WOKE

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  • tempo_n_groovetempo_n_groove Posts: 40,355
    "EvErYtHiNg Is ChAnGiNg AnD eVeRyOnE wAnTs To Be ReCoGnIzEd AnD aCcEpTeD aNd I cAn'T hAnDlE iT!!!"
    I know it's in jest but there are people that do feel like that, lol!
    yeah i know. i guess this is why there is always generational conflict between younger people and older people. older people are so set because things have been a certain way their whole life and at some point they just can't adapt. fortunately i am still young enough to at least not be a dick to college and high school kids.
    That's not what this is getting to.  Definitely not a get off my lawn moment.

    There is a Black Mirror episode where the parent can turn off anything that may be upsetting to her child like a dog barking and scaring her or a person screaming.  It reminds me of the "triggers" that people want identified.

    I'm on the side of inclusion but if you keep excluding things then what are we really doing?
    What’s being excluded? Other than confederate civil war statues?
    You didn't read the CNN articles then.  Statues weren't even part of the conversation.
  • Halifax2TheMaxHalifax2TheMax Posts: 39,025
    "EvErYtHiNg Is ChAnGiNg AnD eVeRyOnE wAnTs To Be ReCoGnIzEd AnD aCcEpTeD aNd I cAn'T hAnDlE iT!!!"
    I know it's in jest but there are people that do feel like that, lol!
    yeah i know. i guess this is why there is always generational conflict between younger people and older people. older people are so set because things have been a certain way their whole life and at some point they just can't adapt. fortunately i am still young enough to at least not be a dick to college and high school kids.
    That's not what this is getting to.  Definitely not a get off my lawn moment.

    There is a Black Mirror episode where the parent can turn off anything that may be upsetting to her child like a dog barking and scaring her or a person screaming.  It reminds me of the "triggers" that people want identified.

    I'm on the side of inclusion but if you keep excluding things then what are we really doing?
    What’s being excluded? Other than confederate civil war statues?
    You didn't read the CNN articles then.  Statues weren't even part of the conversation.
    Because we have to listen to white supremacists lecture on the virtues of why their race is superior? Or other similar bullshit? Seriously? Have we not progressed on some of these issues? We need to respectfully listen to someone like POOTWH clamouring on about how the election was stolen, as examples? And were those folks in the examples not allowed to speak?

    I think the author doesn’t have the meaning of woke or wokeness figured out yet. Meanwhile, repub states are banning books and waging war on “others.” You know, real impacts on lives and not just in the realm of ideas or thoughts. Did the Tea Baggers allow candidates to speak at their constituent coffee hours and meet and greets? Let me know when liberals show up enmass armed to state houses while civil debate occurs, will you?

    As per usual, from the article, the responsibility lies with the left. Sorry, go clutch your (general you) pearls somewhere else:

    While the right’s response to woke panic is often to fan the flames, the center-left has a special responsibility to step up when progressive groupthink rears its head.

    ”progressive group think.” GTFO. The other side invented group think. Remember “ditto heads?”
    09/15/1998 & 09/16/1998, Mansfield, MA; 08/29/00 08/30/00, Mansfield, MA; 07/02/03, 07/03/03, Mansfield, MA; 09/28/04, 09/29/04, Boston, MA; 09/22/05, Halifax, NS; 05/24/06, 05/25/06, Boston, MA; 07/22/06, 07/23/06, Gorge, WA; 06/27/2008, Hartford; 06/28/08, 06/30/08, Mansfield; 08/18/2009, O2, London, UK; 10/30/09, 10/31/09, Philadelphia, PA; 05/15/10, Hartford, CT; 05/17/10, Boston, MA; 05/20/10, 05/21/10, NY, NY; 06/22/10, Dublin, IRE; 06/23/10, Northern Ireland; 09/03/11, 09/04/11, Alpine Valley, WI; 09/11/11, 09/12/11, Toronto, Ont; 09/14/11, Ottawa, Ont; 09/15/11, Hamilton, Ont; 07/02/2012, Prague, Czech Republic; 07/04/2012 & 07/05/2012, Berlin, Germany; 07/07/2012, Stockholm, Sweden; 09/30/2012, Missoula, MT; 07/16/2013, London, Ont; 07/19/2013, Chicago, IL; 10/15/2013 & 10/16/2013, Worcester, MA; 10/21/2013 & 10/22/2013, Philadelphia, PA; 10/25/2013, Hartford, CT; 11/29/2013, Portland, OR; 11/30/2013, Spokane, WA; 12/04/2013, Vancouver, BC; 12/06/2013, Seattle, WA; 10/03/2014, St. Louis. MO; 10/22/2014, Denver, CO; 10/26/2015, New York, NY; 04/23/2016, New Orleans, LA; 04/28/2016 & 04/29/2016, Philadelphia, PA; 05/01/2016 & 05/02/2016, New York, NY; 05/08/2016, Ottawa, Ont.; 05/10/2016 & 05/12/2016, Toronto, Ont.; 08/05/2016 & 08/07/2016, Boston, MA; 08/20/2016 & 08/22/2016, Chicago, IL; 07/01/2018, Prague, Czech Republic; 07/03/2018, Krakow, Poland; 07/05/2018, Berlin, Germany; 09/02/2018 & 09/04/2018, Boston, MA; 09/08/2022, Toronto, Ont; 09/11/2022, New York, NY; 09/14/2022, Camden, NJ; 09/02/2023, St. Paul, MN; 05/04/2024 & 05/06/2024, Vancouver, BC; 05/10/2024, Portland, OR;

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  • brianluxbrianlux Posts: 42,033
    "EvErYtHiNg Is ChAnGiNg AnD eVeRyOnE wAnTs To Be ReCoGnIzEd AnD aCcEpTeD aNd I cAn'T hAnDlE iT!!!"
    I know it's in jest but there are people that do feel like that, lol!
    yeah i know. i guess this is why there is always generational conflict between younger people and older people. older people are so set because things have been a certain way their whole life and at some point they just can't adapt. fortunately i am still young enough to at least not be a dick to college and high school kids.
    That's not what this is getting to.  Definitely not a get off my lawn moment.

    There is a Black Mirror episode where the parent can turn off anything that may be upsetting to her child like a dog barking and scaring her or a person screaming.  It reminds me of the "triggers" that people want identified.

    I'm on the side of inclusion but if you keep excluding things then what are we really doing?

    My go-to about all this is really basic:  If someone is doing something that does not negatively affect someone else, it is OK by me.  That doesn't mean I have to like it.  For example, sex change.  Physically altering ones body to change one's sex to me sounds like mutilation and the very idea creeps me out, but only when I think about how I would react to having that done.  I know someone who has done this (gone from male to female) and although I fully admit the idea of that leaves me feeling uncomfortable, I fully respect this person's right to make that change and I still consider that person a good friend.
    As long as we are doing no harm to one another, we could so easily resolve a lot of conflict if we took a more live and let live approach.
    “The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
    Variously credited to Mark Twain or Edward Abbey.













  • brianlux said:
    "EvErYtHiNg Is ChAnGiNg AnD eVeRyOnE wAnTs To Be ReCoGnIzEd AnD aCcEpTeD aNd I cAn'T hAnDlE iT!!!"
    I know it's in jest but there are people that do feel like that, lol!
    yeah i know. i guess this is why there is always generational conflict between younger people and older people. older people are so set because things have been a certain way their whole life and at some point they just can't adapt. fortunately i am still young enough to at least not be a dick to college and high school kids.
    That's not what this is getting to.  Definitely not a get off my lawn moment.

    There is a Black Mirror episode where the parent can turn off anything that may be upsetting to her child like a dog barking and scaring her or a person screaming.  It reminds me of the "triggers" that people want identified.

    I'm on the side of inclusion but if you keep excluding things then what are we really doing?

    My go-to about all this is really basic:  If someone is doing something that does not negatively affect someone else, it is OK by me.  That doesn't mean I have to like it.  For example, sex change.  Physically altering ones body to change one's sex to me sounds like mutilation and the very idea creeps me out, but only when I think about how I would react to having that done.  I know someone who has done this (gone from male to female) and although I fully admit the idea of that leaves me feeling uncomfortable, I fully respect this person's right to make that change and I still consider that person a good friend.
    As long as we are doing no harm to one another, we could so easily resolve a lot of conflict if we took a more live and let live approach.
    that's the crux of it brian. I posted this before, but it's how I view things: liberals just want to live their life. (some) conservatives want you to live their life. 
    new album "Cigarettes" out Spring 2025!

    www.headstonesband.com




  • tempo_n_groovetempo_n_groove Posts: 40,355
    brianlux said:
    "EvErYtHiNg Is ChAnGiNg AnD eVeRyOnE wAnTs To Be ReCoGnIzEd AnD aCcEpTeD aNd I cAn'T hAnDlE iT!!!"
    I know it's in jest but there are people that do feel like that, lol!
    yeah i know. i guess this is why there is always generational conflict between younger people and older people. older people are so set because things have been a certain way their whole life and at some point they just can't adapt. fortunately i am still young enough to at least not be a dick to college and high school kids.
    That's not what this is getting to.  Definitely not a get off my lawn moment.

    There is a Black Mirror episode where the parent can turn off anything that may be upsetting to her child like a dog barking and scaring her or a person screaming.  It reminds me of the "triggers" that people want identified.

    I'm on the side of inclusion but if you keep excluding things then what are we really doing?

    My go-to about all this is really basic:  If someone is doing something that does not negatively affect someone else, it is OK by me.  That doesn't mean I have to like it.  For example, sex change.  Physically altering ones body to change one's sex to me sounds like mutilation and the very idea creeps me out, but only when I think about how I would react to having that done.  I know someone who has done this (gone from male to female) and although I fully admit the idea of that leaves me feeling uncomfortable, I fully respect this person's right to make that change and I still consider that person a good friend.
    As long as we are doing no harm to one another, we could so easily resolve a lot of conflict if we took a more live and let live approach.
    That is what the thing is though.  Someone is always offended by something it seems.

    I recently talked to an old friend who is married and is now a she.  Does it bother me?  Nope.

    Having a difference of opinion and silencing that person does though.
  • i was at a hospital the other day and some OR staff were in a disagreement. one of them is trans and the other person continued to deadname the trans person. i am not a hospital employee so i could not say any thing, but i was disgusted by the pettiness. this is the reason mistakes happen in hospitals. people have petty disagreements and do not communicate.
    "You can tell the greatness of a man by what makes him angry."  - Lincoln

    "Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
  • deadname? what is that, like calling them their old name?
    new album "Cigarettes" out Spring 2025!

    www.headstonesband.com




  • deadname? what is that, like calling them their old name?
    yes
    "You can tell the greatness of a man by what makes him angry."  - Lincoln

    "Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
  • deadname? what is that, like calling them their old name?
    yes
    people do that to be assholes.
    "You can tell the greatness of a man by what makes him angry."  - Lincoln

    "Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
  • brianluxbrianlux Posts: 42,033
    brianlux said:
    "EvErYtHiNg Is ChAnGiNg AnD eVeRyOnE wAnTs To Be ReCoGnIzEd AnD aCcEpTeD aNd I cAn'T hAnDlE iT!!!"
    I know it's in jest but there are people that do feel like that, lol!
    yeah i know. i guess this is why there is always generational conflict between younger people and older people. older people are so set because things have been a certain way their whole life and at some point they just can't adapt. fortunately i am still young enough to at least not be a dick to college and high school kids.
    That's not what this is getting to.  Definitely not a get off my lawn moment.

    There is a Black Mirror episode where the parent can turn off anything that may be upsetting to her child like a dog barking and scaring her or a person screaming.  It reminds me of the "triggers" that people want identified.

    I'm on the side of inclusion but if you keep excluding things then what are we really doing?

    My go-to about all this is really basic:  If someone is doing something that does not negatively affect someone else, it is OK by me.  That doesn't mean I have to like it.  For example, sex change.  Physically altering ones body to change one's sex to me sounds like mutilation and the very idea creeps me out, but only when I think about how I would react to having that done.  I know someone who has done this (gone from male to female) and although I fully admit the idea of that leaves me feeling uncomfortable, I fully respect this person's right to make that change and I still consider that person a good friend.
    As long as we are doing no harm to one another, we could so easily resolve a lot of conflict if we took a more live and let live approach.
    that's the crux of it brian. I posted this before, but it's how I view things: liberals just want to live their life. (some) conservatives want you to live their life. 
    Especially the hard core right.
    brianlux said:
    "EvErYtHiNg Is ChAnGiNg AnD eVeRyOnE wAnTs To Be ReCoGnIzEd AnD aCcEpTeD aNd I cAn'T hAnDlE iT!!!"
    I know it's in jest but there are people that do feel like that, lol!
    yeah i know. i guess this is why there is always generational conflict between younger people and older people. older people are so set because things have been a certain way their whole life and at some point they just can't adapt. fortunately i am still young enough to at least not be a dick to college and high school kids.
    That's not what this is getting to.  Definitely not a get off my lawn moment.

    There is a Black Mirror episode where the parent can turn off anything that may be upsetting to her child like a dog barking and scaring her or a person screaming.  It reminds me of the "triggers" that people want identified.

    I'm on the side of inclusion but if you keep excluding things then what are we really doing?

    My go-to about all this is really basic:  If someone is doing something that does not negatively affect someone else, it is OK by me.  That doesn't mean I have to like it.  For example, sex change.  Physically altering ones body to change one's sex to me sounds like mutilation and the very idea creeps me out, but only when I think about how I would react to having that done.  I know someone who has done this (gone from male to female) and although I fully admit the idea of that leaves me feeling uncomfortable, I fully respect this person's right to make that change and I still consider that person a good friend.
    As long as we are doing no harm to one another, we could so easily resolve a lot of conflict if we took a more live and let live approach.
    That is what the thing is though.  Someone is always offended by something it seems.

    I recently talked to an old friend who is married and is now a she.  Does it bother me?  Nope.

    Having a difference of opinion and silencing that person does though.

    Exactly.
    i was at a hospital the other day and some OR staff were in a disagreement. one of them is trans and the other person continued to deadname the trans person. i am not a hospital employee so i could not say any thing, but i was disgusted by the pettiness. this is the reason mistakes happen in hospitals. people have petty disagreements and do not communicate.

    Yeah, there are things worth standing up for and then there is pettiness.  I was just reading a discussion about handshakes and some people were bitching about how they hate a "wet noodle handshake" like this is something worth getting worked up about (not to mention that a firm handshake can be really painful to someone with arthritis). 
    Petty shit is often like paperwork and bureaucracy- it can really clutter things up and get in the way.
    “The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
    Variously credited to Mark Twain or Edward Abbey.













  • myoung321myoung321 Posts: 2,855
    Question?

    Is is "Woke" to get mad at a Beer Company for a commercial or image on a can? ...  ;)
    "The heart and mind are the true lens of the camera." - Yusuf Karsh
     


  • myoung321 said:
    Question?

    Is is "Woke" to get mad at a Beer Company for a commercial or image on a can? ...  ;)
    depends on the image. i hate mountains so busch beer cans offend me and make me angry.
    "You can tell the greatness of a man by what makes him angry."  - Lincoln

    "Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
  • tempo_n_groovetempo_n_groove Posts: 40,355
    myoung321 said:
    Question?

    Is is "Woke" to get mad at a Beer Company for a commercial or image on a can? ...  ;)
    depends on the image. i hate mountains so busch beer cans offend me and make me angry.
    I'm offended that you're angry.

    BOYCOTT!
  • tempo_n_groovetempo_n_groove Posts: 40,355
    myoung321 said:
    Question?

    Is is "Woke" to get mad at a Beer Company for a commercial or image on a can? ...  ;)
    Other way around I believe.

    Seeing Kid Rock lose it like that doesn't make any sense.  He was never an anti LGBT type...
  • myoung321 said:
    Question?

    Is is "Woke" to get mad at a Beer Company for a commercial or image on a can? ...  ;)
    depends on the image. i hate mountains so busch beer cans offend me and make me angry.
    I'm offended that you're angry.

    BOYCOTT!
    ouch. harrrrrrrsh, haha
    "You can tell the greatness of a man by what makes him angry."  - Lincoln

    "Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
  • myoung321 said:
    Question?

    Is is "Woke" to get mad at a Beer Company for a commercial or image on a can? ...  ;)
    Other way around I believe.

    Seeing Kid Rock lose it like that doesn't make any sense.  He was never an anti LGBT type...
    i think he wanted to prove his alpha male status for a while and shooting bud light cans gave him the opportunity to flex.
    "You can tell the greatness of a man by what makes him angry."  - Lincoln

    "Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
  • myoung321myoung321 Posts: 2,855
    myoung321 said:
    Question?

    Is is "Woke" to get mad at a Beer Company for a commercial or image on a can? ...  ;)
    depends on the image. i hate mountains so busch beer cans offend me and make me angry.
    I'm offended that you're angry.

    BOYCOTT!
    And I’m offended that you’re offended that he’s angry..😂

    Bud Light could put anything they want on the can, still offended by the taste… 
    "The heart and mind are the true lens of the camera." - Yusuf Karsh
     


  • myoung321 said:
    myoung321 said:
    Question?

    Is is "Woke" to get mad at a Beer Company for a commercial or image on a can? ...  ;)
    depends on the image. i hate mountains so busch beer cans offend me and make me angry.
    I'm offended that you're angry.

    BOYCOTT!
    And I’m offended that you’re offended that he’s angry..😂

    Bud Light could put anything they want on the can, still offended by the taste… 
    this whole post offends me now :(


    lol
    "You can tell the greatness of a man by what makes him angry."  - Lincoln

    "Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
  • tempo_n_groovetempo_n_groove Posts: 40,355
    myoung321 said:
    myoung321 said:
    Question?

    Is is "Woke" to get mad at a Beer Company for a commercial or image on a can? ...  ;)
    depends on the image. i hate mountains so busch beer cans offend me and make me angry.
    I'm offended that you're angry.

    BOYCOTT!
    And I’m offended that you’re offended that he’s angry..😂

    Bud Light could put anything they want on the can, still offended by the taste… 
    this whole post offends me now :(


    lol
    Ask the mods to remove it.

    I'll complain it's my 1st amendment right even though it's on a private platform...
     ;) 
  • tempo_n_groovetempo_n_groove Posts: 40,355
    I’ll be posting this on the cancelled thread too. Maybe Kid Rock will shoot these up too?

    it should say White Trash Jill though…
  • tempo_n_groovetempo_n_groove Posts: 40,355
    "Colors?!? I'm triggered."

    HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!  I've never seen this, oh this is great!

    Unifly, hahahahahaha!!!!!
  • new album "Cigarettes" out Spring 2025!

    www.headstonesband.com




  • tempo_n_groovetempo_n_groove Posts: 40,355
    He has a point.  It won't go over well though.  Maybe put him in the "cancelled" thread soon too, lol.
  • that is awesome. the colour "GREB". LOL
    new album "Cigarettes" out Spring 2025!

    www.headstonesband.com




  • brianluxbrianlux Posts: 42,033
    Question for you all:  What is your current feeling about the term "woke"?

    When this term started getting thrown around, my reaction quickly became:
    1)  It is poor English
    2) To me it smacks of arrogance and naivete
    3)   It reminded me of when I was a teenage and thought I had all the answers (don't they all, lol)
    4) It's another reminder of how much I dislike labels

    But now, although you will never (I know, "never day never", BUT...) refer to myself as "woke", I am beginning consider that for young people, it might have its place and be helpful in stemming the tide of ... well, call it what it is, "the asleep".  As much as I'm iffy about the term, I do certainly like this:
     Students protest at New College of Florida

    “The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
    Variously credited to Mark Twain or Edward Abbey.













  • tempo_n_groovetempo_n_groove Posts: 40,355
    brianlux said:
    Question for you all:  What is your current feeling about the term "woke"?

    When this term started getting thrown around, my reaction quickly became:
    1)  It is poor English
    2) To me it smacks of arrogance and naivete
    3)   It reminded me of when I was a teenage and thought I had all the answers (don't they all, lol)
    4) It's another reminder of how much I dislike labels

    But now, although you will never (I know, "never day never", BUT...) refer to myself as "woke", I am beginning consider that for young people, it might have its place and be helpful in stemming the tide of ... well, call it what it is, "the asleep".  As much as I'm iffy about the term, I do certainly like this:
     

    Woke is the new "sheeple".  Everyone is following suit.

    It's good to be informed and not follow.
  • Merkin BallerMerkin Baller Posts: 11,451
    brianlux said:
    Question for you all:  What is your current feeling about the term "woke"?

    When this term started getting thrown around, my reaction quickly became:
    1)  It is poor English
    2) To me it smacks of arrogance and naivete
    3)   It reminded me of when I was a teenage and thought I had all the answers (don't they all, lol)
    4) It's another reminder of how much I dislike labels

    But now, although you will never (I know, "never day never", BUT...) refer to myself as "woke", I am beginning consider that for young people, it might have its place and be helpful in stemming the tide of ... well, call it what it is, "the asleep".  As much as I'm iffy about the term, I do certainly like this:
     

    The original meaning was fine (to be aware of social injustice, particularly along racial lines) but it's been co-opted by the right to mean anything they don't like or disagree with. 

    Imagine thinking awareness of social injustice is a bad thing? 
  • mickeyratmickeyrat Posts: 38,589
    brianlux said:
    Question for you all:  What is your current feeling about the term "woke"?

    When this term started getting thrown around, my reaction quickly became:
    1)  It is poor English
    2) To me it smacks of arrogance and naivete
    3)   It reminded me of when I was a teenage and thought I had all the answers (don't they all, lol)
    4) It's another reminder of how much I dislike labels

    But now, although you will never (I know, "never day never", BUT...) refer to myself as "woke", I am beginning consider that for young people, it might have its place and be helpful in stemming the tide of ... well, call it what it is, "the asleep".  As much as I'm iffy about the term, I do certainly like this:
     Students protest at New College of Florida


    given where and how the term originated, no, I have no problem with it. I think what we are seeing, is what usually happens, something out of the black community at large gets co-opted by folks who look like me. then gets turned against them or otherwise exploited to minimize its value to that community.

    since its become so widely known/used , I have become aware of certain things my experience wouldnt have clued me into. I have found that beneficial to becoming a more whole human being. the root of it is to be open to new information.
    _____________________________________SIGNATURE________________________________________________

    Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
    you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
    memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
    another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
  • Halifax2TheMaxHalifax2TheMax Posts: 39,025
    How’s this for woke, eh?

    Meet PublicSq., the ‘anti-woke’ marketplace backed by Donald Trump Jr.

    The 'Pro-American’ digital marketplace has had a surge of interest as brands like Target and Bud Light have faced boycotts and backlash

    Jim Schneider, co-founder of sunglass brand Zivah, knows his company could probably reach more customers if he sold his products on Amazon, but he isn’t interested. Zivah has found success as an early adopter of PublicSq., an online marketplace that bills itself as an alternative to “woke” corporations espousing liberal values.

    Zivah (a name that comes from the Hebrew word for “light of God”) sells high-end sunglasses with names like “Glisten” and “Dazzle.” Each one bears a scripture on the inside of the temple. “In a world that seems so polarized, you see the world through a different lens,” Zivah’s website reads.

    “Our target consumer really is someone who supports American values, who does not want to support a company that’s gone woke, who does not want to support a company that’s supporting abortions,” Schneider told The Washington Post. (Amazon has joined other large companies in offering to cover employees’ travel expenses for abortion and other non-life-threatening medical treatment if they don’t have access at home.) Since Zivah joined PublicSq. last year, the platform “has definitely become our biggest source of new customers,” Schneider said.

    Zivah and PublicSq. are part of a growing contingent of companies promoting “anti-woke capitalism,” a business model that is gaining traction amid broader cultural battles over abortion, guns, transgender rights and American exceptionalism. As big companies and brands such as Target, North Face and Bud Light have drawn fire from some consumers for celebrating the LGBTQ community, PublicSq. is building a customer base on the other side of the ideological spectrum.

    The platform has swelled to host more than 55,000 small businesses since it launched on July 4, 2022 — with major growth coming in recent months as consumers reacted to Bud Light’s partnership with transgender comedian and activist Dylan Mulvaney and Target’s Pride merchandise. In the last week of May, as tensions around corporate Pride campaigns crescendoed, PublicSq. said it added more than 300,000 users, bringing its customer base to over 1.1 million.

    Americus Reed, professor of marketing at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, said the past decade has seen a profound rise in companies branding themselves as “purpose-driven.” As competition for customers gets tougher, tethering corporate identity to a particular ideology has become a “powerful way” for companies to differentiate themselves and build brand loyalty, Reed said.

    “Anyone who takes a position on something is able to capture more market share,” said Neil Saunders, managing director of analytics company GlobalData, noting that the downside for such companies is they open themselves up to “fire from all sides.”

    PublicSq. recently went public, aiming to catapult its “pro-American marketplace” onto the main stage. The company began trading on the New York Stock Exchange on July 20, under the ticker PSQH. CEO Michael Seifert rang the opening bell at the NYSE to the tune of loud chants of “U-S-A” from the floor.

    Its market capitalization has since grown to around $353 million, according to MarketWatch — less than 1 percent the size of Target.

    PublicSq. faces an uphill battle in its bid to rival giants like Amazon and Walmart, given the dominance of those companies and the fact that most consumers “can’t be bothered to change where they shop,” Saunders said.

    But PublicSq. executives say demand is strong in an era when many consumers have shown a desire to give their money to companies that align with their values. By offering an alternative, the company is a “direct beneficiary” anytime a large corporation alienates conservative consumers, said Omeed Malik, chairman and CEO of Colombier Acquisition Corp., a special purpose acquisition company that took PublicSq. public through a merger.

    “People were hungry for this option,” said Malik, a former managing director of Bank of America Merrill Lynch, who said he believes PublicSq. can be a cornerstone of a “parallel economy” comprising conservative businesses and shoppers.

    PublicSq. isn’t the first company to try to capitalize on consumer appetite for “anti-woke” products. In 2022, Jeremy Boreing, co-founder of the Daily Wire, a conservative news site, started a company that sells shaving products after Harry’s Razors pulled its ads from the site due to “values misalignment.”

    Since then, Jeremy’s Razors has rolled out other products to compete with companies that have faced right-wing backlash. After Hershey faced blowback for including a transgender activist on packaging in Canada as part of a promotion celebrating International Women’s Day, the site began selling chocolate bars. The ones with nuts are called “HeHim” and the ones without are called “SheHer” — available in both regular and “microaggression size.”

    “Stop giving your money to woke corporations that hate you,” Boreing says in an elaborate online commercial. “Give it to me instead.”

    Jeremy’s Razors, Harry’s Razors and Hershey did not respond to requests for comment.

    Felix Starkatcher, a substitute teacher in Tulsa, said he was thrilled when he learned about PublicSq. The 31-year-old military veteran saw it as “a surefire investment,” snapping up a few shares of the company’s stock.

    “They promote all the traditional American values I grew up loving,” Starkatcher said.

    In the past, Starkatcher has shopped at Amazon, Target and Walmart. But he gave up on Target after the company marketed Pride merchandise for kids. He said he’s also had some bad experiences with Amazon lately. All of which made him eager for another option.

    Starkatcher said he’s been telling his friends and family about PublicSq., hoping they’ll change their shopping habits, too. “Them being a proper competitor [to Amazon] that actually follows American values and traditions is a godsend for this country,” he said.

    Businesses that recently joined the platform say they have benefited from a surge in interest. Before PublicSq., Tanner and Bonnie Blain mostly sold their Fit Dog Bakery treats to customers in their local area in Southern Alabama.

    Fit Dog used to get about 60 monthly visitors to its website. After a few months on PublicSq. — during which a growing chorus of conservatives voiced frustration with “woke” values of major corporations — Fit Dog is now averaging 1,500 monthly visitors, and its sales are up 1,000 percent, Tanner said. Knowing that the growth is presumably coming from consumers aligned with the Blains’ Christian values makes the success sweeter.

    “Being around like-minded people, that’s always an amazing thing,” Tanner said.

    To join PublicSq., a company must be a small or medium-size business that affirms the platform’s core values as stated on its website,including belief in “the greatness of this Nation,” that small businesses are “the backbone of the economy,” that the sanctity of the family unit must be protected and that the government “isn’t the source of our rights, so it can’t take them away.” The platform also prioritizes businesses whose products are made in America.

    Seifert has described the platform as being “principled” rather than political, pointing out that the word “Republican” appears nowhere on its website. But the company has drawn support from conservative power-players such as Donald Trump Jr. Former Georgia senator Kelly Loeffler (R) was recently appointed to PublicSq.’s board of directors, and the company recently inked an ad deal with Tucker Carlson’s new Twitter show, according to CNBC.

    In an interview with Breitbart News, Seifert said PublicSq. is against corporations’ diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, as well as their environmental, social and governance goals and policies. “The only way that we are going to topple those corrupt philosophies that are destroying our economy is by shifting consumer spending,” he said.

    After Bud Light laid off roughly 350 employees last week in the wake of the backlash to its partnership with Mulvaney, PublicSq. invited ex-Bud Light employees to submit resumes, saying it would distribute them to its network of “tens of thousands of Pro-America businesses.”

    “We’re sorry that Anheuser-Busch leadership prioritized left-wing ideology over sound business practices,” the letter reads.

    Some vendors on PublicSq. lean into their political views: Patriot Mobile bills itself as “America’s only Christian, conservative wireless provider” and BRAVE Books casts itself as “the antidote to woke culture’s attack on our children.” But others appear to be apolitical, like family-owned chocolatier Fortunato and Carnivore SNAX (which says on its website that it is Joe Rogan’s “favorite snack.”) 

    With their organic ingredients, sustainable manufacturing practices and artisan craftsmanship, Many of PublicSq.’s offerings would fit right in on Etsy. They can also be on the pricey side. 

    Janet Wischnia’s family business, American Blossom Linens, makes bedsheets, blankets and towels entirely in the United States. But that requires the products to sell at a higher price. A classic queen-size set of the brand’s eco-friendly cotton sheets retails for $299; Target’s all-cotton Threshold sheet sets are available in the same size for $55. 

    Wischnia sees her audience as primarily mothers and grandmothers with money to spend on a high-end product, but in the past she’s struggled to reach them. When she learned about PublicSq., she sensed it would be a good fit. 

    So far, the audience is responding well to her products — and she’s enjoyed shopping on the site, too (she recently bought a straw beach hat).

    “I try to live my own life the way I conduct my business,” Wischnia said.

    Although PublicSq. is positioning itself as an alternative to Amazon, some of the businesses involved are open to both platforms. GloriLight, a Christian night light that projects Bible verses on the ceiling, recently joined PublicSq., but also advertises in traditional social media channels like Facebook and Instagram. The company is planning to sell its wares on Amazon soon, too, and estimates that sales through the e-commerce giant will represent about a third of its business, according to CEO Clay Banks.

    Many of the brands on PublicSq. describe themselves as “purpose-driven.” Coffee brand Promised Grounds bills itself as “the only coffee made to serve.” The company built its business by providing high-quality coffee beans for churches and faith-based organizations. Now it’s also selling directly to consumers through PublicSq.

    Orders have grown considerably over the past six months, according to the company’s head of marketing Brian Santa Maria, but he wasn’t able to directly tie that uptick to a rise in anti-woke or anti-corporate sentiment among consumers. Still, the brand has been resonating with PublicSq.’s audience.

    For Santa Maria, who spent years as senior creative director at Best Buy before joining Promised Grounds, the concept behind PublicSq. doesn’t seem all that different from “Vans or PacSun or any companies that serve a specific identity.”

    “That’s how all of us make our purchase decisions, or even life decisions, when it comes down to it,” Santa Maria said. “Whether it’s who we’re dating or who we’re voting for, or what we’re buying in the grocery store, we think with our head but we ultimately make that decision with our emotions.”

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/07/30/public-square-app-anti-woke-shopping-amazon/

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