Social media is exploding today with pledges of Nike boycotts after the shoe manufacturer came out with a Colin Kaepernick ad. I have a feeling that is one boycott that is going to succeed big time.
As I have said before, Kaepernick had the constitutional right to kneel when the National Anthem was played. Others have the right to criticize him for his act. Even more than the kneel, his choice of socks during practice featuring cops as pigs is more telling. That is also what Nike is now endorsing, and I'll be dammed if I buy any of their products.
Even Steven A Smith, sports commentator, pointed out today that Kaepernick has been on Nike's payroll for two years. Why did they wait so long to come out with this market strategy? And he defends Kaepernick.
As for the message on the ad, the world has been filled with people who were willing to sacrifice everything for their bad beliefs, including Hitler, the 9-11 hijackers, ISIS and on and on.
Let's see how long this ad promotion goes on.
I've seen a number of social media posts decrying the racism of people burning their Nikes over this ad... and my reply has been to question whether this is happening, because I've seen no significant coverage. It seemed like anticipatory paranoia to me. Nobody so far has referred me to Fousesquawk, the only source giving credibility to this accusation.
ReplyDeleteI've been cheerfully commenting, like the good socialist that I am, Nike wouldn't have done this unless they thought they'd make more money doing it than not doing it. That's how capitalism works. They are still the company the invented paying pennies a day to Asian workers to make shoes they sell in the USA for over $100 a pair.
Anyway, conservatives can't burn their Nikes unless they already paid for them. Kind of like the clueless students at the first Earth Day in 1970 who BOUGHT a brand new car for the purpose of symbolically burying it. You know, General Motors got its money, and then they bury the car. I think the Black Panthers tried to convince the students to raffle it off to support the free breakfast program instead.