Heinz needz ballz as well as beanz in dealing with homophobic activists


Just when many of us are despairing at our inability to change the ways in which big businesses conduct themselves, along comes the answer: never mind harping on about CO2 emissions, unnecessary packaging, and social responsibility—just grab yourself a modest 202 queer-hating people secretly working together in an unholy alliance, and you’ve got yourself enough people to make a difference, albeit a very negative one.

Heinz has withdrawn a television advertisement showing two men briefly kissing during a short scene that was intended to convey, in a light-hearted and humorous way, the somewhat fanciful notion that you could have yourself the equivalent of a New York deli chef in your kitchen by buying the company’s latest mayonnaise products. Gay rights organisation Stonewall is now urging supporters of equality and fairness for all to boycott Heinz. Quite right, too—and so the tin of Heinz Organic Baked Beans lurking in our own kitchen cupboard will be the last we buy until such time, if ever, that the company shows it has some balls as well as beans.

Read the full article.

Thursday, June 26th, 2008

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