ 1:52PM
susan said...
I have never supported AFA's campaigns against gay people and never will; however I always support their campaigns against stores who won't acknowledge Christmas. These stores should also acknowledge Hanukah, and Kwanzaa. If they desire our gift dollars then admit what the gift dollars are for! If a store doesn't mention, for me, Christmas, then they do not get my "Christmas dollars."
Reply
11-20-2009 @ 3:06PM
ROMAN said...
HAPPY HOLIDAYS is just fine, Really now we lie to our children
about santa, the easter bunny. and putup with holloween .
Reply
11-20-2009 @ 7:32PM
RoseAnne said...
from ABC News on Oct. 29, 2007 -- "One of San Francisco's corporate giants is in the hot seat after acknowledging a factory in India was using young children to make its garments. The Gap has fired its subcontractor and none of the products made there will be sold. However, human rights groups say that's not enough." The story, one of many continues : http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/storysection=news/business&id=5732845 . I don't care what words a clerk is told to say to me after a sale; I care a LOT about what a retail company will do to sell a product at a lower price.
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11-21-2009 @ 5:38AM
Sam said...
To author Laura Heller ...
is there any chance at all that even you believe your 'analysis' to be accurate in any way? You like it both ways don't you? If a boycotted company does well, the boycott 'helped' them. If a boycotted company doesn't do well (Ford), it was for some other reason ... not the boycott. Nice balanced rational perspective, Laura. And one more thing ... MERRY CHRISTMAS ...
Reply
12-07-2009 @ 7:53PM
Dan said...
So would AFA rather Gap totally commercialize the word Christmas in all of their ads and in-store displays so they could sell tons of sweaters and jeans? How is that being more Jesus to the world than not using the word Christmas in an ad for financial gain?
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