Whoopi Loses Commercial Spot for Bush Bashing

[Yaype]

I think this is just a values issue. Slimfast did not want to associate itself with somebody who was making lewd wisecracks about a highly visible political figure. Where is the First Amendment violation? I am sure that Slimfast did what it thought was best for its sales and for the future of its company.

 

[cegman]

oops didn't read it correctly sorry for my misguided comments

 

[Sanaz]

I think this is just a values issue. Slimfast did not want to associate itself with somebody who was making lewd wisecracks about a highly visible political figure.

And a money issue. They didn't want any boycott. Her selling point is her ability to sell, not her ability to take away sales. I'd be very disturbed if they couldn't get rid of her for something that could negatively affect sales.

 

[cgannon64]

Its not just insulting Bush, wasn't she drunk on stage making jokes about how his last name is also a slang term to female pubic hair?

Woopi Goldberg, comedic genius. She should lose it for being dumb.

 

[Ehecatl Atzin]

Its not just insulting Bush, wasn't she drunk on stage making jokes about how his last name is also a slang term to female pubic hair?

Woopi Goldberg, comedic genius. She should lose it for being dumb.

So since when is insulting bush a crime? or an action that can make you loose your job? the comments she made were said in an event and context completely unrelated to slim-fast yet they felt "compelled" to sever the labour relation with her (a total lack of moral fiber on slim-fast's part, but then again no one said companies are required to have any). I think the issue here does touch on the first amendment because it creates and enviroment where making your own personal opinion of a public figure, indeed public can get you fired. That is censorship, even if bush wasn't, directly, behind it, something I agree with. Public figures get bashed all the time, they are fair game, ask the press, liberal or conservative. You don't see anyone from cbn or (ugh!) fox loosing their jobs for all the slander they throw around or anyone in the nation for dumping on reagan. A free country should be able to tolerate remarks made in public about their public figures, especially if they are in goverment. Just wonder how many people in the public eye will quiet down or tone down their comments for fear of loosing their jobs or being blacklisted? that's censorship, and this kind of censorship is the most dangerous... it's state-aproved. (or are they doing something to stop it?..)

 

[cgannon64]

So since when is insulting bush a crime?

Did I say that?

or an action that can make you loose your job? the comments she made were said in an event and context completely unrelated to slim-fast yet they felt "compelled" to sever the labour relation with her (a total lack of moral fiber on slim-fast's part, but then again no one said companies are required to have any).

Slim-Fast is a corporation. She is their spokesman. As that, she has to represent the company. That means not making stupid, 6th-grade lude jokes about a Presidential candidate. They are entirely within their rights to fire her. If she makes an ass of herself whether its making dumb jokes about the President, going on a cocaine binge, or whatever, they're allowed to fire her.

I think the issue here does touch on the first amendment because it creates and enviroment where making your own personal opinion of a public figure, indeed public can get you fired.

Not true. Would they have fired her if she simply showed up at the protest? No. Is it smart of them to fire her because she made an ass of herself and because Republicans were threatening to boycott them? Yes, image and money-wise.

Public figures get bashed all the time, they are fair game, ask the press, liberal or conservative. You don't see anyone from cbn or (ugh!) fox loosing their jobs for all the slander they throw around or anyone in the nation for dumping on reagan.

Like I said, criticizing is one thing, getting on a stage and saying "Hehehe Bush hehehe that's like what girls have" is completely different.

Just wonder how many people in the public eye will quiet down or tone down their comments for fear of loosing their jobs or being blacklisted? that's censorship, and this kind of censorship is the most dangerous... it's state-aproved. (or are they doing something to stop it?..)

Oh yes, because Whoppi Goldberg will set off a new wave of blacklisting. Did you know she had a show where - get this - a company PAID her to make jokes about Bush? The only thing is, those jokes weren't ******ed or juvenile.

 

[FearlessLeader2]

Meh. The Freedom of Speech says that you must be free to say what you want, not free of every potential consequence of what you say. I grant that there are times when that distinction becomes murky, but this is not one of them.

Whoopi is a public figure, employed for her ability to be a spokeman for the company. If the company determines that public statements she has made negatively affect her ability to perform in that role, then they are well within their rights to terminate her services.

Couldn't have said it better myself. This is a non-issue. Even Whoopi knows that, did you read her press release?

The things people will latch onto in an election year...

 

[NateDawgNY]

@Storealex
Finally! Something you and I agree on!

This is absolutely ludicrous. This administration is acting more and more like a dictatorship every day. Say something bad about Bush, you lose your job or get arrested.

 

[Immortal]

I say we take the Presidency away from Bush. After all we cannot have a President who use his freedom of speach...

SHouldnt the AMERICAN PEOPLE take the presidency away from bush? by the looks of your location you are not an american citizen. Thus, you should have NO say in deciding what the AMERICAN PEOPLE want. Let them make their own decisions.

 

[Sword_Of_Geddon]

Well, Michael Moore has done far more than say something bad about Bush, he's making millions on Bush Bashing..Were is this so called dictatorship? Because I don't see it in coming from the President.

If theres a danger to American Democracy, its the Left-Controled New Media, the Left-Controled Judges, Propagandists like Moore and the Left-Leaning Billionaires like George Soros, not to mention sinister organizations like the Tide Foundation. Another time in history when the media was so-aligned with a political party was Nazi Germany and Soviet Union.

 

[yoshi74]

While i like to bash GW and the right wingers, i don't think this has a lot to do with the first admendment. Its your right to say what you want, but don't expect everyone loves you for it.
Slim Fast is a commercial company who want to make money. Thats why they hired Whoopi to make commericals. But when she does things who upset certain custumers, its their right to drop the deal. They want positive reaction from the people.

The problem is that the republicans are much better to mobilize the powers. A lot of people complained at slimfast against whoopi. I doubt the were some people who called there and said they like it that a company supports a anti-bush person and will now spread their high opinion of slimfast around their friends.
The conservative side is always loud, and very fast. A democratic president who receives some blowjobs from someone else than his wife, and they open a big invenstigation as if he just sold the whole fort knox for a dollar to russia. A movie which attacks GW, and they throw all their power to stop it or at least reduce the number of theaters which show the film.

To any american who is annoyed by this right wing power i just can say this: Push against it. When someone does something which annoyes GW and the right, support them. Call them and say you like that, and that you support it. Say the company you buy some more products now, or the theatre guy that you rally watch the movie.
Counter the right wing whining and less people will care for it.
Its easy, isn't it

 

[h4ppy]

@Storealex
Finally! Something you and I agree on!

This is absolutely ludicrous. This administration is acting more and more like a dictatorship every day. Say something bad about Bush, you lose your job or get arrested.

Read the thread again and realize that the administration had nothing to do with it.

 

[Plexus]

Slimfast has every right to fire Whoopi for making lewd comments about President Bush just as Pepsi had every right to get rid of Ludacris for his poor public image.

From Slimfast's point of view: Would you keep someone around if they were hurting your bottom-line?

 

[thestonesfan]

What happened to Whoopi's eyebrows?

 

[Ehecatl Atzin]

Did I say that?

I never said you did, but by writting "it's not only insulting bush..." you imply that insulting him is in itself something reprehensable but you also sugest that she was drunk at the time, I dunno where you got that, a rumor perhaps or a bit of slander you try to pass of as fact to disqualify her statements, I don't know wich one it is, maybe you would like to tell us where u got it.

Slim-Fast is a corporation. She is their spokesman. As that, she has to represent the company. That means not making stupid, 6th-grade lude jokes about a Presidential candidate. They are entirely within their rights to fire her. If she makes an ass of herself whether its making dumb jokes about the President, going on a cocaine binge, or whatever, they're allowed to fire her.

I never said they were wrong in firing her, I said that action showed very little moral fiber and then I stated corporations are not required to have any, but if I ever need to go on a diet, I know what milkshake I won't buy.
They gave in on the presure of the gop, that's about it. So a few republican fat cats won't shed the extra pounds using their milkshakes.. buuh huuh. The truth of the matter is they (republicans) would not have made such a point of it if she hadn't said it in front of a bunch of democrats in an election year.

Not true. Would they have fired her if she simply showed up at the protest?

No, they would have unlawfuly arrested her, just like those people arrested 4 wearing anti-bush t-shirts in a protest or the hundreds arrested in San Francisco and New York for protesting against the war

Like I said, criticizing is one thing, getting on a stage and saying "Hehehe Bush hehehe that's like what girls have" is completely different.

bush is a public figure and people should learn to accept the fact than there are going to be comments made against him, both personally and profesionally, and he just has to take it like a man. How many jokes were made about clinton and lewinsky? did any republican stand up and say that was wrong? did anyone got saked because those jokes were told? the star report turned something completely personal albeit improper and turned it into a center ring freak show with the gop holding the wip. And yes, the man does have a last name that is also used to describe a part of the female body, big deal, not the first time that joke was told and it won't be the last.

Oh yes, because Whoppi Goldberg will set off a new wave of blacklisting. Did you know she had a show where - get this - a company PAID her to make jokes about Bush? The only thing is, those jokes weren't ******ed or juvenile.

Yes, I did, quite a funny little show, shame they took it off the air. So just because a joke is "******ed and juvenile" people should get fired for telling them? How many ******ed and juvenile remarks has bush said? and I don't see him looking for a job. A comedian can get fired for telling a stupid joke but a president can't get fired for being plain stupid?
It's not just whoopi goldberg, remember tiger woods and his attempts at sheding light into slave labour used by the sports industry, including nike, the shoe giant blatantly told woods to shut up and play, as I recall woods was paid to be a sponsor (much like whoopi) not to keep his political and social views quiet. If that isn't infringing in someone's right to free speach I don't know what is.

 

[Sims2789]

So much for freedom of speech.

Slim-Fast is a private institution, so this is not illegal. However, if the government forced them to drop her, then it would be. I wonder what sexual puns she said?

 

[cgannon64]

I never said you did, but by writting "it's not only insulting bush..." you imply that insulting him is in itself something reprehensable but you also sugest that she was drunk at the time, I dunno where you got that, a rumor perhaps or a bit of slander you try to pass of as fact to disqualify her statements, I don't know wich one it is, maybe you would like to tell us where u got it.

I can see why you thought that, but you're misunderstanding me. I was merely clarifying that she wasn't just insulting Bush, which alot of people make their livings off of, she was doing it in a stupid, irrational, childish way.

And yes, that drunk thing was a rumor, and you're kind of spinning it by calling it slander. Her statements don't need any qualifier to make them sound dumber than they already are.

I never said they were wrong in firing her, I said that action showed very little moral fiber and then I stated corporations are not required to have any, but if I ever need to go on a diet, I know what milkshake I won't buy.
They gave in on the presure of the gop, that's about it. So a few republican fat cats won't shed the extra pounds using their milkshakes.. buuh huuh. The truth of the matter is they (republicans) would not have made such a point of it if she hadn't said it in front of a bunch of democrats in an election year.

Of course they wouldn't have. But threatening to boycott a company is your right, and you threatening to do it gives you as much moral integrity as they have.

No, they would have unlawfuly arrested her, just like those people arrested 4 wearing anti-bush t-shirts in a protest or the hundreds arrested in San Francisco and New York for protesting against the war

Completely different scenerios, although those are cases of some civil rights being stepped on.

Yes, I did, quite a funny little show, shame they took it off the air. So just because a joke is "******ed and juvenile" people should get fired for telling them?

Sure. I'm pretty sure a corporation can fire you for whatever reason they want, aside from race, religion, or gender.

A comedian can get fired for telling a stupid joke but a president can't get fired for being plain stupid?

Wait until November, we'll see if he gets fired.

It's not just whoopi goldberg, remember tiger woods and his attempts at sheding light into slave labour used by the sports industry, including nike, the shoe giant blatantly told woods to shut up and play, as I recall woods was paid to be a sponsor (much like whoopi) not to keep his political and social views quiet. If that isn't infringing in someone's right to free speach I don't know what is.

Also, when a company has boycotts threatened because of their spokesman's actions, that's a damn good reason to fire him. Had no one noticed this Whoopi joke and no one threatened a boycott, then they wouldn't have fired her.

 

[Ehecatl Atzin]

If theres a danger to American Democracy, its the Left-Controled New Media, the Left-Controled Judges, Propagandists like Moore and the Left-Leaning Billionaires like George Soros, not to mention sinister organizations like the Tide Foundation. Another time in history when the media was so-aligned with a political party was Nazi Germany and Soviet Union.

Left-controled new media? Do you mean clear channel? o no, perhaps fox or cnn! What left-controled new media? If anything US media is very much passive and sheep-like when it comes to the bush administration. I have not seen a single news program in US media that even remotely implies itself as left-wing, appart from Bill Moyers' Now, and that isn't even "left-wing" it's an eye-opener. And of course, the republicans and conservatives are all poor and on minimum wage, not one of them is a hefty millionaire nor do they have "sinister" organizations like the world bank and the world trade organization on their side. You're speaking just like Pat Robertson, very much a right wing media giant.

 

[Ehecatl Atzin]

Slim-Fast is a private institution, so this is not illegal. However, if the government forced them to drop her, then it would be. I wonder what sexual puns she said?

Something along the lines of "the only bush I trust is my own" or something of that nature. Old joke. But I can see how some people consider it "juvenile and childlike" considering US comedy is filled with such high-brow-thought provoking humor. And yes that's an "attack on US values" or an "american bashing statement" or however you wish to disqualify it by conceptualizing it in a manner that your view of the world deals with stuff you either can't understand or wish it away, so don't even reply with such a remark, save the bytes.

 

[Ehecatl Atzin]

SHouldnt the AMERICAN PEOPLE take the presidency away from bush? by the looks of your location you are not an american citizen. Thus, you should have NO say in deciding what the AMERICAN PEOPLE want. Let them make their own decisions.

Exactly! just like they let East Timor decide, or Chile, or Guatemala or Haiti... wait, I've had this conversation before...