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Pepsi president likens U.S. to middle finger Food giant now doing damage control in wake of speech to Columbia grads -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Posted: May 20, 2005 1:00 a.m. Eastern By Joe Kovacs © 2005 WorldNetDaily.com Food giant PepsiCo is now fizzing in damage-control mode after the company's president likened the U.S. to a middle finger. The remarks by Indra Nooyi, an India-born woman who also serves as PepsiCo's chief financial officer, came during a speech Sunday to graduates at Columbia Business School in New York, some of whom took offense as an anti-American attack.

The remarks by Indra Nooyi, an India-born woman who also serves as PepsiCo's chief financial officer, came during a speech Sunday to graduates at Columbia Business School. Nooyi then went on to say the five major continents in the world can each be represented by a finger on the hand. She said Africa was the pinkie; She said our thumb is Asia; Europe was compared to the index finger; South America, including Latin America, was likened to the ring finger; She said her analogy "leaves the long, middle finger for North America, and in particular, the United States.

As I sit here drinking a Diet-Pepsi I'm wondering, why should I drink something that tastes this bad after PepsiCo president Indra Nooyi's speech at Columbia. Americans are dying every day bringing freedom to Iraq and Afghanistan, and killing terrorists who target much of the world to which Nooyi thinks we are giving "the finger." Does Diet Coke really taste that much worse than Diet Pepsi? If Donald Sensing, who actually likes the drink, is considering a boycott, so should I.

An e-mailer forwarded the latest from Pepsico: "Thank you again for contacting us about Indra Nooyi's recent commencement speech at Columbia University, which has created a difficult situation. Overriding everything else, please know how sorry we are for disappointing you - and how much we appreciate your input. Feedback such as yours has been shared directly with Indra, and she clearly regrets the reaction that this unfortunate episode has caused. With that in mind, Indra has asked us to share this statement with you: "Following my remarks to the graduating class of Columbia University's Business School in New York City,...

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...

<p>Following my remarks to the graduating class of Columbia University’s Business School in New York City, I have come to realize that my words and examples about America unintentionally depicted our country negatively and hurt people.</p> <p>I appreciate the honest comments that have been shared with me since then, and am deeply sorry for offending anyone. I love America unshakably – without hesitation – and am extremely grateful for the opportunities and support our great nation has always provided me.</p>

We have been inundated with messages responding to our posts on the graduation remarks by PepsiCo president Indra Nooyi at the Columbia Business School MBA recognition ceremony of this past Sunday. Many readers (approximately a third) have written to comment that, unlike our rapporteur -- graduating Columbia MBA Wes Martin -- they did not find Ms. Nooyi's remarks objectionable. I am grateful that PepsiCo posted the remarks today (together with the accompanying statement) and that we can all determine the issue for ourselves based on "the ocular proof." The Harvard-Yale game this year was played in Cambridge. Consistent with some...

This morning we carried the report of newly-minted Columbia MBA Wes Martin on the speech given by PepsiCo president and chief financial office Indra Nooyi at the MBA recognition ceremony this past Sunday. Here is the statement that PepsiCo Director of External Relations Elaine Palmer forwarded to us in response: Thank you for checking with us on Indra Nooyi's speech at Columbia. We saw the item on your blog and are shocked to see that you took Ms. Nooyi's comments to be anything but pro-American and supportive of the United States and its role as a global leader. The characterization...

Pepsico has now released a copy of the speech from the Columbia Business School greaduation. (This is the speech by their president, Indra Nooyi, which some have claimed to be straongly anti-American.)http://www.pepsico.com/Speech-ColumbiaBusinessSchool.pdfFor those of you who haven't been following this in the last few days, the good folks at Powerline have been all over it.

A message from PepsiCo’s President & CFO, Indra Nooyi I recently had the privilege of speaking to the 2005 graduating class of Columbia University’s Business School in New York City. Recognizing that these talented new leaders will influence both America and the world, I tried to provide some advice as they embark on their careers. I chose to speak about the powerful role that America, and we as Americans, hold in the world today. I hoped to encourage these graduates to be sure they make a positive and personal difference as representatives of our great country. In my comments, I...