Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson announced Saturday the launch of a news subscription-based site, <a href="https://tuckercarlson.com/">TuckerCarlson.com</a>, where subscribers can gain access to exclusive content.
&#8220;Hey, it&#8217;s Tucker Carlson. We&#8217;ve been out of work for 7 or 8 months now, hard to know. Time flies when you&#8217;re unemployed, but actually we have been working in secret and producing an awful lot of material for months now, interviews, etc. And all of it has found its way to TuckerCarlson.com,&#8221; Carlson said in a video posted Saturday on X, along with a link to the website.
He also teased that the new site was just a part of a bigger venture, adding, &#8220;We&#8217;re launching a brand new thing very soon, and we&#8217;d love for you to see it. So go to TuckerCarlson.com to see it first.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Join us. <a href="https://t.co/sLkXnGKCFd">https://t.co/sLkXnGKCFd</a> <a href="https://t.co/G8Fv2VVAlo">pic.twitter.com/G8Fv2VVAlo</a>
— Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) <a href="https://twitter.com/TuckerCarlson/status/1733506742846185483?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 9, 2023</a></blockquote>
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The main page of the site prompts the visitor to &#8220;Join Team Tucker&#8221; by creating an account and becoming a &#8220;Founding Member.&#8221;
Carlson, whose program &#8220;Tucker Carlson Tonight&#8221; was the highest rated show on the network, was fired from Fox News back in April.
“FOX News Media and Tucker Carlson have agreed to part ways,” Fox News <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/fox-replaces-tucker-with-jesse-watters">said</a> in a statement announcing Carlson’s exit on April 24. “We thank him for his service to the network as a host and prior to that as a contributor. Mr. Carlson’s last program was Friday April 21st. Fox News Tonight will air live at 8 PM/ET starting this evening as an interim show helmed by rotating FOX News personalities until a new host is named.”
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Since his departure from Fox News, Carlson has posted a series of monologues and interviews on X. Some prominent guests who have been featured on Carlson&#8217;s X series include former President Donald Trump, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton,  Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), and Daily Wire host Candace Owens.
The series premiered on June 6, and 46 episodes have been released as of December 7.

Tucker Carlson

Tucker Carlson Announces New Subscription-Based Site

Fox News

Media

U.S.

If you&#8217;re a frequent user of social media platforms such as X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and especially TikTok, you may have recently stumbled across videos or posts featuring a younger couple extolling the supposed virtues of remaining childless, including extra free time, more money, and lower stress levels.
The men and women in these videos invariably gush about how much better their lives are without children, and many pointedly replace a would-be child with a dog or cat, professing that they are much easier and more enjoyable than a child. These videos often depict relatively normal, day-to-day activities like making breakfast or taking a trip to the grocery store as well as extravagant shopping sprees and exotic vacations.
Welcome to the emerging &#8220;dual income, no kids&#8221; (otherwise known by the acronym DINK) trend.
DINKs are often couples in their late 20s to mid-30s who have made the choice to not have children in order to afford a more luxurious lifestyle and, so they say, have more freedom to pursue their own personal goals. Videos of these couples have racked up tens of millions of views and, perhaps more disturbingly, millions of likes online.
Here&#8217;s a common example:
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There are going to be a lot of “DINKs” in the future in their 50s to 80s that are going to be regretting this strategy.
🔊
 <a href="https://t.co/BZU2xNQrmZ">pic.twitter.com/BZU2xNQrmZ</a>
&mdash; Wall Street Silver (@WallStreetSilv) <a href="https://twitter.com/WallStreetSilv/status/1731837048271544810?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 5, 2023</a></blockquote>
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And another:
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If I had to bet, 50-65% of DINKs (dual income no kids), who are their age (guessing late 20s/early 30s), change their minds. Much of DINKism is a rationalization of legit concerns about the expense of raising kids. As finances improve, opinions change.<a href="https://t.co/dff5SI08BQ">pic.twitter.com/dff5SI08BQ</a>
&mdash; Steve Faktor (@ideafaktory) <a href="https://twitter.com/ideafaktory/status/1731761091871469998?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 4, 2023</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;
The first video has <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@johnefinance/video/7308504806971149611?lang=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">racked</a> up 2 million views and over 220,000 likes on TikTok within days of being posted, while the second has garnered nearly 4 million views and 225,000 likes.
Though couples throughout history have chosen to not have children for a variety of reasons, it has only become a mainstream trend in the last few years. Radical feminists have argued for decades that childbearing impedes a woman&#8217;s ability to have a career or otherwise achieve self-fulfillment. Pre-pandemic, &#8220;childless by choice&#8221; rhetoric <a href="https://dailycaller.com/2019/08/26/groups-want-to-save-life-on-earth-except-humans/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">became popular</a> among radical environmentalist groups, who argued that increasing the human population will further harm the environment and that children should not be brought into a world on the brink of a climate catastrophe.
Recent polls <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/meet-typical-dink-double-income-no-kid-net-worth-retirement-2023-11#they-have-a-net-worth-of-250-600-and-are-making-six-figures-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">have found</a> that even more people are choosing to not have children. <a href="https://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/publications/2021/demo/p70-173.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">According to</a> the U.S. Census Bureau, 16.5% of people over the age of 55 were childless in 2018. In that same year, around one in seven women in the country between 40 and 44 were childless, up from one in ten in 1976.
A Pew survey <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2021/11/19/growing-share-of-childless-adults-in-u-s-dont-expect-to-ever-have-children/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">conducted</a> in October 2021 found that 44% of childless people younger than 50 said they are not likely to have children during their lives. That was an increase from 37% in 2018. A majority, 56%, of those who responded that they were unlikely to have children said that they didn&#8217;t want children &#8220;because they just don&#8217;t want to,&#8221; while 43% said they had a specific reason, including financial and medical considerations, for remaining childless.
Recent DINK videos seem to focus on the prospect of greater self-fulfillment as well as the greater economic freedom offered by remaining childless — likely due to ongoing inflation, rising home prices, stagnant wages, and the federal government&#8217;s monetary policies.
The median net worth of a couple without children was nearly $400,000 in 2022, <a href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/econres/scf/dataviz/scf/chart/#series:Net_Worth;demographic:famstruct;population:1,2,3,4,5;units:median" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to</a> data from a survey of consumer finances by the Federal Reserve. That median net worth is almost $150,000 higher than that of couples with children. Couples without children also have significantly more money saved for retirement than couples with children, the survey <a href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/econres/scf/dataviz/scf/chart/#series:Retirement_Accounts;demographic:famstruct;population:1,2,3,4,5;units:median;range:1989,2022" target="_blank" rel="noopener">showed</a>.
The DINK trend is beginning to take off just as concerns about global fertility rates are also increasing. X CEO Elon Musk has been especially vocal about the declining fertility rate, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-wrong-about-fertility-rates-global-warming-demographers-say-2022-9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">warning</a> in 2022 that &#8220;population collapse&#8221; as a result of a plummeting birth rate is more dangerous to humanity than climate change.
Musk even responded to one of the recent viral DINK videos with an X post that said, &#8220;There is an awful morality to those who deliberately have no kids: they are effectively demanding that other people’s kids take care of them in their old age. That’s messed up.&#8221;
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There is an awful morality to those who deliberately have no kids: they are effectively demanding that other people’s kids take care of them in their old age. That’s messed up.
&mdash; Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1731879872354451848?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 5, 2023</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;
The current total fertility rate (the average number of children a woman will have in her lifetime) in the U.S. is 1.64 births per woman. The replacement level fertility rate for a society is 2.1 births per woman. Much of the United States&#8217; population growth in recent years has been due to immigration as well as the fact that immigrants tend to have a higher fertility rate
The Census Bureau <a href="https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2023/population-projections.html#:~:text=Though%20largely%20illustrative%2C%20the%20zero,lower%20than%20the%202022%20estimate." target="_blank" rel="noopener">estimates</a> that if the United States had no new immigration and only relied on domestic births for population growth, the total population of the country would decline from an estimated 333 million people in 2022 to only 226 million in 2100. Only in the medium and high immigration scenarios examined by the Census Bureau is the U.S. population projected to grow by 2100.
The population of the United States is also estimated to become significantly older because of declining birth rates. Whereas around 22% of the population <a href="https://www.childstats.gov/americaschildren/tables/pop2.asp" target="_blank" rel="noopener">was under</a> 18 in 2022, it is expected to decline to 16.4% by 2100, with almost one-third of the entire population older than 65.
The most popular DINK videos appear to originate from TikTok, and that might provide a clue into why they seem to capture such a gigantic audience. Besides the fact that TikTok is a wildly popular app, <a href="https://newsroom.tiktok.com/en-us/150-m-us-users" target="_blank" rel="noopener">boasting around</a> 150 million users in the U.S. alone as of March 2023, the company has been accused of promoting harmful content in the past.
Since its initial rise in popularity, TikTok has become a haven for radical gender and race ideology, as extensively <a href="https://twitter.com/libsoftiktok" target="_blank" rel="noopener">documented</a> by the popular X account &#8220;Libs of TikTok.&#8221; In fact, by the end of 2021, videos on the app related to transgender ideology alone had <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tiktok-videos-about-transgenderism-boast-26-billion-views?inf_contact_key=31f949520481662aaa67eb7ce40b03b04dfbc39d7283b2cb89d5189540b69330" target="_blank" rel="noopener">racked up</a> a combined 26 billion views. One study from late 2022 found that the app promoted self-harm and eating disorder-related content to users, <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/tiktok-pushes-potentially-harmful-content-to-users-as-often-as-every-39-seconds-study/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to CBS News.
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More recently, Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/democrat-senator-murphy-advocates-cracking-down-on-tiktok-full-of-virulent-pro-hamas-material" target="_blank" rel="noopener">advocated</a> cracking down on TikTok because it allegedly promoted pro-Hamas content in the wake of the terrorist organization&#8217;s attack on Israel on October 7, which resulted in the deaths of 1,200 Israelis.
The &#8220;dual income, no kids&#8221; trend may just be a fad borne from social media algorithms and economic pressures related to the COVID-19 pandemic, but unlike many other fleeting online trends, it has the potential to cause significant long-term harm to the country as birth rates continue to fall and the population continues to age. It remains to be seen what consequences DINKs will reap in exchange for the supposedly more carefree, luxurious lifestyle they&#8217;ve sown.

I’ll piggyback you the rest of my life

Are You A DINK? How The Latest Childless Trend Is Taking Over Social Media

Elon Musk

Gen Z

Readers Pass

Social Issues

TikTok

Twitter

The executives at the Walt Disney Company almost certainly hoped that its newest animated film, &#8220;Wish,&#8221; would represent a culmination of 100 years of pop culture ascendancy — a hit on the level of &#8220;Beauty and the Beast&#8221; or &#8220;The Little Mermaid.&#8221;
The movie&#8217;s style, story, and songs all deliberately <a href="https://variety.com/2023/artisans/news/wish-disney-references-snow-white-fairy-godmother-1235789256/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pay homage</a> to those great classics of yesteryear in an attempt to garner as much nostalgic goodwill as possible for the company&#8217;s centennial.
Instead, it seems more likely that &#8220;Wish&#8221; will capstone another year of box office disappointments for the House of Mouse.
In the past, the Thanksgiving holiday weekend has been a great success for Disney. &#8220;Frozen&#8221; was released on November 22, 2013, took in $67 million during opening weekend, and eventually grossed over $1.2 billion at the box office. Its sequel, &#8220;Frozen II,&#8221; was released on the same day in 2019, achieved a whopping $130 million opening weekend and $1.4 billion overall, becoming the second highest-grossing animated film of all time (after Disney&#8217;s own &#8220;live action&#8221; remake of &#8220;The Lion King&#8221;).
In contrast, &#8220;Wish&#8221; was projected to pull in a lower but still respectable $45-$50 million from November 22-26, but only ended up with an anemic $31.6 million, <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/box-office-wish-thanksgiving-1235683915/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to The Hollywood Reporter. 2021&#8217;s &#8220;Encanto,&#8221; which was heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and overall underperformed at the box office, still managed to take in roughly $40 million in its debut.
<div id="attachment_661963" style="width: 926px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-661963" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-661963" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/12/GettyImages-1804707763-916x576.jpg" alt="LONDON, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 20: Julia Michaels, Ariana DeBose and Rochelle Humes attend the &quot;Wish&quot; UK Premiere at Odeon Luxe Leicester Square on November 20, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Mike Marsland/WireImage)" width="916" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/12/GettyImages-1804707763-916x576.jpg 916w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/12/GettyImages-1804707763-300x189.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/12/GettyImages-1804707763-768x483.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/12/GettyImages-1804707763.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 916px) 100vw, 916px" />Mike Marsland/WireImage</div>
&#8220;Wish&#8221; was beaten handily by &#8220;The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes,&#8221; the 5th entry in a franchise whose last installment debuted nearly a decade ago. That movie took in over $42 million over the holiday weekend. And it was even edged out at the box office by Ridley Scott&#8217;s &#8220;Napoleon,&#8221; a nearly 3-hour behemoth that has received only <a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/napoleon_2023" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lukewarm reviews</a> from both audiences and critics.
ScreenRant <a href="https://screenrant.com/wish-movie-box-office-second-weekend-disney-comparison/#:~:text=Summary,a%2064%25%20drop%2C%20worse%20than" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that the film&#8217;s second weekend will be an even bigger disaster, with only $7 million at the box office, making &#8220;Wish&#8221; an almost guaranteed flop.
Another animated film released in 2023 under the Disney umbrella, Pixar&#8217;s &#8220;Elemental,&#8221; initially lagged at the box office, garnering only $27 million during its opening weekend in June. Eventually, the movie barely managed to break even, making $495 million worldwide on a $200 million budget, but still well behind pre-pandemic Pixar releases. It should be noted that a film generally needs to make 2.5x its budget to be considered profitable. This is a massive problem for &#8220;Wish,&#8221; which also had a budget of around $200 million and a worse opening weekend than &#8220;Elemental.&#8221;
Disney&#8217;s last animated November release, 2022&#8217;s &#8220;Strange World,&#8221; only took in a dismal $18 million during its opening weekend and barely made half of its reported budget ($135-$180 million).
Disney&#8217;s live action movies have fared <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/carolinereid/2023/08/04/the-four-flops-of-2023-that-cost-disney-1-billion/?sh=3d62d5da3bed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">even worse</a> in 2023. &#8220;Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania,&#8221; &#8220;Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,&#8221; &#8220;Haunted Mansion,&#8221; &#8220;The Marvels,&#8221; and the live action remake of &#8220;The Little Mermaid&#8221; cost over a billion dollars to make (that doesn&#8217;t include post-production and advertising costs), and all of them <a href="https://twitter.com/PAHAU6/status/1729451668276723796" target="_blank" rel="noopener">flopped hard</a>.
<div id="attachment_661975" style="width: 922px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-661975" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-661975" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/12/GettyImages-1255071524-912x576.jpg" alt="LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 15: (L to R) Jonah Hauer-King, Jacob Tremblay, Melissa McCarthy, Halle Bailey, Rob Marshall, Javier Bardem and Daveed Diggs attend the UK Premiere of &quot;The Little Mermaid&quot; at Odeon Luxe Leicester Square on May 15, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Hoda Davaine/Dave Benett/WireImage)" width="912" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/12/GettyImages-1255071524-912x576.jpg 912w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/12/GettyImages-1255071524-300x190.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/12/GettyImages-1255071524-768x485.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/12/GettyImages-1255071524.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 912px) 100vw, 912px" />Hoda Davaine/Dave Benett/WireImage</div>
A major reason for Disney&#8217;s recent spate of commercial flops is its full-throated embrace of leftist social causes, particularly LGBT ideology. The company has practically become the industry leader in pushing leftist propaganda on kids. GLAAD, the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/why-the-magic-is-leaving-the-kingdom-at-disney" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> in October that Disney is one the top companies in Hollywood for LGBT-inclusive content. Top-ranking employees within the company <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/not-at-all-secret-gay-agenda-disney-employees-break-down-adding-queerness-to-shows-and-degenderizing-theme-parks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">have admitted</a> that they are pushing a &#8220;not-at-all-secret gay agenda&#8221; with their programming.
However, the backlash from conservatives has been just as robust as leftists&#8217; praise. According to a Rasmussen Reports survey released in early October, 60% of Republicans hold an unfavorable view of Disney, including 35% who say they have a “very unfavorable” opinion.
Both the Ant-Man and Indiana Jones sequels were torched by fans for seemingly trying to replace their titular heroes with younger female counterparts. In &#8220;Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania,&#8221; Ant-Man&#8217;s daughter <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ant-man-and-the-wasp-quantumania-cant-hide-disneys-fake-populism" target="_blank" rel="noopener">has become</a> a teenage activist fighting against oppression and eventually acquires a super-powered suit similar to her father&#8217;s. In the latest Indiana Jones movie, Indy&#8217;s goddaughter Helena is also an archeologist on the hunt for rare artifacts and when she is <a href="https://screenrant.com/indiana-jones-movie-woke-controversy-dial-destiny-explained/#:~:text=The%20fifth%20Indiana%20Jones%20movie%20faced%20controversy%20over%20its%20%22woke,attitudes%20in%20the%20movie's%20setting." target="_blank" rel="noopener">accused</a> of stealing items from native people, she quips, &#8220;it&#8217;s called capitalism.&#8221;
Two of Disney&#8217;s animated films released in 2022, &#8220;Lightyear&#8221; (another flop) and &#8220;Strange World,&#8221; were pilloried by conservatives for pushing LGBT themes. &#8220;Lightyear&#8221; <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/report-pixar-reinstates-same-sex-kiss-in-lightyear-film-over-so-called-dont-say-gay-bill-source-shares" target="_blank" rel="noopener">included</a> a same-sex kiss between two female characters, which was initially omitted from the film but was reinstated by Disney after Florida passed a bill banning classroom discussion on sexual orientation and gender identity for young children. &#8220;Strange World&#8221; <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/animated-gay-teen-romance-film-is-woke-disneys-latest-box-office-bomb" target="_blank" rel="noopener">upped the ante</a> by introducing Disney&#8217;s first canonically gay main character, whose romance with another boy is a major plotline. The movie also pushed a hamfisted environmentalist message.
It&#8217;s other animated movie released last year, &#8220;Turning Red,&#8221; <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/my-panda-my-choice-mom-disney-and-pixars-turning-red-has-some-parents-outraged-over-themes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">was criticized</a> for having sexual themes and a line echoing the pro-abortion &#8220;my body, my choice&#8221; mantra.
Disney movies that haven&#8217;t even come out yet are already getting blasted for catering to the woke crowd. The company&#8217;s live action remake of &#8220;Snow White&#8221; <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-worst-woke-kids-content-that-came-out-since-last-thanksgiving" target="_blank" rel="noopener">made headlines</a> for the wrong reasons after star Rachel Zegler made disparaging comments about the 1937 classic, which was also the company&#8217;s first full-length animated film.
“I just mean that it’s no longer 1937,” Zegler said of the new film. “We absolutely wrote a ‘Snow White’ [who’s] not going to be saved by the prince, and she’s not going to be dreaming about true love; she’s going to be dreaming about becoming the leader she knows she can be, and the leader that her late father told her she could be if she was fearless, fair, brave and true.”
<div id="attachment_644241" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-644241" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-644241" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/GettyImages-1243099093-e1698444288358-864x576.jpg" alt="D23 EXPO 2022 - The Ultimate Disney Fan Event presented by VISA - brings together all the worlds of Disney under one roof for three packed days of presentations, pavilions, experiences, concerts, sneak peeks, shopping, and more. The event, which takes place September 9, 10, and 11 at the Anaheim Convention Center, provides fans with unprecedented access to Disney films, series, games, theme parks, collectibles, and celebrities." width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/GettyImages-1243099093-e1698444288358-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/GettyImages-1243099093-e1698444288358-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/GettyImages-1243099093-e1698444288358-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/GettyImages-1243099093-e1698444288358.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />The Walt Disney Company via Getty Images Gal Gadot, Rachel Zegler</div>
After it was revealed that the iconic seven dwarfs had been reimagined as &#8220;seven magical creatures&#8221; who didn&#8217;t resemble the original characters at all, Disney backtracked on their design in the face of intense backlash.
In the wake of all the bad press, the studio <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/disneys-snow-white-delay-reportedly-comes-from-fears-it-will-be-a-financial-disaster-insider-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pushed the project</a> to 2025.
While &#8220;Wish&#8221; hasn&#8217;t received nearly as much scrutiny as other Disney movies of the last couple of years, some have pointed out that its central theme could be problematic. Daily Wire co-founder and Editor Emeritus Ben Shapiro <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hollywood-struggles-over-holiday-with-disney-and-apple-duds" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pointed out</a> that &#8220;It seems that the plot is, essentially, about how God is bad. So, what it is is a king [who] grants people’s wishes, but he has an apprentice … and this apprentice finds out that the king is only selectively granting people’s wishes, and is picking and choosing.&#8221;
“This is a terrible, terrible thing — she will grant everyone’s wishes!” he added sarcastically. “Which, you don’t have to go far afield to understand that what that kind of is is, ‘God is bad because he said no to you sometimes.’ So it would be better if there were an empowered female character to get up and make sure that all wishes be granted across the board.”
While Disney&#8217;s animated films have struggled this year, its main competitors thrived — and largely stayed out of politics. Sony Pictures Animation, DreamWorks, and Illumination (the latter two owned by NBC Universal) have all seen massive hits in 2023 with &#8220;Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse&#8221; ($690 million), &#8220;Puss in Boots: The Last Wish&#8221; ($484 million), and &#8220;The Super Mario Bros. Movie&#8221; ($1.3 billion), respectively.
<div id="attachment_526063" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-526063" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-526063" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/04/GettyImages-1478931287-864x576.jpg" alt="Special Screening Of Universal Pictures' &quot;The Super Mario Bros. Movie&quot; - Arrivals" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/04/GettyImages-1478931287-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/04/GettyImages-1478931287-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/04/GettyImages-1478931287-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/04/GettyImages-1478931287-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/04/GettyImages-1478931287-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/04/GettyImages-1478931287-1800x1200.jpg 1800w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/04/GettyImages-1478931287-1200x800.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Leon Bennett/FilmMagic</div>
Sony&#8217;s &#8220;Across the Spider-Verse&#8221; did garner attention after some fans <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/did-sony-make-gwen-stacy-trans-in-new-spider-man-film" target="_blank" rel="noopener">speculated</a> that several minute details in the movie suggested one of the main characters, Gwen Stacy, was transgender, but ultimately the backlash against the alleged insinuation pales in comparison to what Disney has faced over the past couple of years.
Overall, the successes of those films in 2023 indicate that there is still a robust demand for kids&#8217; animated content — especially content that doesn&#8217;t proselytize to children about the latest Left-wing social causes.
And Disney CEO Bob Iger seems to realize that fact. In the wake of &#8220;Wish&#8217;s&#8221; disastrous opening weekend, Iger <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2023/11/30/disney-ceo-bob-iger-says-movies-have-been-too-focused-on-messaging.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> during a Wednesday appearance at the DealBook Summit in New York that &#8220;Creators lost sight of what their No. 1 objective needed to be. We have to entertain first. It’s not about messages.”
Whether Disney can recover and regain its pre-eminent position in the world of animation before its repeated commercial flops take a severe financial toll on the company or a new competitor overtakes them remains to be seen. But The Walt Disney Company is undoubtedly reeling from its choice to put politics before profit — and good storytelling.

DisneyLGBT

Disney Tried To Force Leftist Causes On Audiences. Now It’s Paying The Price

Disney Tried To Force Leftist Causes On Audiences. Now It's Paying The Price

Bob Iger

Disney

GLAAD

LGBTQ

Movies

During President Joe Biden&#8217;s tenure in the Oval Office, the United States has experienced a truly gargantuan surge in illegal immigration along its southern border.
Since Biden&#8217;s inauguration in January 2021, over <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dozens-of-attorneys-general-call-on-congress-to-give-them-power-to-enforce-immigration-laws" target="_blank" rel="noopener">7 million people</a> have illegally crossed the southern border, and the number of border encounters reported by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/u-s-records-highest-illegal-alien-encounters-in-history-for-september-over-8-million-total-for-biden-era" target="_blank" rel="noopener">has increased</a> every year Biden has been in office. Fiscal Years 2021 and 2o22 saw 1,734,686 and 2,378,944 encounters, respectively, while Fiscal Year 2023 recorded the highest number of annual encounters in U.S. history — 2,475,669. September alone saw nearly 270,000 encounters, the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/migrant-encounters-at-border-last-month-mark-highest-october-on-record" target="_blank" rel="noopener">highest number</a> of monthly encounters ever reported.
Democratic <a href="https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2013/01/29/remarks-president-comprehensive-immigration-reform" target="_blank" rel="noopener">politicians</a>, <a href="https://www.americanprogress.org/article/immigration-is-changing-the-political-landscape-in-key-states/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">activists</a>, and the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/27/us/biden-undocumented-immigrants-citizenship.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mainstream media</a> have repeatedly claimed over the last decade that the number of illegal immigrants currently residing in the United States is close to 11 million, despite several surges in border crossings over the years. A report from the House Homeland Security Committee <a href="https://homeland.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Phase4Report.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">published</a> on November 13 estimated that there are actually as many as 29 million illegal immigrants currently in the country.
Coinciding with the unprecedented border numbers, former president and current GOP frontrunner Donald Trump has expanded on his immigration agenda, promising to crack down on illegal border crossings if he is returned to the White House. A critical element of this updated agenda is his call for mass deportations of illegal immigrants already residing within the nation&#8217;s borders, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/11/us/politics/trump-2025-immigration-agenda.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the New York Times.
To achieve this, Trump has said that we would use certain laws, including the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, to expedite the removal of illegal immigrants without the need for due process hearings. He has also said he would reallocate personnel from other federal agencies as well as deputize local law enforcement and National Guard units to aid ICE in the deportation efforts.
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Biden&#8217;s 2024 campaign has <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/biden-campaign-goes-on-offensive-immigration-decries-trump-plans/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hurled</a> a bevy of insults at Trump&#8217;s plan for mass deportations, calling it &#8220;scary,&#8221; &#8220;an affront&#8221; to the Constitution, &#8220;racist,&#8221; and &#8220;cruel.&#8221; The Biden administration has on numerous occasions dismissed the idea of mass deportations as a possible solution to illegal immigration, either by arguing the option is too cruel or too impractical.
During arguments before the Supreme Court regarding a case related to Biden&#8217;s deportation policy in November 2022, the administration&#8217;s lawyer <a href="https://ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/news/2022/11/29/justices-consider-biden-deportation-policy-states-right-to-challenge" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that it would be &#8220;impossible&#8221; to deport 11 million illegal immigrants, much less the up to 29 million estimated by the House Homeland Security Committee.
In February 2023, Biden himself <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/immigration/biden-no-mass-deportations-of-illegal-immigrants" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that he would not &#8220;consider&#8221; using mass deportations to remove illegal immigrants after Title 42, a health order authorizing border officials to immediately expel migrants without processing, expired.
&#8220;Reports that we are considering mass deportations of non-Mexicans to Mexico are false,&#8221; DHS spokeswoman Marsha Catron Espinosa <a href="https://twitter.com/MCatronDHS/status/1623732738896404489?s=20&amp;t=ZK9jXQCspp5t-tCi5NUccg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stated</a>.
The administration&#8217;s conviction that mass deportations would be &#8220;impossible&#8221; ignores one simple fact — it&#8217;s been done before. Not only has it been done before, but it was highly successful. The administration of President Dwight D. Eisenhower was able to deport over a million Mexican nationals in only a few months in 1954.
In fact, Trump referenced Eisenhower&#8217;s deportation program during a September rally in Iowa — “Following the Eisenhower model, we will carry out the largest domestic deportation operation in American history.&#8221;
The origin of the illegal immigration problem the U.S. faced in the early 1950s can be traced back to the Bracero Program. The United States&#8217; mobilization during World War II caused acute labor shortages in the agricultural industry as men either went to fight overseas or moved to the city to get more lucrative jobs in factories producing supplies for the war effort.
In response to the shortages, the Roosevelt administration signed an agreement with Mexico in August 1942 that allowed Mexican workers to enter the country legally and work on American farms in states along the southern border. Tens of thousands, under strict conditions, were allowed to get a permit to work on American farms before returning to Mexico. Over 150,000 Mexicans participated in the Bracero Program during World War II. However, the demand for cheap labor in the U.S. was far too large to be satiated by the Bracero Program, and many farmers <a href="https://history.house.gov/Exhibitions-and-Publications/HAIC/Historical-Essays/Separate-Interests/Depression-War-Civil-Rights/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">began hiring</a> laborers who had failed to get a Bracero permit and had crossed over illegally instead.
Illegal immigration steadily grew during the war and began to surge in the late 1940s. Whereas there were only a little over 11,000 <a href="https://www.wilsoncenter.org/article/mexican-braceros-and-us-farm-workers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">apprehensions</a> by the Border Patrol in 1942, there were over 288,000 in 1949.
By 1951, President Harry Truman&#8217;s Commission on Migratory Labor <a href="https://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/disp_textbook.cfm?smtID=3&amp;psid=599" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that illegal immigration along the southern border had &#8220;reached entirely new levels in the past seven years. The number of deportations and voluntary departures has continuously mounted each year, from twenty-nine thousand in 1944 to 565,000 in 1950. In its newly achieved proportions, it is virtually an invasion.&#8221;
The Commission&#8217;s report estimated that nearly half of the nation&#8217;s migratory farm labor force was made up of illegal immigrants. The number of border apprehensions grew rapidly under Truman, but a determined, organized effort to expel illegal immigrants from states in the Southwest didn&#8217;t materialize until Eisenhower took office in 1953.
After an investigation into the effects of illegal immigration in southern California, Attorney General Herbert Brownwell Jr. <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Operation-Wetback" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lobbied</a> Congress to enact sanctions against those who hired illegal immigrants. While Congress did not act on Brownwell&#8217;s recommendations, the Eisenhower administration drew up plans for a deportation operation.
The commissioner general for the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), Gen. Joseph Swing, announced the implementation of &#8220;Operation Wetback,&#8221; a military-style campaign designed to round up large numbers of illegal immigrants and deport them back to Mexico. The operation began in June 1954 in California and Arizona, but it soon expanded to other states along the southern border. While the Border Patrol managed to capture tens of thousands of illegal immigrants for deportation, many more <a href="https://history.house.gov/Exhibitions-and-Publications/HAIC/Historical-Essays/Separate-Interests/Depression-War-Civil-Rights/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">crossed back</a> into Mexico of their own accord after hearing of the operation.
By the fall of 1954, the operation wound down to a lack of funding for the INS. Despite lasting only a few months, the operation managed to deport around 1.1 million illegal immigrants, <a href="https://www.factcheck.org/2010/07/hoover-truman-ike-mass-deporters/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the INS&#8217;s report.
In its 1955 <a href="https://archive.org/details/annualreportofim1955unit/page/15/mode/1up?view=theater&amp;q=secured" target="_blank" rel="noopener">annual report</a>, the INS claimed, &#8220;The so-called &#8216;wetback&#8217; problem no longer exists. The decline in the number of &#8216;wetbacks&#8217; found in the United States, even after concentrated and vigorous enforcement efforts were pursued throughout the year, reveals that this is no longer, as in the past, a problem in border control. The border has been secured.&#8221;
In the following years, apprehensions at the southern border shrank dramatically, never reaching more than 100,000 per year between 1956 and 1964, according to a 1980 <a href="https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=umn.31951d00817043c&amp;view=1up&amp;seq=41" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> by the Congressional Research Service. The number of border apprehensions began to grow once more after the end of the Bracero program in 1964 and the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2015/09/25/how-a-1965-immigration-reform-created-illegal-immigration/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">passage</a> of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, spearheaded by Democratic Sen. Ted Kennedy. However, border apprehensions did not return to over 1 million per year until 1977.
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Over a million Mexican nationals were reportedly sent back to Mexico in only a few months in the middle of 1954 by a Border Patrol that was a fraction of the size of the modern agency. Biden and others in the Democratic Party (as well as a fair amount of voices in the Republican Party) decry ideas of mass deportation as impractical, but the results of the Eisenhower administration&#8217;s efforts nearly 70 years ago show that the lack of political will, rather than a lack of manpower or resources, is the main obstacle to securing the southern border.

TOPSHOT-MEXICO-US-MIGRATION

Biden Admin Claims Mass Deportation Of Illegal Aliens Is ‘Impossible.’ One Problem – It’s Been Done Before.

Biden Admin Claims Mass Deportation Of Illegal Aliens Is 'Impossible.' One Problem - It's Been Done Before.

Border Patrol

Illegal Immigration

Joe Biden

Mexico

Politics

The iconic beer brand Bud Light took a massive hit over the summer due to the fallout from its partnership with transgender activist Dylan Mulvaney.
In the first week of the controversy, Bud Light sales <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/bud-light-sales-decline-dylan-mulvaney-transgender-boycott-1796451" target="_blank" rel="noopener">decreased</a> 11%, and its stock <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/dereksaul/2023/05/31/anheuser-busch-stock-enters-bear-territory-amid-anti-trans-bud-light-backlash/?sh=11c6283e1bfe" target="_blank" rel="noopener">plunged</a> 20% by the beginning of June, losing the brand&#8217;s parent company, AB InBev, billions in market value. It <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/sep/19/dylan-mulvaney-bud-light-boycott" target="_blank" rel="noopener">suffered a revenue loss</a> in its North American market of almost $400 million during the second quarter, and the brand&#8217;s sales are still lagging.
Despite being the target of one of the most successful boycotts in U.S. history, AB InBev&#8217;s stock has mostly stabilized. It&#8217;s <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=ab+inbev+stock&amp;sca_esv=571003301&amp;ei=yfAeZb3-Doe7qtsP__OQoAY&amp;ved=0ahUKEwj9huvstd-BAxWHnWoFHf85BGQQ4dUDCBA&amp;uact=5&amp;oq=ab+inbev+stock&amp;gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAiDmFiIGluYmV2IHN0b2NrMg0QABiABBixAxhGGPoBMgcQABiKBRhDMgUQABiABDIFEAAYgAQyBRAAGIAEMgUQABiABDIFEAAYgAQyBRAAGIAEMgUQABiABDIFEAAYgARIjRJQAFjXD3AAeAGQAQCYAYcBoAGdCqoBBDEwLjS4AQPIAQD4AQHCAg0QLhjHARjRAxiKBRhDwgIREC4YgAQYsQMYgwEYxwEY0QPCAg0QLhiKBRjHARjRAxhDwgIKEAAYigUYsQMYQ8ICEBAuGIoFGLEDGMcBGNEDGEPCAg8QABiKBRixAxhDGEYY-gHiAwQYACBBiAYB&amp;sclient=gws-wiz-serp" target="_blank" rel="noopener">down</a> only 12% from the start of the year, and it&#8217;s actually up 17% from one year ago. The mitigation of AB InBev&#8217;s overall losses largely stems from the fact that it owns 7 0f the 10 best-selling beer brands in the United States. So, while sales of Bud Light have plummeted, the sales of other brands owned by AB InBev have remained the same or even increased as Americans switch to other brands without knowing that they are owned by the parent company of Bud Light.
The company, along with rival Molson Coors (the owner of Miller and Coors), have an iron grip on the domestic beer market, reducing the effectiveness of any boycott. This is why the boycott of Bud Light has only damaged AB InBev&#8217;s North American market and not crippled it.
<div id="attachment_636329" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-636329" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-636329" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/GettyImages-1574581815-864x576.jpg" alt="MIAMI, FLORIDA - JULY 27: Bud Light, made by Anheuser-Busch, sits on a store shelf on July 27, 2023 in Miami, Florida. Anheuser-Busch InBev announced it will lay off hundreds of corporate employees as its Bud Light beer sales continue to struggle. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/GettyImages-1574581815-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/GettyImages-1574581815-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/GettyImages-1574581815-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/GettyImages-1574581815.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Joe Raedle/Getty Images</div>
Beer isn&#8217;t the only market that has been cornered by a few large, woke companies. Practically every name-brand item that you can buy in your local grocery store is owned by a handful of very powerful corporations, and all of them have pushed leftist ideology in some way.
The Guardian <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/ng-interactive/2021/jul/14/food-monopoly-meals-profits-data-investigation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">investigated</a> 61 items commonly sold at grocery stores in 2021 and found that a majority of the market share for almost 80% of those products was controlled by four or fewer companies. Close to 93% of the market for soft drinks is dominated by the Coca-Cola Company, PepsiCo, and Keurig Dr. Pepper. Breakfast cereal giants General Mills, Kellogg&#8217;s, and Post Holdings have cornered close to 73% of their market. PepsiCo has an almost complete monopoly on the country&#8217;s dip brands, with 88% of the market.
In 2022, 60% of the domestic American market for goods such as pork, coffee, bread, and cookies was controlled by just four companies. For products like beef, baby food, pasta, and soda the market concentration is even more acute — 80% of the market for those goods is controlled by the top four producers, <a href="https://time.com/6139127/u-s-food-prices-monopoly/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to Time.
The largest of these companies own dozens if not hundreds of brands and make tens of billions of dollars a year in revenue. According to the credit card company <a href="https://capitaloneshopping.com/blog/11-companies-that-own-everything-904b28425120" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Capital One</a>, these companies are:
<h4>Kellogg&#8217;s</h4>
<ul>
<li>major <a href="https://www.kelloggs.com/en_US/home.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">brands</a>: Cheez-It, Eggo, Famous Amos, Pop-Tarts, Pringles, Frosted Flakes, Froot Loops, Special K, Rice Crispies</li>
</ul>
<h4>General Mills</h4>
<ul>
<li>major <a href="https://www.generalmills.com/food-we-make/brands" target="_blank" rel="noopener">brands</a>: Betty Crocker, Bisquick, Gold Medal, Cheerios, Chex, Green Giant, Lucky Charms, Nature Valley, Pillsbury</li>
</ul>
<h4>Kraft-Heinz</h4>
<ul>
<li>major <a href="https://www.kraftheinzcompany.com/brands.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">brands</a>: Heinz Ketchup, Kraft Mac &amp; Cheese, Lunchables, Velveeta, Jell-O, Oscar Meyer, Kool-Aid</li>
</ul>
<h4>Mondelez-International</h4>
<ul>
<li>major <a href="https://www.mondelezinternational.com/Our-Brands/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">brands</a>: Cadbury, Chips Ahoy!, Nabisco, Oreo, BelVita, Triscuit, Ritz, Wheat Thins</li>
</ul>
<h4>Mars</h4>
<ul>
<li>major <a href="https://www.mars.com/our-brands">brands</a>: M&amp;Ms, Snickers, Twix, Skittles, Uncle Ben’s, Milky Way, Starburst, Spearmint, 3 Musketeers</li>
</ul>
<h4>Coca-Cola</h4>
<ul>
<li>major <a href="https://www.coca-colacompany.com/brands" target="_blank" rel="noopener">brands</a>: Coca-Cola, Minute Maid, Sprite, Barq&#8217;s, Fanta, Dasani, Powerade, Vitamin Water, Schweppes</li>
</ul>
<h4>Unilever</h4>
<ul>
<li>major <a href="https://www.unilever.com/brands/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">brands</a>: Ben and Jerry&#8217;s, Hellmann&#8217;s, Knorr, Breyers, Ragu, Klondike</li>
</ul>
<h4>PepsiCo</h4>
<ul>
<li>major <a href="https://www.pepsico.com/who-we-are/about-pepsico#:~:text=Our%20portfolio%20includes%20major%20global,Mafer%2C%20Tortrix%20and%20Kero%20Coco." target="_blank" rel="noopener">brands</a>: Pepsi, Lay&#8217;s, Aquafina, Doritos, Gatorade, Mountain Dew, Quaker, Tostitos, Fritos, Cheetos</li>
</ul>
<h4>Nestle</h4>
<ul>
<li>major <a href="https://www.nestle.com/brands/brandssearchlist" target="_blank" rel="noopener">brands</a>: CoffeeMate, DiGiorno, Gerber, KitKat, Lean Cuisine, Perrier, Stouffer&#8217;s, Toll House, San Pellegrino</li>
</ul>
The brand lists for these companies are in no way exhaustive. Each has a massive portfolio of brands under their control.
The food industry made close to $200 million in political contributions during the 2020 election cycle, and almost $125 million during the 2022 midterm elections, <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/industries/totals.php?cycle=1990&amp;ind=A" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to Open Secrets. The 9 companies listed above tended to give equally to Democrats and Republicans during the 2022 election cycle, despite the fact that they have also tended to support leftist social policies.
All 9 companies have expressed support for LGBT pride celebrations and have touted their LGBT inclusion policies.
One of Unilever&#8217;s most recognizable brands, Ben &amp; Jerry&#8217;s ice cream, has become infamous for its endorsement of leftist policies.
The co-founders of the brand, Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, have been trying to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ben-and-jerry-still-fighting-to-keep-their-ice-cream-from-fellow-jews-in-israel" target="_blank" rel="noopener">boycott</a> Israel for several years, and new employees were reportedly <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-ben-jerrys-employees-forced-to-watch-anti-israel-videos-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">required</a> to watch video lectures featuring Palestinian activists lying about the Jewish state.
<div id="attachment_636333" style="width: 871px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-636333" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-636333" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/GettyImages-1241326101-861x576.jpg" alt="Tubs of Ben and Jerry's ice cream, manufactured by Unilever Plc, in a freezer at an Iceland Foods Ltd. supermarket in Christchurch, UK, on Wednesday, June 15, 2022. &quot;Britain's cost-of-living crisis -- on track to big the biggest squeeze since the mid-70s -- will continue to worsen before it starts to ease at some point next year,&quot; said Jack Leslie, senior economist at the Resolution Foundation, a research group campaigning against poverty. Photographer: Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg via Getty Images" width="861" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/GettyImages-1241326101-861x576.jpg 861w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/GettyImages-1241326101-300x201.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/GettyImages-1241326101-768x514.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/GettyImages-1241326101.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 861px) 100vw, 861px" />Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg via Getty Images</div>
Unilever has pushed to sell the ice cream in Israel and has said it has “never expressed any support” for the Boycott Divestment Sanctions (<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/bds" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BDS</a>) movement, which argues that companies around the world should refrain from doing business with Israel due to the country’s alleged occupation of territory held by Palestinian Arabs.
This past Independence Day, Ben &amp; Jerry&#8217;s issued the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ben-jerrys-says-u-s-needs-to-give-back-stolen-land-native-american-chief-says-companys-hq-is-on-native-land" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a>, &#8220;The United States was founded on stolen Indigenous land. This Fourth of July, let’s commit to returning it.&#8221; The post included a link to a site that calls for Mt. Rushmore to be handed over to Native Americans.
Advertisements for Unilever&#8217;s personal care items, such as Dove soap, have also become <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bodily-mutilation-fat-liberation-is-this-the-wokest-soap-brand-in-the-nation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">infected</a> by woke ideology, pushing things like &#8220;fat liberation&#8221; and body modification for kids who identify as transgender.
Gatorade, owned by PepsiCo, has also co-opted the &#8220;fat liberation&#8221; movement despite advertising itself as &#8220;sports fuel for performance athletes.&#8221; An ad from earlier this year for Gatorade Fit (marketed as a healthier option than regular Gatorade) <a href="https://www.glamourmagazine.co.uk/article/jessamyn-stanley-gatorade-advert-fatphobia" target="_blank" rel="noopener">featured</a> obese yoga instructor and &#8220;body positivity advocate&#8221; Jessamyn Stanley.
The Coca-Cola Company came under <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/backlash-hits-coca-cola-after-accusations-of-anti-white-agenda" target="_blank" rel="noopener">severe scrutiny</a> in early 2021 when slides from their &#8220;anti-racism&#8221; training for employees were leaked online. Some slides reportedly instructed participants to “try to be less white.&#8221; The company also planned to implement a diversity quota in which it would only work with law firms that provide at least 15% of billed time from black attorneys. After the backlash, Coca-Cola dropped the diversity plan.
M&amp;M&#8217;s, owned by Mars Incorporated, came under fire in early 2022 for changing the design of its famous &#8220;spokescandies,&#8221; anthropomorphized versions of their products, to become more &#8220;inclusive.&#8221;
The most <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mm-characters-are-becoming-inclusive" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noticeable change</a> was made to the green M&amp;M character, who lost her peach-colored legs and stiletto boots in favor of white legs and sneakers after criticism that the character was sexualized. Mars said it wanted the green M&amp;M to be “better represented to reflect confidence and empowerment, as a strong female, and known for much more than her boots.”
In September 2022, the company <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mms-brand-promises-acceptance-and-inclusivity-with-debut-of-new-purple-spokescandy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">introduced</a> a new &#8220;spokescandy,&#8221; a purple M&amp;M, specifically &#8220;designed to represent acceptance and inclusivity,&#8221; drawing further criticism. The backlash became so strong that in January 2023 the brand <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mms-pulls-spokescandies-after-supposed-controversy-sales-dipped-after-going-woke" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> an &#8220;indefinite pause&#8221; on using the characters in ads.
<div id="attachment_636341" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-636341" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-636341" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/GettyImages-1262999657-1-864x576.jpg" alt="Orlando, Winter Park, Rocket Fizz Soda Pop &amp; Candy Shop, variety of M&amp;M candy display. (Photo by: Jeff Greenberg/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/GettyImages-1262999657-1-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/GettyImages-1262999657-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/GettyImages-1262999657-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/GettyImages-1262999657-1.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Jeff Greenberg/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images</div>
Another Mars Incorporated candy, Skittles, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/social-media-erupts-after-skittles-black-trans-lives-matter-packaging-goes-viral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">partnered</a> with GLAAD, an organization that supports radical gender theory, to create special Pride Month packaging for the candy that included slogans like &#8220;Joy Is Resistance&#8221; and &#8220;Black Trans Lives Matter.&#8221;
As part of Pride Month, Skittles promised “to support the LGBTQ+ community by amplifying and celebrating their stories&#8221; and said it will “donate $1 for every Skittles Pride pack sold to GLAAD in support of their ongoing efforts to work through media to combat anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination.”
Oreo, owned by Mondelez International, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/your-cookie-must-affirm-your-sexual-lifestyle-oreo-takes-pro-lgbt-stance-in-new-ad-spot" target="_blank" rel="noopener">released</a> an ad back in April featuring a young man coming out as gay to his grandmother. There is very little actual product placement in the commercial, focusing almost solely on social messaging.
“Coming out doesn’t happen just once. It’s a journey that needs love and courage every step of the way. Share our new film 👇 and let someone know you’re their #LifelongAlly,&#8221; the caption of the video posted on X said.
“Your cookie must affirm your sexual lifestyle,” Daily Wire host Ben Shapiro quipped. “Again, the chief reply here seems to be: ‘How dare you notice that a cookie company is now running ads on sexual orientation?’ Guys, the story is that every woke corporation now believes it must become an activist LGBTQIA+-%6&amp; outlet. And yes, that’s a story.”
Uncle Ben&#8217;s, owned by Mars Incorporated, and Aunt Jemima, owned by PepsiCo, were both altered in the wake of the death of George Floyd and the subsequent riots <a href="https://www.eater.com/22450623/racist-brand-mascot-logo-changes-aunt-jemima-uncle-bens-land-o-lakes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">in order to</a> &#8220;create a more inclusive future.&#8221; Uncle Ben&#8217;s was changed to Ben&#8217;s Original, while Aunt Jemima was rebranded to Pearl Milling Company.
There are non-woke alternatives to some of these products, including <a href="https://www.jeremysrazors.com/collections/jeremys-chocolate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">chocolate</a> and <a href="https://www.jeremysrazors.com/collections/hair" target="_blank" rel="noopener">soap</a>, but many small would-be competitors to these giant corporations end up being bought out and joining their portfolio of brands, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/jul/18/america-food-monopoly-crisis-grocery-stores" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to The Guardian&#8217;s investigation. Anti-trust laws and regulations could be used to block mergers and curb monopolistic practices, and President Joe Biden has called on government agencies to enforce existing laws. But, as with so many other issues in Washington, lobbying and a lack of bipartisan support has stymied attempts at reform.
This illusion of choice in the grocery store not only hinders free market competition, it also impedes the effectiveness of any potential boycott launched by conservatives to protest these companies&#8217; political stunts. Both the corporate and ideological monopoly held by these companies ensures that conservative customers will have fewer and fewer options for products that don&#8217;t push leftist ideologies.
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General Mills and Quaker Cereal aisle in Publix, grocery store, Florida

Practically Everything You Buy At The Grocery Store Is Owned By A Few Woke Companies

Anti-trust

Ben &amp; Jerry's

Bud Light

Coca-Cola

Kelloggs

Skittles

Woke Culture

In March 2023, Bud Light had been the number 1 beer in the United States for over 20 years, dominating other well-known brands like Miller and Coors. Anheuser-Busch, which owns Bud Light along with a host of other popular beer brands, sold $2.73 billion worth of beer in the second quarter of 2022 alone.
Then, the iconic brand decided to partner with trans-identifying activist Dylan Mulvaney.
The social media influencer, infamous for a series of videos chronicling his transition called &#8220;Days of Girlhood,&#8221; showed off a can of the light beer with his face on it on April 1. A few days later, Bud Light confirmed that it had indeed signed a brand partnership deal with Mulvaney in an effort to “authentically connect with audiences.”
Bud Light tried to excuse the partnership as just one of dozens it maintains with influencers around the world and noted that the Mulvaney-themed can was not for sale to the general public, but the firestorm had already been unleashed.
Almost overnight, a beer brand widely regarded as a blue-collar American beverage became anathema among conservatives. Conservative music stars led the charge, with Kid Rock using Bud Light cans for target practice and John Rich barring the beverage from his bar. Soon, calls to boycott the light beer caught like wildfire on social media.
In the first week of the controversy, Bud Light sales <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/bud-light-sales-decline-dylan-mulvaney-transgender-boycott-1796451" target="_blank" rel="noopener">decreased</a> 11%, and its stock <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/dereksaul/2023/05/31/anheuser-busch-stock-enters-bear-territory-amid-anti-trans-bud-light-backlash/?sh=11c6283e1bfe" target="_blank" rel="noopener">plunged</a> 20% by the beginning of June, losing Anheuser-Busch billions in market value. Sales drops only became more dramatic as summer began, with the company practically <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2023/06/27/bud-light-offers-fourth-of-july-rebate-beer-boycott-sales/70360008007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">giving away</a> cases of Bud for the 4th of July weekend. Anheuser-Busch&#8217;s overall U.S. revenue was down 10.5% in the second quarter of 2023 (April to June) compared to the same period in 2022, and the company&#8217;s sales to U.S. retailers fell 14% by <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12369087/Anheuser-Busch-lost-staggering-395-MILLION-sales-plunged-14-year-Bud-Lights-partnership-transgender-influencer-Dylan-Mulvaney.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">early August</a>.
As the backlash grew, Mulvaney high-tailed it out of the country in mid-July, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dylan-mulvaney-flies-to-peru-to-feel-safe-participate-in-shaman-ceremonies-amid-bud-light-backlash" target="_blank" rel="noopener">taking a trip</a> to Peru in order to, according to him, &#8220;feel safe.&#8221;
“I’ve seen a lot of llamas. The people here are so kind. I feel very safe here,” Mulvaney said on TikTok. “It’s a little sad that I had to leave my country to feel safe but that will get better eventually.”
In June, Bud Light <a href="https://thehill.com/business/4050296-bud-light-falls-from-no-1-us-sales-spot-for-first-time-in-more-than-20-years/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lost</a> its place as America&#8217;s best-selling beer to the Mexican beer brand Modelo. Anheuser-Busch&#8217;s parent company, AB InBev, also owns Modelo, but the U.S. distribution rights are owned by the Chicago-based Constellation Brands as a result of an antitrust lawsuit in 2013.
<h4><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/show/convicting-a-murderer#" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WATCH: Candace Owens&#8217; new documentary &#8216;Convicting a Murderer&#8217;</a></h4>
While AB InBev still controls 7 of the top 10 best-selling beers in the country, their flagship brand took a massive hit to its reputation and the company&#8217;s bottom line. It <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/sep/19/dylan-mulvaney-bud-light-boycott">suffered a revenue loss</a> in its North American market of almost $400 million, and in July Anheuser-Busch announced it would lay off 2% of its American staff — about 350 people.
Trying to court back conservative buyers, Anheuser-Busch quickly tried to distance itself from contentious social issues.
Anheuser-Busch CEO Brendan Whitworth tried to downplay the controversy by assuring customers that “We never intended to be part of a discussion that divides people,” and that “We are in the business of bringing people together over a beer” in a mid-April statement. Whitworth added that he spends a lot of time “listening to and learning from our customers, distributors, and others.” No hint of Dylan Mulvaney, transgenderism, or an apology to offended customers could be found in the statement.
On the day of Whitworth’s statement on the controversy, Budweiser <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/budweiser-patriotic-advert-bud-light-backlash-dylan-mulvaney-boycott-1794700" target="_blank" rel="noopener">released</a> a new ad titled “Heart of America” that was chocked full of patriotic imagery, including famous landmarks like the Lincoln Memorial and the Grand Canyon. The narrator of the ad was sure to emphasize the company’s American roots and homespun character.
“Let me tell you a story about a beer rooted in the heart of America, found in a community where a handshake is a sure contract; brewed for those who found opportunity in challenge, and hope in tomorrow; raised by generations willing to sip, share, risk, remember. This is a story bigger than beer; this is the story of the American spirit.”
The company also released camo- and Harley Davidson-themed <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bud-light-budweiser-release-camo-harley-davidson-limited-edition-cans-as-sales-continue-to-plummet" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cans</a>, to little effect.
The boycott is still going strong. Modelo still edges out Bud Light for the title of American&#8217;s favorite beer. Anheuser-Busch&#8217;s stock may have <a href="https://fortune.com/2023/08/03/bud-light-market-share-stabilizing-after-transgender-saga-says-ab-inbev/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stabilized</a> — largely due to sales from its other brands — but Bud Light sales were down 27% for the four-week period ending in early September, <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/09/15/bud-light-could-lose-retail-shelf-space-as-dylan-mulvaney-boycott-persists/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to Bump Williams Consulting. Even worse, industry sources <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Business/bud-light-set-lose-shelf-space-major-retailers/story?id=103165753" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> ABC News that the brand is set to lose shelf space at major retailers like Walmart and 7-Eleven. Former Anheuser-Busch InBev executive Anson Frericks told the outlet that shelf space represents “the single largest determinant of sales in a store” and warned that the move could result in a &#8220;dramatic shift.&#8221;
The Bud Light boycott inspired similar boycotts over the summer, most notably one against Target after the retail giant unveiled a Pride Month collection that included LGBT-themed clothes and swimwear for kids.
Target&#8217;s second quarter sales for 2023 <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/target-sales-sink-after-pride-backlash" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sank</a> 5.4% compared to the previous year — its first quarterly sales decline in six years — and the company lost billions in market value as its stock plunged. Unlike Anheuser-Busch, Target&#8217;s stock has not stabilized and is down roughly 30% since the backlash began.
The Bud Light controversy was not the first time that conservatives had tried to boycott a company over its attempts to push a Left-wing narrative in its advertising, but the sheer number of people who participated and how dramatically Bud Light&#8217;s sales plummeted make it unique. Additionally, the fact that such an iconic brand as Bud Light became entangled in one of the most hot-button issues in the country certainly contributed to how extensive the boycott became.
Bud Light&#8217;s sales are still floundering and its reputation is ruined among a large portion of the American people. While Bud Light suffered a massive hit, AB InBev&#8217;s overall losses are so relatively low because it <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/if-you-want-to-boycott-anheuser-busch-over-dylan-mulvaney-add-these-brands-to-your-no-buy-list" target="_blank" rel="noopener">owns so many</a> other beer brands, unbeknownst to the general public.
Anheuser-Busch&#8217;s pivot toward more patriotic ads in the wake of the Dylan Mulvaney fiasco could indicate that it will back off from social justice virtue signaling. Whether this whole affair will introduce a chilling effect to other companies and cause them to think twice about wading into the culture wars is yet to be seen. But in an environment where more and more giant corporations are weighing in on political issues (almost always in favor of the Left), conservatives should be encouraged by the results of their battle against America&#8217;s former favorite brew.
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Dylan Mulvaney Bud Light

How Conservatives Pulled Off One Of The Most Successful Boycotts In U.S. History

Anheuser-Busch

Dylan Mulvaney

Transgender

As seen in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/walt-disney-would-be-appalled-at-what-his-company-has-become">part one</a> of our look at Walt Disney&#8217;s political evolution, he actively tried to stay out of politics during the early years of The Walt Disney Company. He quietly voted for Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1936 before changing his allegiance to Republican candidate Wendell Willkie in 1940.
The first time he showed fervent support for a political candidate was for Republican presidential hopeful Thomas Dewey in 1944 (which he lost). He donated generously to the Dewey campaign and even gave a <a href="https://tessa2.lapl.org/digital/collection/photos/id/31700" target="_blank" rel="noopener">speech</a> in support of Dewey at a massive rally in Los Angeles.
As Walt became more outspoken in national politics, he also became more concerned about the political climate in Hollywood. He had blamed a 1941 strike by Disney employees on communist infiltration, saying years later that &#8220;I definitely feel it was a Communist group trying to take over my artists.&#8221; By 1944, he had come to believe that Hollywood as a whole had come under communist influence.
Disney joined with dozens of likeminded Hollywood stars and became one of the founding members of the Motion Picture Alliance for the Preservation of American Ideals (MPA) in February 1944. Besides Disney, the MPA <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=pSKLfQYNYDAC&amp;pg=PA1081#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false" target="_blank" rel="noopener">counted</a> prominent stars such as John Wayne, Gary Cooper, Clark Gable, Ronald Reagan, Barbara Stanwyck, Cecil B. DeMille, John Ford, Walter Brennan, and even author Ayn Rand as <a href="https://www.imdb.com/list/ls089560613/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">members</a>.
The organization was created to dispel &#8220;the growing impression that this industry is made up of and dominated by communists, radicals and crackpots,&#8221; TIME Magazine <a href="https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,885343,00.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> at the time.
&#8220;We believe in, and like, the American way of life: the liberty and freedom which generations before us have fought to create and preserve; the freedom to speak, to think, to live, to worship, to work, and to govern ourselves as individuals, as free men; the right to succeed or fail as free men, according to the measure of our ability and our strength,&#8221; the organization&#8217;s <a href="http://www.cobbles.com/simpp_archive/huac_alliance.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement of principles</a> said.
&#8220;Believing in these things, we find ourselves in sharp revolt against a rising tide of communism, fascism, and kindred beliefs, that seek by subversive means to undermine and change this way of life,&#8221; it continued.
&#8220;As members of the motion-picture industry, we must face and accept an especial responsibility. Motion pictures are inescapably one of the world&#8217;s greatest forces for influencing public thought and opinion, both at home and abroad. In this fact lies solemn obligation. We refuse to permit the effort of Communist, Fascist, and other totalitarian-minded groups to pervert this powerful medium into an instrument for the dissemination of un-American ideas and beliefs.&#8221;
Several members of the MPA testified as friendly witnesses before the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) in the late 1940s — including Cooper and Disney.
HUAC had been <a href="https://www.trumanlibrary.gov/education/presidential-inquiries/house-un-american-activities-committee" target="_blank" rel="noopener">established</a> in 1938 to investigate activities undertaken by private citizens that potentially indicated disloyalty to the United States, and those suspected of communist ties or sympathies were heavily scrutinized, especially after the end of World War II and the beginning of the Cold War.
During his testimony before the committee in October 1947, Disney <a href="https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/dictionaries-thesauruses-pictures-and-press-releases/testimony-walter-e-disney-house-committee-un-american-activities-24-october-1947" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recounted</a> the 1941 strike and how he believed that communist agitators had precipitated the labor unrest at Disney Studios. He claimed that one of the principal organizers of the strike, Hebert K. Sorrell, was a communist and said that Sorrell had privately bragged to him that communists had financially supported one of his previous strikes in 1937. Disney also asserted that there were no communists or fascists working at his company by 1947.
When asked his personal opinion of the Communist Party, Disney replied, &#8220;Well, I don&#8217;t believe it is a political party. I believe it is an un-American thing.&#8221;
Disney lamented that a few agents could infiltrate a union, take it over, and then begin espousing communist ideology despite the fact that most workers represented by the union were anti-communist.
&#8220;They are represented to the world as supporting all of those ideologies, and it is not so, and I feel that they really ought to be smoked out and shown up for what they are, so that all of the good, free causes in this country, all the liberalisms that really are American, can go out without the taint of communism. That is my sincere feeling on it,&#8221; he said.
When asked whether he wished to see the Communist Party outlawed in the U.S., Disney said, &#8220;I feel if the thing can be proven un-American that it ought to be outlawed. I think in some way it should be done without interfering with the rights of the people. I think that will be done.&#8221;
Reagan, then-president of the Screen Actors Guild and a member of the MPA, also <a href="https://www.reaganfoundation.org/media/51313/red-scare.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">testified</a> before HUAC and alleged that communists were behind several Hollywood strikes.
<div id="attachment_594623" style="width: 589px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-594623" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-594623" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-514686344-579x576.jpg" alt="Movie actor Ronald Reagan testifies before the House Un-American Activities Committee." width="579" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-514686344-579x576.jpg 579w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-514686344-150x150.jpg 150w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-514686344-768x764.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-514686344.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 579px) 100vw, 579px" />Bettmann/Contributor. Getty Images.</div>
John Wayne <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=dOPU1Zu7gjwC&amp;pg=PA338#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false" target="_blank" rel="noopener">served</a> four one-year terms as the MPA&#8217;s president from 1949 to 1953 and helped <a href="https://lawliberty.org/the-real-wayne/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">enforce</a> the anti-communist Hollywood blacklist. The MPA&#8217;s activities gradually diminished after the end of the Red Scare in the late 1950s.
In 1952, Jacqueline Cochran, an aide to Dwight D. Eisenhower&#8217;s presidential campaign, <a href="https://d23.com/disneys-presidential-past-connections-to-commanders-in-chief/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">approached</a> Roy O. Disney, Walt&#8217;s brother and confidant, to ask for help with the Republican nominee&#8217;s advertising efforts. The Disneys allowed their animators to donate their time to create a new animated commercial in support of Eisenhower.
The resulting ad, titled &#8220;Ike For President&#8221; but more commonly known as &#8220;I Like Ike,&#8221; has become one of the most <a href="https://www.insidernj.com/like-ike-political-parties-never-same/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">memorable</a> political ads of the 20th century. Eisenhower&#8217;s campaign was the first to make extensive use of television ads, and &#8220;I Like Ike&#8221; was by far the most popular.
WATCH:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Presidential ad: &quot;I like Ike&quot; from Dwight D. Eisenhower (R) vs. Adlai Stevenson II (D) [1952—HOPE]" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/YP7WaUPACuY?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
After Eisenhower defeated the Democratic nominee, Illinois Governor Adlai Stevenson, in a landslide, Roy <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctv8pzcv5.5?seq=4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a> a letter to Cochran, saying, &#8220;The boys and girls all enjoyed working on the project and, of course, we are all very happy at the outcome of the election.&#8221;
After leaving the White House in 1961, Eisenhower served as the chairman of the Freedoms Foundation, and <a href="https://www.waltdisney.org/blog/red-walt-and-blue" target="_blank" rel="noopener">presented</a> Walt Disney with the organization&#8217;s George Washington Medal of Honor in 1963.
“Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge honors Walt Disney, Ambassador of Freedom for the United States of America. For his educational wisdom and patriotic dedication in advancing the concept of freedom under God; for his unfailing professional devotion to the things which matter most, human dignity and personal responsibility; for masterful creative leadership in communicating the hopes and aspirations of our free society to the far corners of the planet,” Eisenhower said at the ceremony in Palm Springs, California.
During his acceptance speech, Disney remarked that one of the most important things his father taught him was to be grateful to be an American citizen, though he did quip about his father&#8217;s voting record.
&#8220;Frankly, he never voted on the right side. He was a blind Democrat. He was a dead socialist. But he was one that I learned a lot from, and a lot of his words have stuck with me.&#8221;
&#8220;If you could see close in my eyes, the American flag is waving in both of them, and up my spine is growing this red, white and blue stripe. I’m very proud and very honored,&#8221; he concluded.
Disney maintained a friendly relationship with Richard Nixon while he was vice president under Eisenhower. In one piece of <a href="https://www.nixonlibrary.gov/news/attention-mouseketeers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">correspondence</a>, Walt requested that Nixon answer a young reporter&#8217;s question: &#8220;When I Grow Up, Mr. Nixon, Why Should I Be A Republican?&#8221;
Disney offered some advice to the vice president: &#8220;As to your reply, I can say only this: I think it will be most powerful if you confine it to three sentences or less. I realize such a reply is much more difficult than three paragraphs, but I do think the results will be worth the effort.&#8221; Disney even offered to set up an interview, but Nixon&#8217;s tight schedule prevented a meeting.
According to animation historian Michael Barrier, Disney <a href="http://www.michaelbarrier.com/Essays/Walts_Goldwater_Button/WaltsGoldwaterButton.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">attended</a> the 1964 Republican National Convention, which nominated Arizona Sen. Barry Goldwater as the party&#8217;s nominee. Only a couple of months later, President Lyndon B. Johnson presented Disney with he Presidential Medal of Freedom at the White House.
&#8220;When he learned that he was to receive this honor, and that he was expected to go to the White House to receive it, I reacted with dismay. It was during the Goldwater campaign, and we were all united in enthusiastic support of the senator,&#8221; Walt&#8217;s eldest daughter, Diane Disney Miller, told Barrier.
Goldwater lost the election to Johnson that November in a landslide.
Disney, a heavy smoker most of his life, died of complications from lung cancer in December of 1966 at the age of 65.
The Motion Picture Alliance was officially disbanded in 1975 — the same year the House Un-American Activities Committee was abolished.
As we&#8217;ve seen, Walt Disney&#8217;s personal politics were a far cry from the initiatives being pushed by the modern Walt Disney Company. He consistently supported Republican candidates after 1940 and became increasingly concerned by the prospect that communists were trying to infiltrate the film industry. He, along with other conservative Hollywood stars of the era, recognized the importance of film and television in shaping public opinion on issues and acknowledged the danger to American ideals if leftists were able to completely control the nation&#8217;s entertainment.
(Disclosure: The Daily Wire has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/videos/introducing-dw-kids" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced plans</a> for kids entertainment content.)

Film Producer Walt Disney, 1951

Walt Disney Teamed Up With John Wayne, Ronald Reagan To Take On Communists In Hollywood

Celebrities

Communism

Hollywood

John Wayne

Ronald Reagan

There&#8217;s little doubt that Walt Disney, and by extension the company he founded, was one of the greatest pop culture icons of the 20th century, and that influence continues right into the present day.
Walt&#8217;s determination to appeal to both children and their parents represents a core reason for Disney&#8217;s enduring legacy. But, at least at first, it was also clear that the Walt Disney Company&#8217;s values were rooted in those of America at large. “Disneyland is dedicated to the ideals, the dreams, and the hard facts that have created America, with the hope that it will be a source of joy and inspiration to all the world,” Walt <a href="https://d23.com/walt-disney-quote/to-all-who/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> of the iconic theme park.
And he wanted <a href="https://disneyland.disney.go.com/destinations/disneyland/main-street-usa/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Main Street U.S.A.</a>, the first &#8220;themed land&#8221; visitors experience when they enter the park, to <a href="https://www.parksavers.com/main-street-usa-disney-world-guide/#:~:text=Here's%20what%20Walt%20Disney%20had,the%20heart%20line%20of%20America.%E2%80%9D" target="_blank" rel="noopener">represent</a> &#8220;everyone’s hometown … the heart line of America.”
But the modern Walt Disney Company seems to be at odds with that notion, with many conservatives arguing that it has strayed far from Walt&#8217;s wholesome and patriotic vision. In the last few years, the company has become ever more embroiled in the culture wars. It has filled its recent movie and television content with nods to leftist ideologies, from <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/disney-casts-transgender-actor-for-new-star-wars-series-on-streaming-site" target="_blank" rel="noopener">transgenderism</a> to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/long-before-the-reparations-episode-generated-outrage-disneys-proud-family-was-pushing-extreme-leftist-culture-on-kids" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reparations</a>. One executive producer for Disney <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/not-at-all-secret-gay-agenda-disney-employees-break-down-adding-queerness-to-shows-and-degenderizing-theme-parks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">boasted</a> during a staff meeting about her &#8220;not-at-all-secret gay agenda.&#8221;
Additionally, the company has become embroiled in a conflict with the state of Florida over the state&#8217;s legislation that <a href="https://dailycaller.com/2023/05/03/florida-lawmakers-expansion-desantis-parental-rights-education-bill/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">prohibits</a> schools from teaching children from kindergarten through 8th grade about gender identity and sexual orientation.
In contrast with the leftward drift the company has experienced, its founder took the opposite route — evolving from a relatively non-political businessman into a strident anti-communist and impassioned advocate for American ideals.
Walt Disney was born in Chicago in 1901, but his family moved to Marceline, Missouri, when he was four. There, Disney became interested in drawing, and the family was <a href="https://www.movieguide.org/news-articles/how-walt-disneys-faith-was-central-to-his-groundbreaking-career-in-entertainment.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">active</a> in a local Congregationalist church. The Disney family moved to Kansas City, Missouri, and eventually back to Chicago, where Walt took classes at the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts.
<div id="attachment_587725" style="width: 802px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-587725" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-587725 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-515564618-792x576.jpg" alt="(Original Caption) Thousands of people in all parts of the world laugh at and enjoy the antics of Mickey Mouse, the star of stars, but few know the pain staking and intricate work necessary in making of the popular films. Scores of artists and sound experts work in the Mickey Mouse Studios just outside of Los Angeles making thousands of drawings and accompaniment under the direction of Walt Disney, creator of Mickey Mouse. This photo shows Disney at his desk in his studio." width="792" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-515564618-792x576.jpg 792w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-515564618-300x218.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-515564618-768x559.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-515564618-1536x1117.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-515564618-2048x1489.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 792px) 100vw, 792px" />Bettmann/Contributor. Getty Images.</div>
After the U.S. Army rejected him for being too young, Disney <a href="https://d23.com/this-day/walt-disney-enlists-in-red-cross-ambulance-corps/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">joined</a> the Red Cross in September 1918 as an ambulance driver, but he arrived in France after the armistice that ended World War I. After his stint in the Red Cross, he initially returned to Kansas City to pursue cartoons as a career but soon traveled to Los Angeles to meet up with his brother, Roy O. Disney. Together, they founded the Disney Brothers Studio, which would eventually become The Walt Disney Company, and began producing short cartoon films. The company achieved its <a href="https://www.moma.org/learn/moma_learning/walt-disney-ub-iwerks-steamboat-willie-1928/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">breakthrough</a> with 1928&#8217;s &#8220;Steamboat Willie,&#8221; considered to be the debut of Mickey Mouse and the first fully synchronized sound cartoon.
The creation and success of Mickey Mouse cartoons propelled Disney to the forefront of animation in Hollywood in the 1930s and the early &#8217;40s, cemented by the release of such classics as &#8220;Snow White&#8221; and &#8220;Pinocchio.&#8221;
Despite the massive political upheaval taking place in the U.S. in the early 1930s as a result of the Great Depression and the first round of Democratic President Franklin Delano Roosevelt&#8217;s New Deal, Disney was reportedly reluctant to even discuss politics. Joe Grant, who worked on &#8220;Snow White,&#8221; &#8220;Pinocchio,&#8221; and &#8220;Dumbo,&#8221; said that Disney was &#8220;very apolitical, believe me,” <a href="https://nypost.com/2022/04/25/walt-would-have-never-allowed-disneys-political-activism/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to a 2007 biography of Disney by journalist Neal Gabler.
He reportedly voted for Roosevelt in the 1936 presidential election, which Roosevelt won in a landslide based on the mass appeal of the New Deal.
<div id="attachment_587733" style="width: 787px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-587733" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-587733" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-517363132-777x576.jpg" alt="(Original Caption) Walt Disney, celebrated cartoonist and the creator of Mickey Mouse, is shown on the beach at Waikiki playing on a ukulele, while his brother and business manager, Roy, makes him the subject of a movie. Bettmann/Contributor. Getty Images." width="777" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-517363132-777x576.jpg 777w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-517363132-300x223.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-517363132-768x570.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-517363132-1536x1139.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-517363132-2048x1519.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 777px) 100vw, 777px" />(Original Caption) Walt Disney, celebrated cartoonist and the creator of Mickey Mouse, is shown on the beach at Waikiki playing on a ukulele, while his brother and business manager, Roy, makes him the subject of a movie. Bettmann/Contributor. Getty Images.</div>
Disney switched his support to the Republican Party in the 1940 presidential election, an affiliation that he would maintain for the rest of his life. Wendell Willkie, a businessman from New York who had never previously held political office and had only become a Republican in 1939, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/event/United-States-presidential-election-of-1940" target="_blank" rel="noopener">clinched</a> the GOP nomination as a dark horse at the national convention. There was very little difference between Roosevelt and Willkie on the major issues of the campaign — both <a href="https://www.britannica.com/event/United-States-presidential-election-of-1940" target="_blank" rel="noopener">supported</a> the New Deal and material support for the Allies in World War II &#8220;short of war.&#8221;
&#8220;In the election of 1936, I just couldn’t go Republican … Roy and I split. Roy went Republican and I voted for Roosevelt. By 1940 and everything that happened in the next four years, I was right back on the other bandwagon. I became a [Wendell] Willkie man. He was a great man,&#8221; Disney <a href="https://pjmedia.com/culture/chris-queen/2013/05/03/walt-disneys-fascinating-political-journey-n145297" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> told a writer.
Disney declined to officially endorse Willkie and even expressed his wish to stay out of politics, telling the Willkie campaign in a letter that &#8220;a long time ago I found out that I knew nothing whatsoever about the game of politics and since then I’ve preferred to keep silent about the entire matter rather than see my name attached to any statement that was not my own.&#8221;
After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 and America&#8217;s entry into World War II, Disney&#8217;s involvement in politics began to change. Half of Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California, was <a href="https://americanhistory.si.edu/blog/ww2-disney" target="_blank" rel="noopener">occupied</a> by U.S. troops in order to protect a nearby Lockheed aircraft factory from possible air raids (none ever occurred).
Soon, the U.S. government approached Disney with a contract to make propaganda films to help the war effort. The company ultimately made short films for every branch of the military during the war, <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/how-disney-propaganda-shaped-life-on-the-home-front-during-wwii-180979057/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">including</a> the Academy Award-winning 1943 short film &#8220;Der Fuehrer&#8217;s Face&#8221; (in which Donald Duck takes on Hitler) and the more serious &#8220;Victory Through Air Power.&#8221;
<div id="attachment_587731" style="width: 673px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-587731" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-587731" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-515168560-663x576.jpg" alt="(Original Caption) Prompted by increasing requests from Army, Navy, and Air Corps branches, Walt Disney artists are now working on defense orders for service insignias. Walt Disney shows Air Corps officer Lieutenant Claude Pevey and insignia recently designed for the Navy's torpedo boats, known as the mosquito fleet. Bettmann/Contributor. Getty Images." width="663" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-515168560-663x576.jpg 663w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-515168560-300x260.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-515168560-768x667.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-515168560-1536x1334.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-515168560-2048x1778.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 663px) 100vw, 663px" />Bettmann/Contributor. Getty Images.</div>
His first explicit endorsement of a presidential candidate was given to Thomas Dewey, the Republican nominee in the 1944 presidential election — once again facing Roosevelt.
He allowed Dewey to hold a rally on studio grounds, donated generously to the Dewey campaign, and even gave a <a href="https://tessa2.lapl.org/digital/collection/photos/id/31700" target="_blank" rel="noopener">speech</a> in support of Dewey in Los Angeles to a rally of reportedly 93,000 people in September 1944. Other Hollywood stars who came out in support of Dewey at the rally <a href="https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,933080,00.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">included</a> Lionel Barrymore, Barbara Stanwyck, and Cecil B. DeMille.
Roosevelt <a href="https://www.britannica.com/event/United-States-presidential-election-of-1944" target="_blank" rel="noopener">again</a> won the White House, for an unprecedented fourth term that would be cut short by his death in April 1945, but it was the closest of his presidential campaigns.
It&#8217;s been speculated that the rise of unions in Hollywood, and in the Disney company specifically, provided the catalyst for Walt&#8217;s political awakening. After a <a href="https://pjmedia.com/culture/chris-queen/2013/05/03/walt-disneys-fascinating-political-journey-n145297" target="_blank" rel="noopener">strike</a> by Disney employees in May 1941 while the company was in dire financial straits, Disney became fiercely anti-communist, believing American communists were behind the labor disputes.
&#8220;I definitely feel it was a Communist group trying to take over my artists and they did take them over,&#8221; Disney reportedly said about the 1941 strike.
However, Disney never discriminated against employees based on their personal political leanings, <a href="https://pjmedia.com/culture/chris-queen/2013/05/03/walt-disneys-fascinating-political-journey-n145297" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to a biography by historian Michael Barrier.
&#8220;He was not an aggressive Red hunter; his conservatism had a strongly personal cast. An employee’s politics were not of any particular concern to him if that employee was not challenging him,&#8221; Barrier wrote.
The experience with the Dewey campaign as well as the animators&#8217; strike would cause Disney to become more politically involved in the late 1940s and &#8217;50s, and Walt&#8217;s conservative values would become more pronounced as time went on.
The difference between the founder of Disney and its modern iteration could not be more stark. Whereas Walt Disney was personally a Republican but tried to stay out of politics as much as possible in his early life, the modern Walt Disney Company seems to have been overrun by avowed leftist ideologues who are determined to inject politics into all of the company&#8217;s products.
(Disclosure: The Daily Wire has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/videos/introducing-dw-kids" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced plans</a> for kids entertainment content.)

Disney Makes A Point

Walt Disney Would Be Appalled At What His Company Has Become

California

Disneyland

Los Angeles

World War II

Yeonmi Park&#8217;s story is one of courage, endurance, and resolve. Since escaping from North Korea&#8217;s brutal communist dictatorship, she has dedicated her life to speaking out against the atrocities committed by Kim Jong Un&#8217;s regime. Once she made her way to South Korea and eventually over to the United States, she was feted by the elites, including Hillary Clinton, as a paragon of resilience in the face of unrelenting cruelty and oppression.
That is, until she began to make uncomfortable comparisons between North Korea&#8217;s Orwellian totalitarianism and the woke ideology permeating the country, especially on college campuses. All of sudden, in the eyes of the mainstream media, Park was no longer a hero. Instead, she was a willing pawn of the right — hoodwinked into becoming a soldier in America&#8217;s culture wars.
A <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/22/us/politics/yeonmi-park-north-korea-republicans.html?partner=slack&amp;smid=sl-share" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recent profile</a> from The New York Times titled &#8220;A North Korean Dissident Defects to the American Right,&#8221; propagates this new angle. It does so even in the headline, with the negative connotation of the word &#8220;defects&#8221; suggesting that she has committed an act of betrayal by associating with conservatives and speaking out about leftist ideology in the United States.
Further on in the article, she is framed as an outlier, an aberration. Other escapees from the Hermit Kingdom, the Times notes, tend to live tranquil lives in their new safe havens. They don&#8217;t rock the boat. They&#8217;re grateful.
They also subtly jab at the sincerity of her advocacy by featuring experts who believe that Park may be motivated by a desire for fame and fortune. A Korean studies professor from the University of Melbourne pointedly described her as an &#8220;amazing entertainer&#8221; who&#8217;s &#8220;always picking up on keywords.&#8221;
“It’s a shame, because she has important things to say about what life is like in North Korea,” Jean Lee, a journalist for the Associated Press who has reported from both North and South Korea, told the outlet. “But I think it’s been clouded by a desire for attention or a platform.”
But Park&#8217;s story is more complicated than that.
Yeonmi Park was born in Hyesan, North Korea, a city on the border with China. Her father was a civil servant and later worked at a foundry, but he also supplemented the family&#8217;s income by smuggling in goods from China. Park has said that watching a VHS tape of James Cameron&#8217;s 1997 film &#8220;Titanic&#8221; was a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/26/sunday-review/the-worlds-dissidents-have-their-say.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">turning point</a> for how she viewed the North Korean regime, with the film providing her a glimpse to the outside world since all media is strictly controlled by the government. Her father was eventually arrested in 2002 for his smuggling operations and sent t0 one of the country&#8217;s infamous reeducation camps in 2004.
During her father&#8217;s imprisonment, the family struggled and was often forced to consume insects for food. Yeonmi and her sister were forced to quit school, which she said did little but propagate the personality cult surrounding the nation&#8217;s ruling Kim family. “I thought Kim Jong Il was a god who could read my mind,&#8221; she said of her school lessons, <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/north-korea/yeonmi-park-s-long-journey-north-korea-chicago-n849516" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to NBC News in 2018. &#8220;I thought his spirit never dies, and I never thought he was a normal human being.&#8221;
Her father orchestrated the family&#8217;s escape to China in 2007, when Yeonmi was only 13, after he was released from the camp. He died of colon cancer the next year, and Yeonmi and her mother — they had been separated from Yeonmi&#8217;s sister during the escape from North Korea — eked out a living in China before meeting a group of Chinese and Korean missionaries in 2009 who agreed to help them get out of China by smuggling them through Mongolia.
After being stopped by Mongolian border guards and threatened with deportation, Yeonmi and her mother were flown to South Korea. Upon reaching South Korea, she was immediately given citizenship and received an education. She also began appearing on a South Korean variety show that often featured North Korean defectors as guests.
She first visited the U.S. in 2013 and moved to New York City in 2014 as she completed her memoir of her experiences in North Korea and China. In 2014, Yeonmi learned that her sister had been able to make her way to South Korea via China and Thailand. She enrolled in Columbia University in 2016 and graduated in 2020 with a major in economics.
Practically as soon as she landed in South Korea, Park began speaking out about her experiences in North Korea. Her harrowing tale soon received considerable attention, with numerous mainstream media outlets <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/yeonmi-park-reveals-the-horrors-of-life-in-north-korea-and-her-escape-to-china-a6678156.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">crediting</a> her with revealing the &#8220;horrifying&#8221; realities of life under Kim Jong Un and <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2018/08/20/north-korean-defector-yeonmi-parks-lessons-on-perseverance.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">praising</a> her resilience. She appeared at both the Oslo Freedom Forum and the One Young World Summit in 2014, as well as the Women of the World Summit in 2015, which also featured former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Park also made an appearance at the Met Gala in 2017. A Times piece <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/04/fashion/joe-gebbia-yeonmi-park-met-gala.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">written</a> after her appearance at the event, titled &#8220;Activism at the Met Gala,&#8221; declared, &#8220;It is worth pausing to consider a red carpet moment most people missed&#8221; and noted that Park is &#8220;highly regarded by activists.&#8221; This piece does not suggest in any way that Park attended the gala for any reason other than raising awareness about the North Korean regime.
The establishment&#8217;s fondness for Park soured once she started to speak about her experiences at Columbia and about wokeness in U.S. society.
“Going to Columbia, the first thing I learned was ‘safe space,’” she <a href="https://nypost.com/2021/06/14/north-korean-defector-slams-woke-us-schools/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> the New York Post in 2021. “Every problem, they explained us, is because of white men.” She said that the emphasis on white privilege in her classes reminded her of the practice in North Korea of judging citizens based on how loyal their family has been to the communist party in the past.
She compared her classmates to &#8220;giant adult babies&#8221; due to their obsession with safe spaces, trigger warnings, and pronouns.
“I thought North Koreans were the only people who hated Americans, but turns out there are a lot of people hating this country in this country,” she added.
During an <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/north-korean-defector-ivy-league-nuts" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interview</a> with Fox News, Park warned that universities do not teach students to think critically but instead blindly accept certain leftist dogmas about race and gender. She said that North Korea&#8217;s education system brainwashed people into accepting blatant lies as absolute truth.
“In North Korea I literally believed that my Dear Leader was starving,” she <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/north-korean-defector-after-attending-ivy-league-school-even-north-korea-was-not-this-nuts" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. “He’s the fattest guy – how can anyone believe that? And then somebody showed me a photo and said ‘Look at him, he’s the fattest guy. Other people are all thin.’ And I was like, ‘Oh my God, why did I not notice that he was fat?’ Because I never learned how to think critically.”
“That is what is happening in America,” she added. “People see things but they’ve just completely lost the ability to think critically.”
Speaking about the issues of gender and pronouns on Columbia&#8217;s campus, Park argued, &#8220;Even North Korea is not this nuts. North Korea was pretty crazy, but not this crazy.&#8221;
&#8220;These kids keep saying how they’re oppressed, how much injustice they&#8217;ve experienced. They don&#8217;t know how hard it is to be free,&#8221; she added.
She noted that while information and the media are strictly controlled by the North Korean government and its citizens have almost no knowledge of the outside world, Americans have access to an almost unlimited amount of information but &#8220;choose to be brainwashed.&#8221;
&#8220;Where are we going from here?&#8221; she wondered.
Park has given expansive interviews with Daily Wire host Candace Owens and DailyWire+&#8217;s Dr. Jordan B. Peterson, during which she speaks more on her <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ua00hjZpY6E" target="_blank" rel="noopener">escape</a> from North Korea and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yqa-SdJtT4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">her time</a> at Columbia. He newest book, &#8220;While Time Remains,&#8221; thoroughly <a href="https://www.amazon.com/While-Time-Remains-Defectors-Freedom/dp/1668003317" target="_blank" rel="noopener">chronicles</a> her experiences with wokeness in the U.S. and calls for Americans to push back against it, lest it become a collective-obsessed dictatorship like North Korea.
The media&#8217;s heel-turn on Park after she began critiquing American society has been rather stunning. Once lauded as a champion for human rights who shared a stage with Hillary Clinton, she is now framed as a conservative activist looking to cash in on her personal trauma. But the critiques of her account and her sincerity from the mainstream media may inadvertently vindicate some of her comparisons between the American Left and North Korea as both try to silence and discredit opposing viewpoints.

“Candace” Hosted By Candace Owens

Yeonmi Park Escaped North Korea’s Brutal Communist Regime. Now, She’s Being Attacked By The American Left.

Yeonmi Park Escaped North Korea's Brutal Communist Regime. Now, She's Being Attacked By The American Left.

China

Columbia University

New York Times

North Korea

South Korea

Yeonmi Park

As the transgender movement has become more and more prevalent in American politics and society, the issue of whether minors should be allowed to undergo life-altering medical procedures as part of the &#8220;transition&#8221; process has become a flashpoint issue. The legacy media, academia, and even the medical field are largely dominated by those who proclaim that these procedures are both a positive step toward affirming these children&#8217;s professed identities and a necessary measure to prevent an epidemic of suicides among trans-identifying adolescents.
But a growing number of people are speaking out about these procedures, not the least of which have been those who experienced the transition process as children but have since regretted it — known colloquially as de-transitioners. One of the most prominent de-transitioners to speak out passionately against transgender medical procedures on children has been Chloe Cole.
Cole, now 18, began to <a href="https://www.dhillonlaw.com/lawsuits/chloe-cole-v-kaiser-permanente/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">transition</a> at age 13 and received care at Kaiser Permanente hospitals in California, where she was given puberty blockers, hormone treatment, and a double mastectomy. When she was 17, Cole decided that she no longer identified as a male and has since spoken out about her experiences during and after the transition process.
In late February 2023, Cole announced that she was suing Kaiser Permanente for its role in facilitating her transition, accusing the medical group of medical negligence in providing chemical and surgical sex change interventions to Cole. The initial <a href="https://www.dhillonlaw.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Letter-of-Intent-Chloe-Cole.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">intent to sue letter</a>, sent in November 2022, said that the defendants coerced Cole and her parents into the gender transition process by telling them that her gender dysphoria would not go away unless Cole underwent gender transition and that Cole was at high risk for suicide if they did not go through with the interventions.
“My teenage life has been the culmination of excruciating pain, regret, and most importantly injustice,” Cole said. “I have been emotionally and physically damaged and stunted by so-called medical professionals in my most important developmental period. I was butchered by an institution that we trust more than anything else in our lives.&#8221;
Kaiser Permanente is the <a href="https://tspmg.com/index.php?option=com_content&amp;view=article&amp;id=73&amp;Itemid=501" target="_blank" rel="noopener">largest</a> not-for-profit health care provider in the country and the <a href="https://www.definitivehc.com/blog/top-10-largest-health-systems" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fourth largest</a> health care provider by net patient revenue — over $21 billion. The consortium runs 39 hospitals and over 600 medical facilities. It provides services for almost 13 million people in eight states and the District of Columbia. Cole&#8217;s case is not an isolated incident under Kaiser Permanente&#8217;s health plan. In fact, the group has been involved in facilitating children&#8217;s gender transitions for years.
Kaiser medical facilities were a part of the transgender surgery boom of the 2010s, with one of its hospitals in Oakland seeing a massive spike in top surgeries — the <a href="https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/treatment-tests-and-therapies/top-surgery#:~:text=Top%20surgery%20is%20another%20name,nipples%20for%20an%20affirming%20look." target="_blank" rel="noopener">masculinization</a> (often by mastectomy) or feminization of the chest area. The Kaiser Permanente Oakland hospital <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/26/health/top-surgery-transgender-teenagers.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">performed</a> five top surgeries on teens aged 13 to 18 in 2013, but carried out 70 in 2019 — a 1,300% increase in only six years.
On its website, Kaiser Permanente <a href="https://thrive.kaiserpermanente.org/care-near-you/southern-california/transgender/programs-services/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">boasts</a> that it is &#8220;a nationally recognized leader in LGBTQ+ health care equality, providing a wide range of services including mental health, hormone treatment, and surgical procedures to help transgender and nonbinary individuals achieve their gender-affirming goals.&#8221;
Under its &#8220;Gender Care Youth Services&#8221; tab, Kaiser notes its services <a href="https://thrive.kaiserpermanente.org/care-near-you/southern-california/transgender/programs-services/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">include</a>:
<ul>
<li>Counseling and therapy groups for youth and their families</li>
<li>Puberty blocking and hormone therapy</li>
<li>Sexual and reproductive health care</li>
<li>Hair removal</li>
<li>Voice therapy</li>
<li>Chest masculinizing mastectomy (top surgery) evaluations and procedures</li>
</ul>
Under its Community Resources section, Kaiser lists several organizations that have pushed radical gender ideology. One such organization is The Trevor Project, <a href="https://thrive.kaiserpermanente.org/care-near-you/southern-california/transgender/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">listed</a> on Kaiser&#8217;s website as a &#8220;crisis intervention hotline&#8221; for transgender youth. The Trevor Project <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mlb-linked-emergency-text-line-directs-users-to-reportedly-sexually-explicit-lgbtq-chat-room-watchdog-finds" target="_blank" rel="noopener">supports children</a> socially “transitioning” and undergoing transgender procedures. The group also runs a chat room, called the Crisis Text Line, for young people that <a href="https://www.nationalreview.com/news/undercover-mom-discovers-pandoras-box-of-depravity-in-trans-organizations-chatroom/?bypass_key=SkFyamhhWklHZXpzU1dQU0p0Yk5YQT09OjpTV3BaUVdjMGVsQnhOME5QTkVOeGIweHpjWE5aWnowOQ==?utm_source=email" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> allows sexually explicit conversations, according to the watchdog group American Accountability Foundation.
Another <a href="https://www.wpath.org/about/mission-and-vision">group</a> promoted by Kaiser under its &#8220;Health, Legal, and Advocacy Resources&#8221; <a href="https://thrive.kaiserpermanente.org/care-near-you/southern-california/transgender/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tab</a> is the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH), the leading transgender health association. In September 2022, the organization <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/leading-transgender-health-association-releases-new-guidelines" target="_blank" rel="noopener">updated</a> its care guidelines to remove minimal age recommendations for minors to obtain puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and surgeries. It also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-declaration-launches-opposition-to-leading-transgender-health-association" target="_blank" rel="noopener">eliminated</a> a chapter about ethics and added a &#8220;Eunuch&#8221; gender identity category.
An author of the updated guidelines, Dr. Ren Massey, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/author-of-new-wpath-guidelines-recommends-threatening-parents-with-call-to-child-protective-services" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> during a live-streamed conference that calling Child Protective Services is a “resource” for clinicians to “enforce the need for affirmation by parents&#8221; and suggested that hinting at a call to CPS could be used to get parents to cooperate.
WPATH guidelines are considered the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/15/magazine/gender-therapy.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">gold standard</a> for the field of health care for those diagnosed with gender dysphoria, and are widely used in hospitals and clinics across the U.S., Canada, and the U.K., as previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/leading-transgender-health-association-releases-new-guidelines" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. WPATH guidelines are highly influential to major medical groups, including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Psychological Association.
Cole revealed to multiple medical care providers that she was experiencing mental health issues, including &#8220;social anxiety&#8221; and a depressive mood, just before she began to transition, <a href="https://libertycenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Complaint1.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the lawsuit. The first doctor she visited, in November 2017, advised against hormone therapy because of Cole&#8217;s age, but a second doctor, who Cole visited in December 2017, supported the transition. The letter argues that doctors ignored Cole&#8217;s mental health issues in favor of pushing her through the transition process.
Kaiser&#8217;s approach to mental health services has been the subject of frequent investigation from state authorities in California.
In 2013, California&#8217;s Department of Managed Health Care (DMHC) hit Kaiser Permanente with a <a href="https://www.healthcarefinancenews.com/news/after-4-million-fine-2013-kaiser-cited-again-mental-health-access-problems" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$4 million fine</a>, the second highest fine ever levied by the agency, for failing to provide adequate mental health services for patients under its Kaiser Health Foundation Health Plan. Routine follow-up surveys conducted by the department in 2015 and 2017 found that patients still lacked access to timely mental health services. The DMHC <a href="https://www.sacbee.com/news/local/health-and-medicine/article261612882.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">informed</a> Kaiser Permanente in May 2022 that it would once again probe its mental health services after the department&#8217;s “help center received a 20% increase in behavioral health complaints for Kaiser in 2021 compared to 2020,&#8221; according to a DMHC spokesperson.
Kaiser Permanente is heavily involved in the booming industry of medically transitioning children. It boasts about being a leader in the field on its website and promotes organizations that push radical gender ideology. As more and more voices continue to speak out against transgender medical procedures being performed on children, Kaiser Permanente&#8217;s practices will most likely come under even more scrutiny.
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a free hotline for individuals in crisis or distress or for those looking to help someone else. It is available 24/7 at 1-800-273-8255.

Hollywood Exteriors And Landmarks – 2022

Medical Group Being Sued By Chloe Cole Isn’t Shy About Its Transgender Procedures On Minors

Medical Group Being Sued By Chloe Cole Isn't Shy About Its Transgender Procedures On Minors

LGBT

transgender surgery

At least four children and two adults were injured during a knife attack at a playground in the French city of Annecy on Thursday. Multiple outlets reported that the suspected attacker is a 31-year-old Syrian national.
The attacker, armed with a knife, entered a small park near a lake in the French city and began attacking children and their parents, <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/children-stabbed-knife-attack-france-annecy-rcna88305">according</a> to French authorities. The children were all around three years old, with the youngest being 22 months, and alleged footage of the attack shows the suspect trying to stab a child in a stroller, The Daily Mail <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12173067/Eight-children-stabbed-knifeman-French-playground-attacker-subdued.html">reported</a>. At least two of the children and one of the adults injured in the stabbing spree are in serious <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/children-stabbed-knife-attack-france-annecy-rcna88305">condition</a>.
The suspect was eventually pinned to the ground by police and arrested. The suspect&#8217;s motive is unclear, a source <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/some-children-injured-by-knife-attack-french-town-annecy-minister-2023-06-08/">told</a> Reuters.
French President Emmanuel Macron <a href="https://twitter.com/EmmanuelMacron/status/1666743793679302657">called</a> the attack an act of &#8220;absolute cowardice&#8221; and added, &#8220;Children and an adult are between life and death. The Nation is in shock. Our thoughts are with them as well as their families and the emergency services mobilized.&#8221;
&#8220;Several people including children were injured by an individual armed with a knife in a square in Annecy. The individual was arrested thanks to the very rapid intervention of the police,&#8221; French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin <a href="https://twitter.com/GDarmanin/status/1666727504365666309?">tweeted</a> in the aftermath.
Several videos allegedly showing the suspect running around the playground while several people attempt to stop him <a href="https://twitter.com/JaydaBF/status/1666771717232918528">surfaced</a> on Twitter.
<a href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-9096" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://onelink.to/dwapp&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1685885459858000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0AFvCLn4CIt7S8nPLjhrIg">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP</a>
A police source told Reuters that the suspect holds legal refugee status in France. Meanwhile, another police source reportedly <a href="https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20230608-several-children-injured-in-mass-stabbing-in-french-alps">told</a> Agence France-Presse that the man was granted refugee status in Sweden back in April.
Annecy is located almost 350 miles southeast of Paris in the French Alps and has a population of around 130,000.
There were almost 22,000 Syrian refugees in France in 2020, <a href="https://www.unhcr.org/refugee-statistics/download/?url=KnjiU9">according</a> to data from the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees.
France has been rocked by Islamic terror attacks in recent years. A French policewoman was <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/23/world/europe/france-terrorism-police-station.html">stabbed</a> to death by an Islamic extremist in 2021, while another fatally <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/06/world/europe/france-attacks-beheading-terrorism.html?searchResultPosition=3">stabbed</a> three people in the southern French city of Nice in 2020. 137 people died in a terrorist attack in Paris in November 2015, while a truck attack in July 2016 killed 87.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.

14th Day Of Protest Against The Pension Reform And Police Violence During The March

Multiple Children Stabbed During Attack On Playground In France By Syrian Refugee, Police Say

Syrian Refugee Behind Attack In France That Left Multiple Children In Serious Condition, Police Say

Crime

France

Syria

World

It has not been a great year so far for beer giant Anheuser-Busch or its conservative customers. Bud Light, one of the company&#8217;s flagship brands, ignited a national firestorm after it partnered with transgender activist and social media influencer Dylan Mulvaney back in April. Since the boycott began, Anheuser-Busch has reportedly lost almost $16 billion in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/anheuser-busch-inbev-market-value-has-plunged-staggering-15-7-billion-since-mulvaney-fiasco-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">market value</a> as cases upon cases of the once-iconic beer languish on store shelves across the country. The situation is so bad that the company is practically <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/05/23/bud-light-giving-away-free-beer-for-memorial-day-following-dylan-mulvaney-disaster/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">giving away</a> 15-packs for Memorial Day in an effort to unload product.
Molson Coors, the producer of brands such as Miller Lite and Coors Lite, has profited significantly from Anheuser-Busch&#8217;s plummeting sales, but the company also suffered backlash after a feminist commercial, released in March to honor Women&#8217;s History Month, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/miller-lite-responds-to-backlash-over-woke-feminist-beer-commercial-appreciate-the-humor" target="_blank" rel="noopener">resurfaced</a> online.
In response, many conservatives have switched to a less publicly woke brand of beer such as Yuengling, the nation&#8217;s oldest operating brewery, or to a different kind of alcoholic beverage entirely — liquor.
Anheuser-Busch&#8217;s parent company, AB InBev, and Molson Coors own the top 10 best-selling beer brands in the country, and a similar situation exists in the liquor market. You may see hundreds of different brands on display if you walk into a relatively large liquor store, but odds are the vast majority of them are owned by five companies.
And, perhaps unsurprisingly at this point, the biggest liquor companies in the world have used their brands to push transgender ideology and promote drag queens.
<h2>Diageo</h2>
Diageo, a British company created in 1997 by the merger of Guinness and Grand Metropolitan, is the largest liquor company in the world not owned by the Chinese Communist Party. It produces 40% of the world&#8217;s Scotch whiskey and owns the world&#8217;s best-selling vodka (Smirnoff) and liqueur (Baileys Irish Cream).
One of Diageo&#8217;s top scotch brands, J&amp;B, <a href="https://www.out.com/transgender/2022/12/21/whiskey-viral-commercial-trans-acceptance-video-watch" target="_blank" rel="noopener">released</a> an ad in Spain around Christmastime last year featuring an elderly man who secretly learns how to apply makeup. He then uses his newfound skills to make up his trans-identifying grandchild. The grandfather then shows off the now-feminine grandchild to the rest of the family, who happily embrace the two and celebrate by imbibing J&amp;B.
A message in Spanish at the end of the commercial read, &#8220;The magic is not only in Christmas. It&#8217;s also in us.&#8221;
Another massive Diageo brand, Smirnoff, bragged about its &#8220;decades of commitment to the LGBTQUIA+ community&#8221; when it <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/smirnoff-calls-on-kings-queens-and-every-drag-performer-in-between-to-show-up-for-its-most-inclusive-drag-celebration-ever-301577247.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> its &#8220;Show Up. Show Off!&#8221; drag queen competition in June 2022. Shea Couleé, described by Smirnoff as &#8220;drag royalty,&#8221; kicked off the competition in Chicago, and the winner received a $50,000 talent contract with the brand as well as an invitation to serve as an ambassador at Smirnoff Pride 2023, according to the press release.
One participant in that competition, drag queen and transgender activist Maxine St. James LaQueene, <a href="https://www.dailysignal.com/2023/05/09/smirnoff-drag-queen-partner-flashes-bystanders-at-texas-capitol/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">protested</a> in the Texas state capitol earlier this month against a bill that would ban transgender surgeries for minors. LaQueene allegedly exposed his backside and genitals to bystanders as he was being taken into custody for disrupting the legislature. Smirnoff <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/smirnoff-vodka-partners-trans-woman-recently-disrupted-texas-legislature-anti-trans-bill" target="_blank" rel="noopener">denied</a> any official partnership with LaQueene in an email to Fox News.
Transgender actor Laverne Cox has also <a href="https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/laverne-cox-smirnoff-womens-history-month/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">appeared</a> in multiple Smirnoff ads over the years.
Diageo also <a href="https://www.diageo.com/en/news-and-media/stories/2022/baileys-puts-inclusivity-at-the-heart-of-a-global-campaign" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hired</a> &#8220;three of the UK’s most popular drag queens&#8221; as part of a Halloween ad campaign for Baileys Irish Cream.
Some of Diageo&#8217;s <a href="https://www.eater.com/drinks/2016/1/26/10830410/liquor-brands-hierarchy-diageo-beam-suntory-pernod-ricard" target="_blank" rel="noopener">best-known brands</a> include:
<ul>
<li>Whiskey: Johnnie Walker scotch, J&amp;B scotch, and Crown Royal Canadian whiskey</li>
<li>Vodka: Smirnoff, Ketel One, and Cîroc</li>
<li>Rum: Captain Morgan</li>
<li>Tequila: Don Julio</li>
<li>Gin: Aviation Gin, Gordon&#8217;s, and Tanqueray</li>
<li>Liqueur: Baileys Irish Cream</li>
</ul>
<h2>Pernod Ricard</h2>
Pernod Ricard is a French company founded in 1975 and second only behind Diageo based on overall production. Its premium vodka brand, Absolut, has frequently partnered with drag queens, including an annual event in Canada called Empire&#8217;s Ball <a href="https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/absolut-empire-s-ball-celebrates-toronto-pride-with-showstopping-grand-finale-881403065.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">featuring</a> drag queens from around the country. In the press release for the 2022 Empire&#8217;s Ball, the Absolut brand was described as a &#8220;long standing LGBTQ2S+ ally,&#8221; and the brand promised to donate money to LGBT organizations.
Pernod Ricard even <a href="https://www.just-drinks.com/news/pernod-ricard-releases-drag-queen-documentary-for-absolut-vodka/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">produced</a> a documentary film in 2021 about the drag queen ball, entitled &#8220;Underneath the Empire.&#8221;
Absolut also collaborated with &#8220;drag icon&#8221; Tayce for a fashion campaign designed to create &#8220;a world where what you wear isn’t tied to the binds of gender, seasonal trends, religious expression, or function,&#8221; <a href="https://www.pernod-ricard.com/en/locations/uk/media/fashion-trio-serve-first-borntomix-collaboration-absolut" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to a press release from Pernod Ricard.
Absolut has also <a href="https://toronadosd.com/absolut-vodkas-surprising-decision-to-stop-sponsoring-rupauls-drag-race/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sponsored</a> several seasons of the popular drag queen competition show &#8220;RuPaul&#8217;s Drag Race.&#8221;
Some of Pernod Ricard&#8217;s best-known brands include:
<ul>
<li>Whiskey: Chivas Regal scotch, Glenlivet scotch, Jameson Irish whiskey, Redbreast Irish whiskey, and Jefferson&#8217;s bourbon</li>
<li>Vodka: Absolut</li>
<li>Gin: Beefeater and Seagram&#8217;s</li>
<li>Rum: Malibu and Havana Club</li>
<li>Liqueur: Kahlúa coffee liqueur</li>
</ul>
<h2>Beam Suntory</h2>
Johannes &#8220;Jacob&#8221; Beam began selling his homemade whiskey in 1795 and became one of the earliest bourbon distillers in the U.S. The whiskey brand went through several names until it settled on Jim Beam in 1943 in honor of James Beauregard Beam — who led the company through Prohibition. Meanwhile, Suntory was founded in Japan as a wine shop before its founder opened the country&#8217;s first malt whiskey distillery in 1923. Beam Suntory was created after Suntory Holdings purchased Beam Inc. in 2011.
In 2020, Jim Beam <a href="https://www.iheartradio.ca/virginradio/kelowna/contests/bring-it-to-the-ballroom-1.13871131" target="_blank" rel="noopener">advertised</a> an event called &#8220;Bring It To The Ballroom!&#8221; that featured several drag queens, including &#8220;Jimbo the Drag Clown,&#8221; according to a post from iHeart Radio. The event was ultimately postponed due to concerns over COVID.
Beam Suntory brand Hornitos tequila <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lgbtq-activists-awarded-grants-from-hornitos-tequila-to-amplify-advocacy-work-301573280.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">awarded</a> a series of grants to LGBT activists in June 2022, including one to Maria Louise Roman-Taylorson of the TransLatin Coalition. Each of the grantees received $10,000, and Hornitos noted that it had already given over $100,000 to the LGBT advocacy group GLAAD.
Suntory hosts several Pride events around the world every year for Pride month, <a href="https://www.suntory.com/topics/2022/08/007901.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">including</a> Drag Trivia Quizzes in its Auckland, New Zealand, and Sydney, Australia, offices last year.
Some of Beam Suntory&#8217;s best-known brands include:
<ul>
<li>Whiskey: Jim Beam bourbon, Maker&#8217;s Mark bourbon, Old Crow bourbon, Basil Hayden&#8217;s bourbon, Knob Creek bourbon, Ardmore scotch, Laphroiag scotch, Suntory brand Japanese whiskeys, and Canadian Club whiskey</li>
<li>Tequila: Sauza and Hornitos</li>
<li>Vodka: Pinnacle</li>
</ul>
<h2>Bacardi</h2>
Bacardi is the largest family-owned liquor company in the world. Founded in Cuba in 1862, Bacardi fled the country after communist guerrillas led by Fidel Castro overthrew the government in 1959. The executive of the company at the time, Jose Bosch, became an ardent <a href="https://businessinsider.mx/57-bacardi-and-the-long-fight-for-cuba/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">opponen</a>t of the Castro regime.
Nevertheless, the company has become the proud sponsor of leftist social policies in recent years.
Chris Cabrera, a transgender activist and bartender who also identifies as nonbinary, <a href="https://www.liquor.com/inclusive-space-award-2022-6363120" target="_blank" rel="noopener">became</a> the New York City brand ambassador for Grey Goose vodka, owned by Bacardi, in 2018. Cabrera facilitated Grey Goose&#8217;s sponsorship of the annual drag queen pageant at the Stonewall Inn in 2019 — the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots. Bacardi then promoted Cabrera to the position of national LGBTQ+ ambassador in 2020.
Bacardi <a href="https://bacardilgfevents.com/e/bacard%C3%AD-inaugural-drag-ball" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hosted</a> its inaugural drag ball in New Orleans in July of last year, and the company <a href="https://m.facebook.com/events/582366663403012/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hosted</a> another drag queen event in Canada back in February dubbed &#8220;Cowboys Bacardi Carnival.&#8221;
Bacardi, along with Diageo, is one of the biggest <a href="https://www.drinkstrade.com.au/bacardi-diageo-proud-supporters-of-sydneys-big-gay-celebration" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sponsors</a> of Sydney&#8217;s annual Pride celebration, with the main Bacardi brand and the company&#8217;s gin brand, Bombay Sapphire, hosting several drag queen events.
Some of Bacardi&#8217;s best-known brands include:
<ul>
<li>Rum: Bacardi and the U.S. rights to Havana Club</li>
<li>Whiskey: Dewar&#8217;s scotch</li>
<li>Tequila: Patrón</li>
<li>Gin: Bombay Sapphire</li>
<li>Vodka: Grey Goose</li>
</ul>
<h2>Brown-Forman</h2>
The Brown-Forman Corporation was founded as a whiskey company in 1870, but only became one of the world&#8217;s largest liquor companies after it acquired Jack Daniel&#8217;s Tennessee whiskey in 1956. More than the other companies in this article, Brown-Forman depends on a single brand for its high position in the liquor market — Jack Daniel&#8217;s is the second best-selling whiskey in the world after Diageo&#8217;s Johnnie Walker.
However, the company received increased scrutiny after a Jack Daniel&#8217;s ad campaign <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jack-daniels-drag-queen-campaign-faces-renewed-backlash-after-bud-light-and-dylan-mulvaney-brand-deal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">featuring</a> drag queens resurfaced in the wake of Bud Light&#8217;s Dylan Mulvaney debacle. Two years ago, the whiskey brand partnered with three drag queens for a series of videos promoting its Tennessee Fire brand. The partnership, referred to as “Drag Queen Summer Glamp,” showed the drag queens plan a Pride celebration.
“Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Fire is honored to partner with Bebe, Trinity, and Manila on a campaign that reaffirms our commitment to the LGBTQ+ community,” Jack Fire Brand Manager Lauren Richmond said in a <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/jack-daniels-tennessee-fire-and-rupauls-drag-race-alums-celebrate-pride-301314390.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">press release</a>. “This series demonstrates our brand’s holistic approach to engaging the consumers we serve through culture and unexpected partnerships.”
One of the drag queens, who performs under the moniker Trinity the Tuck, <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/jack-daniels-whiskey-boycott-calls-lgbt-campaign-1792890" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>, &#8220;Jack Daniel&#8217;s gets drag culture—which is all about celebrating individuality and inviting others to accept you as you are.&#8221;
Jack Daniel&#8217;s Canadian branch also partnered with a drag queen to promote its apple-flavored whiskey.
Brown-Forman&#8217;s vodka brand, Finlandia, <a href="https://louisvilledowntown.org/event/drag-queens-on-ice-december-4th-7-to-9-p-m/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sponsored</a> a December 2022 event in Louisville, Kentucky titled &#8220;Drag Queens on Ice,&#8221; according to the Louisville Downtown Partnership.
Some of Brown-Forman&#8217;s best-known brands include:
<ul>
<li>Whiskey: Jack Daniel&#8217;s Tennessee whiskey, Woodford Reserve bourbon, Old Forester bourbon, and GlenDronach scotch</li>
<li>Vodka: Finlandia</li>
</ul>
These are by no means exhaustive lists of the brands owned by these companies or the trans- and drag queen-themed events they&#8217;ve sponsored. Well over 100 different brands are owned by these five companies combined.
There is slightly more competition in the liquor market compared to the beer market — just two companies own the top 10 best-selling beer brands in the country — but it is evident that there is no ideological competition in the alcohol industry. Practically every major company has expressed its support for transgender ideology and hosted drag queen events through one or more of its brands.
And while discerning consumers can turn to microbreweries as a non-woke substitute for corporate beer, the home production of liquor is still strictly illegal <a href="https://www.ttb.gov/distilled-spirits/penalties-for-illegal-distilling#:~:text=While%20individuals%20of%20legal%20drinking,26%20United%20States%20Code%20(U.S.C.)" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the Treasury Department&#8217;s Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau. Producing your own liquor can result in a prison sentence of up to five years and a hefty fine.
The dominance of the liquor companies by a handful of firms ensures that consumers have only the illusion of choice in the market and that their dollars will go to supporting leftist social policies.

Bottles of Scotch Whisky brand, J&B, rare blend label seen

Trade Bud Light For Bourbon? Well, Odds Are Your Favorite Liquor Brands Also Support Trans Activists, Drag Queens

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