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Before you boycott Pepsi
tatter and ashes ^ | 5-19-05 | Sharpink

Posted on 05/19/2005 7:56:58 PM PDT by sharpink

In the meantime Hugh Hewitt and his audience (of which I am a loyal part) launched a boycott of PepsiCo. Through Hugh and the Blogs, enough pressure was put on Pepsi that Nooyi issued two apologies, both of which Hugh declared insufficient and unacceptable.

I urge you to read the statement in its entirety and complete context. When you read this put it in its proper context. Is it really deserving of outrage and a boycott? In my opinion the statements don’t stack up against those of Ward Churchill, Eason Jordon or almost any statement made by New York Senator Chuck Schumer. Use a little perspective and a little common sense in your appraisal.

(Excerpt) Read more at tattersandashes.typepad.com ...


TOPICS: Computers/Internet; Politics
KEYWORDS: bootnooyi; indranooyi; pepsico
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Conservatives like author of Blog and shockjock Hugh Hewitt are behaving like a kids who has just been given a hammer. Now Hugh and many conservatives are eagerly hunting for nails. Bloggers and talk radio have become emerging power in American media, largely with Hugh’s promotion and leadership. Since conservatives have gotten this great new toy they’ve hit some pretty big nails. Bloggers have pounded Trent Lott, Dan Rather, Eason Jordan and even now Newsweek is squirming under the blows of the blogs. In most of these case well deserved blows, but what about Indra Nooyi President and CFO of PepsiCo.

Is she deserving of a pounding? Speaking before the Columbia Business School Nooyi made remarks describing the five major continents as the five fingers of a hand with North America and more specifically the United States as the middle finger. Outrageous? I thought so until I actually heard Hugh Hewitt read the remarks. I kept waiting for the really bad parts about America, but they never came. I listened to Hugh read the speech again, still no outrage. I even went to the net and read the entire speech again and nothing.

In the meantime Hugh Hewitt and his audience (of which I am a loyal part) launched a boycott of PepsiCo. Through Hugh and the Blogs, enough pressure was put on Pepsi that Nooyi issued two apologies, both of which Hugh declared insufficient and unacceptable.

I urge you to read the statement in its entirety and complete context. When you read this put it in its proper context. Is it really deserving of outrage and a boycott? In my opinion the statements don’t stack up against those of Ward Churchill, Eason Jordon or almost any statement made by New York Senator Chuck Schumer. Use a little perspective and a little common sense in your appraisal.

Hugh has a great show and tends to be one of the most clear-headed and reasonable voices on talk radio. Hugh is a pioneer in the use of talk radio and blogs as an innovative medium of information and influence. But this is one of the few cases where he has gone off the deep end. With Nooyi he is using his medium in a wildly irresponsible manner lashing out Pepsi and its subsidiaries.

His rhetoric and boycott has more the flavor of the humorless intolerance I’ve come to expect from the left not the center left. The true motive for his boycotts seems to be more of a snit about Nooyi’s and her spokespeople’s refusal to come on his show than one of principle. During the show I kept getting a crawly feeling on the back of my neck that this was more of a Jesse Jackson Rainbow Coalition shakedown than a Conservative grassroots effort.

1 posted on 05/19/2005 7:56:58 PM PDT by sharpink
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To: sharpink

Never liked Pepsi anyway....


2 posted on 05/19/2005 8:06:53 PM PDT by rockrr (Revote or Revolt! It's up to you Washington!)
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To: sharpink
I'm not a boycotter, but I did read the statement in its context, and indeed it was as Hewitt described it.

People can say whatever they want. But they don't get to say "Now don't take them seriously."

Curious how at first Pepsi didn't want to post the actual text for fear it would be "taken out of context". You're seriously in denial if you buy that "middle finger is the base" baloney. (That would be the thumb in this stupid analogy.)

3 posted on 05/19/2005 8:08:42 PM PDT by Darkwolf (aka Darkwolf377 lurker since'01, member since 4/'04--stop clogging me with pings!)
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To: sharpink



The whole boycott thing is stupid and petty.


4 posted on 05/19/2005 8:08:50 PM PDT by SouthernFreebird
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To: sharpink
Pepsi needs to be pounded even further. Nooyi's non-apology apology offended me even further than her sophmoric humor.

The fact that you try to label Hugh Hewitt a shockjock either demonstrates your ignorance or some unstated prejudice.

What is your relationship to Nooyi?

5 posted on 05/19/2005 8:13:25 PM PDT by FreedomSurge
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To: Darkwolf

The statement came off to me as someone who is oriented center left, not some nutjob.


6 posted on 05/19/2005 8:13:58 PM PDT by sharpink (righting wrongs real or imagined)
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To: FreedomSurge
I'm a fan of Hugh's. About a year ago NPR described Hugh at a Arnold for Governor rally as a Shock Jock. I think he even had t-shirts made.
7 posted on 05/19/2005 8:15:54 PM PDT by sharpink (righting wrongs real or imagined)
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To: rockrr

i go for diet coke over pepsi
but darn i sure do like pepsico's
taco bell and kentucky fried chicken


8 posted on 05/19/2005 8:25:52 PM PDT by 537cant be wrong (vampires stole my lunch money but left me with my bus pass. damn!)
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To: 537cant be wrong
but darn i sure do like pepsico's taco bell and kentucky fried chicken

Those aren't part of Pepsi. They were spun off to Yum Brands.

9 posted on 05/19/2005 8:39:14 PM PDT by murdoog (Note to self: change tagline after this posting)
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To: sharpink

Six of one....


10 posted on 05/19/2005 8:45:21 PM PDT by Darkwolf (aka Darkwolf377 lurker since'01, member since 4/'04--stop clogging me with pings!)
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To: murdoog

oh good, then i can keep porking out at those two places.
thanks


11 posted on 05/19/2005 8:47:21 PM PDT by 537cant be wrong (vampires stole my lunch money but left me with my bus pass. damn!)
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To: 537cant be wrong
taco bell

Taco Bell is being boycotted by the liberals of the Presbyterian Church USA. (Also on their list - Caterpillar and Israel).

12 posted on 05/19/2005 9:23:38 PM PDT by PAR35
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To: sharpink

The environazi's have been boycotting Pepsi for years. A 'Boycott Pepsi' booth is almost a fixture on campuses.


13 posted on 05/19/2005 9:28:33 PM PDT by elli1
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To: elli1

what's their beef with pepsi?


14 posted on 05/20/2005 3:43:16 AM PDT by sharpink (righting wrongs real or imagined)
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To: sharpink
Communists Boycott of Pepsi (Coke, et al) because the companies are imperialist Link

Anti-war Activists Pepsi, et al, boycott & protests Link

Greenpeace boycott of Coke, Pepsi-the sludge is deadly Link

Free Burma activists boycott Pepsi because Pepsi has (had) a bottling plant in Burma Link

Boycott Pepsi cuz it comes in Plastic Link

'Primate protection organizations' Boycott Pepsi cuz Pepsi used a chimp in a TV ad Link

Boycott Pepsi cuz Bush didn't sign Kyoto Link

15 posted on 05/20/2005 6:37:20 AM PDT by elli1
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To: elli1

Boycott Pepsi because it tastes bad


16 posted on 05/20/2005 6:39:03 AM PDT by Puddleglum (Thank God the Boston blowhard lost)
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To: Puddleglum

My philosophy is to avoid attachment and to drink whatever brand is on sale. Mostly, I drink tap water because it's cheap and I'm fortunate to have really good tasting tap water.


17 posted on 05/20/2005 1:15:42 PM PDT by elli1
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To: sharpink
I just read through the speech, and I have to say I agree that a boycott in this case is making a mountain out of a molehill. Ms. Nooyi appears to recognize the importance of the US in the global business scheme of things, but also points out that there are still people in business who travel abroad and further the stereotype of the "Ugly American". It's practical advice, really - if you want to do business worldwide successfully, you have to be something of a diplomat.

Does this warrant a boycott? Not IMHO.

18 posted on 05/20/2005 1:34:10 PM PDT by dbwz (2A Sister)
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To: PAR35

i know why they are boycotting caterpiller
but why taco bell.

BTW what ever reason i'm sure it will make me go there more often.


19 posted on 05/20/2005 1:42:06 PM PDT by 537cant be wrong (vampires stole my lunch money but left me with my bus pass. damn!)
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To: 537cant be wrong

The initial demand was for the folks from whom Taco Bell buys tomatoes to pay the pickers 1 cent more per pound. The United Methodists, fellow travelers at the WCC and NCC also joined the boycott. Perhaps liberals can still eat there if they say 'hold the tomatoes' when they order.


20 posted on 05/20/2005 3:09:52 PM PDT by PAR35
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