"One Million Moms" is angry JC Penny is sticking by Ellen, their
spokesperson. Ellen had some choice words for them in return.
The conservative Christian group One Million Moms is angry. Angry like
just-missed-an-awesome-sale angry. Sure, the down-home-sounding
offshoot of the reliably right-wing American Family Association exists
in a perpetual state of twisted knickers. It's whipped itself into a
frenzy of indignation at the not-quite-exclusionary-enough tactics of
Macy's, Levi's, Jenny Craig and Oreos in just the past few months. But
its outrage at JC Penney, the jeans supplier to at least 800,000 of
those million moms, is especially intense of late.
At issue is the group's contention that by hiring Ellen DeGeneres for
a new campaign, the department store is "jumping on the pro-gay
bandwagon" and turning away from "traditional families." The
organization warns darkly that "Unless JC Penney decides to be neutral
in the culture war then their brand transformation will be
unsuccessful." There is so much to love in that sentence alone.
Culture war! Brand transformation! Fearless disregard for the rules of
comma usage after a subordinate clause! "The majority of JC Penney
shoppers will be offended," they continue, "and choose to no longer
shop there."
JC Penney, however, which recently declared that "We share the same
fundamental values as Ellen," has remained unmoved from its perch on
a "pro-gay bandwagon" in the midst of a "culture war." (I hope that
bandwagon is reinforced.) Also unmoved: the woman at the center of the
controversy.
On her daytime talk show Wednesday, DeGeneres cheerfully opened by
talking about Proposition 8 being overturned in California, then
segued into a riff about her partnership with Penney's. "Normally I
try not to pay attention to my haters," she said, "but this time I'd
like to talk about it."
After announcing she was "proud and happy" that JC Penney was sticking
by her side, she explained to America that "Being gay or pro-gay is
not a bandwagon. You don't get a free ride anywhere. There's no music,
and occasionally we'll sing, 'We Are Family,' but that's about it."
And she noted that "For a group that calls itself the Million Moms,
they have only 40,000 members on their [Facebook] page. They're
rounding to the nearest million." It was a witty retort to a campaign
of hate, though frankly, not nearly as hilarious as the Million Moms'
depiction of DeGeneres as an "open homosexual spokesperson."
On her show, DeGeneres read some of the hundreds of supportive
messages that have been posted on the Million Moms' own Facebook page
since their campaign against her launched. DeGeneres has also received
public support from, of all people, Bill O'Reilly, who said on his
program Tuesday that the protest was "a witch hunt and shouldn't
happen." When you're too loathsome for Bill O'Reilly, you've really
outdone yourself, loathsomeness-wise.
One Million Moms describes itself as an organization for people who
are "fed up" and "tired," one that devotes itself, seemingly
exclusively, to complaining "on behalf of our children." On her
program Wednesday, DeGeneres said, "I stand for honesty, equality,
kindness, compassion, treating people the way you want to be treated,
and helping those in need. To me, those are traditional values." Even
the most die-hard shopper knows that values aren't just reasonably
priced furnishings from the Cindy Crawford collection. They're how you
live. And if you're going to be on a bandwagon, who wouldn't choose
the one without all those angry people on it?
More:
http://www.alternet.org/story/154096/ellen_stands_up_to_right-wing_gay_bashing_group_%22one_million_moms%22?akid=8240.263424.1jJQ8p&rd=1&t=18
--
Together, we can change the world, one mind at a time.
Have a great day,
Tommy
--
Together, we can change the world, one mind at a time.
Have a great day,
Tommy
--
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