One of the iron rules of wokeism that corporations and CEOs have absorbed is this: You never turn your back on the LGBTQ. No matter the backlash, no matter the criticism, if you embrace a transgender influencer or gay advocate or someone similar, you have to stick with them no matter what they throw at you. It's just part of the game now.
So this is really quite incredible, and underscores the success of the Bud Light boycott:
Anheuser-Busch CEO Michel Doukeris addressed the Bud Light controversy on an earnings call with investors Thursday, downplaying the brand's partnership with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney that prompted a boycott from conservatives. ...
"We need to clarify the facts that this was one camp, one influencer, one post and not a campaign," Doukeris said.
Dude is down on his knees like:
So why is he doing this? Why is this guy violating one of the basic principles of woke corporate management in the 21st century? Why would he do such an insanely risky thing?
Well, need I remind you that his company is absolutely and completely hemorrhaging money right now:
Sales are down over 25%. That kind of collapse is just catastrophic, especially for the highly competitive, low-margin beer industry.
Moreover, in this one specific instance, there's little reason for him to try and cozy up to the transgender lobby. Dylan Mulvaney is creepy. He's a weird, obviously unwell dude. He's (hopefully) got people in his life who love and care about him, but the only people with any professional allegiance to him at this point are his doctors and Drew Barrymore. Nobody wants to stand by him.
So yes, Bud Light is running for the hills on this. You can't blame them. And you can pretty well hear the jaw-clenched, grim, joyless resolve in Doukeris's voice:
"We believe we have the experience, the resources and the partners to manage this. And our four-year growth outlook is unchanged," Doukeris said.
