Doritos has fired a trans-identifying male influencer who <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/doritos-spain-faces-backlash-transgender-brand-ambassadors-resurfaced-tweets-1875763">reportedly</a> posted sexual comments about children in the past.
Over the weekend, Samantha Hudson, a trans-identifying man and social media influencer, appeared in a 50-second Instagram promo called “Crunch Talks” for Doritos Spain, which is part of PepsiCo Spain.
A Doritos Spain spokesperson <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/boycottdoritos-spanish-trans-influencer-samantha-hudson-1234981041/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> Rolling Stone that the company had launched a campaign with Hudson on Sunday before they were aware of his previous comments.
On Monday, after the company was “made aware of Samantha’s deleted Tweets from around 2015,” the spokesperson said the Instagram video was removed.
“We have ended the relationship and stopped all related campaign activity due to the comments,” the Doritos Spain spokesperson <a href="https://nypost.com/2024/03/06/us-news/doritos-spain-fires-transgender-influencer-ivan-ranedo-over-controversial-tweets/?utm_campaign=nypost&amp;utm_source=twitter&amp;utm_medium=social" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. “We strongly condemn words or actions that promote violence or sexism of any kind.”
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Doritos facing backlash for hiring TRANS man to be the face of the brand in Spain. 
Samantha Hudson, a biological man, has sparked outrage across the country for some of his tweets where he shares his fantasies about abusing kids.
H/T <a href="https://twitter.com/libsoftiktok?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@libsoftiktok</a> / <a href="https://twitter.com/hermanntertsch?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@hermanntertsch</a> <a href="https://t.co/Ef3z6Xir10">pic.twitter.com/Ef3z6Xir10</a>
&mdash; Oli London (@OliLondonTV) <a href="https://twitter.com/OliLondonTV/status/1764688557136843201?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 4, 2024</a></blockquote>
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🇪🇸 | Fuerte polémica en España tras conocerse que Doritos eligió a Samantha Hudson como embajadora de su marca en el país europeo.
Samantha Hudson: &#8211; Ha admitido ser una persona pedófila &#8211; Se identifica como una chica trans no binaria &#8211; Se burla abiertamente de las víctimas de… <a href="https://t.co/ur3l2orx3S">pic.twitter.com/ur3l2orx3S</a>
&mdash; UHN PLUS (@UHN_Plus) <a href="https://twitter.com/UHN_Plus/status/1764655776813969632?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 4, 2024</a></blockquote>
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The campaign’s removal and Hudson’s termination was due to Hudson’s history of controversial comments, not his gender identity, the spokesperson <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/boycottdoritos-spanish-trans-influencer-samantha-hudson-1234981041/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.
“Being perfect is not easy, but you end up getting used to it,” Hudson says in the Doritos Instagram spot, according to a translation.
By Monday, several jarring sexual posts about children that Hudson allegedly wrote resurfaced, sparking outrage online.
“I want to do thuggish things [to] a 12-year-old girl,” Hudson allegedly posted on X several years ago, adding a description of an extreme sexual crime against a child.
Hudson, 24, was <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/doritos-spain-faces-backlash-transgender-brand-ambassadors-resurfaced-tweets-1875763" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> 15 when he allegedly made that post.
“In the middle of the street in Mallorca in panties and screaming that I’m a nymphomaniac in front of a super beautiful 8-year-old girl,” Hudson allegedly wrote in another post.
Hudson also appears to have previously said that he wants to destroy the traditional nuclear family.
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&quot;I advocate for the destruction and for the annihilation of the traditional family.&quot; Brand ambassador for Doritos and self-described pedophiIe Samantha Hudson <a href="https://t.co/j4hPgmoaxi">pic.twitter.com/j4hPgmoaxi</a>
&mdash; End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) <a href="https://twitter.com/EndWokeness/status/1764724659088482349?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 4, 2024</a></blockquote>
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“I advocate for the destruction and for the annihilation of the traditional, monogamous, nuclear family,” Hudson said in a video posted to X by several social media users.
“Not that I’m going to beat up my parents,” he added to laughter from an audience.
In yet another X post, Hudson allegedly said that he hates women who are rape victims.
“I hate women who are victims of rape and who turn to self-help centers to overcome their trauma. k fat wh****,” Hudson allegedly wrote.
Hudson himself previously attempted to explain away his old posts when they came to light after he became a minor celebrity, Rolling Stone reported.
“Some tweets that I posted in 2015 are resurfacing and honestly I don’t know what to say, I don’t remember having written such barbarities,” he <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/boycottdoritos-spanish-trans-influencer-samantha-hudson-1234981041/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>, according to a translation of his posts. “At that time I dedicated myself to saying nonsense, the heavier the better, because I thought that ‘dark humor’ was funny.”
The backlash over Doritos Spain’s decision to partner with Hudson echoes the reaction in the U.S. to Bud Light collaborating with trans-identifying influencer Dylan Mulvaney last year.
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Bud Light’s parent company <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/08/03/business/anheuser-busch-revenue-bud-light-intl-hnk/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lost</a> $395 million in the aftermath of a boycott.
Target also faced an expensive boycott last year over its Pride Month merchandise, which <a href="https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-misinformation-target-lgbtq-1203e875adcc7c86f62252d4ace1a738" target="_blank" rel="noopener">included</a> a kid’s swimsuit with a tag reading “thoughtfully fit on multiple body types and gender expressions” and “The Pronoun Book” aimed at children.

PepsiCo Products Ahead Of Earnings Released

Doritos Fires Trans-Identifying Influencer After Backlash To Sexual Comments About Children

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A conservative group is challenging Oreo&#8217;s partnership with a &#8220;militant&#8221; LGBT organization with a new ad and a shareholder proposal calling out the popular cookie brand.
The National Legal and Policy Center (NLPC) on Wednesday <a href="https://nlpc.org/oreo/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">released</a> an ad criticizing Oreo for <a href="https://www.oreo.com/pride" target="_blank" rel="noopener">supporting</a> PFLAG (formerly Parents &amp; Friends of Lesbians and Gays), one of the most prominent LGBT organizations in the country. The group has evolved to develop &#8220;a more militant activist intent with expansionist strategies,&#8221; according to NLPC.
The ad warns that PFLAG supports sexually explicit books that have cropped up in school libraries, including &#8220;This Book Is Gay,&#8221; &#8220;Gender Queer,&#8221; &#8220;Flamer,&#8221; and &#8220;Lawn Boy.&#8221;
In recent years, these four books have been flagged by parents in school districts across the country for their mature and, in some cases, pornographic content. They <a href="https://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/top10" target="_blank" rel="noopener">all made</a> the American Library Association&#8217;s (ALA) list of the top 13 most challenged books of 2022.
&#8220;Books like these are promoted in our schools and local libraries by PFLAG, and Oreo is supporting them,&#8221; the NLPC ad&#8217;s narrator says.
&#8220;Is your favorite sandwich cookie company grooming children? What happened to the kid-friendly cookie we all used to know and love? Don&#8217;t let PFLAG and Oreo corrupt your children,&#8221; the ad says.
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PFLAG is an official <a href="https://bannedbooksweek.org/sponsors/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">supporter</a> of Banned Books Week, an annual event that has <a href="https://bannedbooksweek.org/about/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">promoted</a> all four books, the NLPC noted.
Oreo&#8217;s website <a href="https://www.oreo.com/pride" target="_blank" rel="noopener">says</a> the cookie brand partners with PFLAG and encourages people to click a &#8220;support PFLAG&#8221; button that takes them to the LGBT organization&#8217;s website.
Oreo also <a href="https://pflag.org/press/pflag-convention-comes-to-the-capital/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sponsored</a> last year&#8217;s PFLAG National Convention, which had a <a href="https://pflag.org/events/learningwithlove2023/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">panel</a> on banned books in schools hosted by MSNBC host Ali Velshi.
The NLPC made the Oreo ad &#8220;because of the threat an iconic brand so popular with kids poses by collaborating with the destructive gender ideology advocates and transgender surgery supporters at PFLAG,&#8221; Paul Chesser, the director of the Corporate Integrity Project at the NLPC, told The Daily Wire.
The National Legal and Policy Center also holds stock in Oreo&#8217;s parent company, Mondelez International, and has drafted a shareholder <a href="https://nlpc.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Mondelez-Proposal-2024-1.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">proposal</a> calling for a committee to examine the risks of Oreo&#8217;s associations with groups like PFLAG.
&#8220;Basically the proposal calls for the company to reconsider alliances with divisive political activists like PFLAG, and a report would at least produce more transparency about whatever else the company is doing,&#8221; Chesser said.
The shareholder proposal calls for the committee to issue a public report by the end of March 2025 and publish it on Mondelez International&#8217;s website. The proposal will be presented at the next shareholder meeting. It also notes that other companies have experienced customer backlash and damage to their bottom lines after taking a side on controversial cultural issues.
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Bud Light faced a massive boycott over a partnership with trans-identifying influencer Dylan Mulvaney, resulting in the beer brand no longer ranking as America&#8217;s best-selling beer.
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Target&#8217;s sales also dropped after it <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/target-sales-sink-after-pride-backlash">featured</a> &#8220;tuck-friendly&#8221; swimsuits for trans-identifying males, a kids swimsuit with a tag reading “thoughtfully fit on multiple body types and gender expressions,” and LGBT kids books for &#8220;Pride Month.&#8221;
The Walt Disney Company lost its special tax status in Florida after publicly opposing the state&#8217;s parental rights law in 2022.
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Lawsuit Seeks To Ban Oreo Cookies In California

WATCH: Oreo’s Partnership With ‘Militant’ LGBT Org Challenged By Group’s Ad, Shareholder Proposal

WATCH: Oreo's Partnership With 'Militant' LGBT Org Challenged By Group's Ad, Shareholder Proposal

Dylan Mulvaney

Target removed a &#8220;Black History Month&#8221; product from its shelves this week after a TikTok video went viral showing three Civil Rights leaders on the item had been misidentified.
The <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@issatete/video/7329892395485564191" target="_blank" rel="noopener">video</a> posted by Las Vegas high school teacher Tierra Espy showed that photos of Carter G. Woodson, W.E.B. DuBois, and Booker T. Washington in a magnetic learning activity all had the wrong names under them, the Associated Press <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/target-stops-selling-product-dedicated-civil-rights-icons-tiktok-video-rcna137085" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. After Epsy posted her video pointing out the flaws on Tuesday, Target confirmed that it would be removing the item from all its stores and its website. The AP reported that the magnetic activity appeared to be made by Bendon, an Ohio-based children’s publisher.
“We will no longer be selling this product in stores or online,” the retail giant said in a statement. “We’ve also ensured the product’s publisher is aware of the errors.”
Espy told the AP that she bought the learning activity at the end of January hoping to hand it out to her children, but she quickly discovered the error after opening it up at home. Espy pointed out that Woodson’s name appeared under DuBois’ photo, Washington’s name appeared under Woodson’s photo, and DuBois’ name showed up under Washington’s photo.
“These need to be pulled off the shelves immediately,” Espy said in her video. “I teach U.S. History &#8230; and I noticed some discrepancies as soon as I opened this.”
“I get it, mistakes happen, but this needs to be corrected ASAP,” she added.
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Woke Target can&#39;t even get Black History Month right&#8230;
H/T <a href="https://twitter.com/YourLibertyNews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@YourLibertyNews</a> <a href="https://t.co/LQFNhw4U4n">pic.twitter.com/LQFNhw4U4n</a>
&mdash; Red Voice Media (@redvoicenews) <a href="https://twitter.com/redvoicenews/status/1753806186976055767?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 3, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Last year, Target was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/target-sales-sink-after-pride-backlash" target="_blank" rel="noopener">slammed</a> for its Pride Month collection, which included a kids swimsuit with a tag reading “thoughtfully fit on multiple body types and gender expressions.” Target also featured LGBT-themed books aimed at young children, such as “The Pronoun Book” and “Bye Bye Binary,” a story about a “joyful baby” who “refuses to conform to the gender binary and instead chooses toys, colors, and clothes that make them happy.”
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Following the backlash and boycotts over its Pride-themed products, Target reported that its sales dropped for the first time in six years, falling 5.4% in the second quarter. Then, around the Christmas holidays, the retail giant was criticized again — this time for <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/target-mocked-for-selling-disabled-black-santa-ornament-pride-nutcrackers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">selling</a> an ornament of a black Santa Claus in a wheelchair.

Target Pulls ‘Black History Month’ Product After Viral TikTok Video Calls Out Major Problems

Target Pulls 'Black History Month' Product After Viral TikTok Video Calls Out Major Problems

Black History Month

Civil Rights

U.S.

Walgreens Pharmacy and store closing sign at entrance, Queens, New York

Dem-Controlled Cities Legalize Shoplifting, Shocked When Businesses Flee

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Chicago

Crime

Matt Walsh

Readers Pass

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shoplifting

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Walmart

In December, a 13-year-old Australian girl’s <a href="https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/people-left-open-mouthed-after-31702060" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Christmas list</a> went viral.
The teen had reportedly requested a slew of expensive items for under her tree including Skims shaping undergarments, Drunk Elephant and Dior luxury skincare, high-priced Lululemon activewear, designer clothing, silk pajamas, a MacBook Pro, and, inevitably, a Stanley Quencher H2.0 FlowState Stainless Steel Vacuum Insulated Tumbler.
Children with overly demanding Christmas lists are nothing new. But while greedy kids of yesteryear added a bunch of overpriced toys to their lists, teens and even pre-pubescent girls today are asking for items better suited to women in their 30s and 40s.
The reason for this has almost everything to do with social media influence. While teens have always been highly susceptible to peer pressure, thanks to the advent of apps like Instagram and TikTok, those social circles have widened to include the entire world. 
This phenomenon has curiously pushed pre-teens and teens into a world far beyond their years. Now instead of asking for glittery Caboodles makeup cases, they’re demanding Dior lip oil (which costs $40). Instead of heading to stores like Justice or Aeropostale for age-appropriate basics, they’re plunking down their parents’ credit cards at Lululemon.
It’s hard to overstate the power of social media’s influence on teenage consumers. Delving into the Stanley cup phenomenon gives a brief glimpse into how a single product can become a must-have commodity across all age demographics, including those easily swayed teens with money to burn – even if that’s their allowance money.
<div id="attachment_680909" style="width: 1001px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-680909" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-680909" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/01/GettyImages-1913161648-991x576.jpg" alt="Woodland Hills, CA - January 09: A few 40oz. 'Quenchers', the Stanley insulated steel tumblers, remain at a Target store on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024 in Woodland Hills, CA. The Stanley cups, not the Stanley Cup awarded to the National Hockey League champion, has prompted long lines outside of Target stores in the dead of night. Ugly fights have broken out. Shouting matches have erupted. All this hubbub over insulated steel tumblers sold in various colors at Target and Starbucks. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)" width="991" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/01/GettyImages-1913161648-991x576.jpg 991w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/01/GettyImages-1913161648-300x174.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/01/GettyImages-1913161648-768x446.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/01/GettyImages-1913161648.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 991px) 100vw, 991px" />Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images</div>
The Stanley brand has been around since 1913 but they’ve only recently become a red-hot consumer product. The company’s 40 ounce insulated tumbler was initially a flop when it debuted in 2019 to the point that it was temporarily discontinued. Then, thanks to the cup being promoted on a mommy blog and the introduction of some fun new colors, that single product has spurred the company’s profits from $70 million in 2019 to $750 million in 2023, as The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/limited-edition-valentines-day-stanley-cups-cause-chaos-at-target-sell-out-in-minutes">reported</a>. 
During the January release of a limited edition pink Stanley cup at Target, people camped out overnight with the intention of getting their hands on one of these coveted cups. There were long lines and some fights for the Stanley, which unsurprisingly sold out in minutes both in stores and online. 
Teens are just as enamored by this $45 cup as everyone else, which is why the Australian schoolgirl included it on her list. And she wasn’t the only one.
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A Today <a href="https://www.today.com/food/trends/stanley-cup-craze-rcna132901" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> on the Stanley craze featured a TikTok video of a very young girl crying tears of joy upon unwrapping her new cup. 
The same article mentioned a story about TikTok user Dayna Motycka saying she purchased a cheetah print insulated tumbler from Walmart as a Christmas gift for her 9-year-old daughter, but the little girl came home “upset” when her peers “made sure to let her know” that it wasn’t a “real” Stanley cup. The girl’s classmates told her the cup was “fake” and “not as cool.”
“Do I think that a nine-year-old needs a Stanley? No. Do I have one? Yes, I have one,” Motycka said in the video. “I don’t have 50 Stanleys in all different colors. I’m not going to Target and fighting other women or moms to try and get the new Valentine’s Day Stanley. I have one.”
Eventually, she did buy her daughter the name brand insulated tumbler. 
“Can we afford to buy her a Stanley? Yes. Did I think that she needed one? No,” she said. “Apparently I’ve been proven wrong by the children in our school that are making fun of her for not having a real name-brand Stanley.”
The Stanley obsession is silly and frivolous but is also arguably harmless. Who really cares if a bunch of teens are enamored with overpriced beverage holders?
That may be true, but some social media trends resonating with teens have potentially harmful consequences. For example, a Federalist <a href="https://thefederalist.com/2024/01/06/how-tiktok-killed-the-preteen-era/">report</a> about how TikTok killed the preteen era mentions that many of these young girls are using skincare products made for much older women. This may not matter when it comes to lip gloss, but it’s a big deal when these girls start regularly experimenting with products such as chemical peels. 
The article points to a now viral TikTok video featuring a nine-year-old customer shopping for Babyfacial, a chemical exfoliant from the brand Drunk Elephant. The product claims to minimize “the look of pores, fine lines, and wrinkles.” The little girl said she used the item “daily.”
<div id="attachment_680925" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-680925" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-680925" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/01/GettyImages-1470268016-1-864x576.jpg" alt="LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 28: In this photo illustration, a TikTok logo is displayed on an iPhone on February 28, 2023 in London, England. This week, the US government and European Union's parliament have announced bans on installing the popular social media app on staff devices. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/01/GettyImages-1470268016-1-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/01/GettyImages-1470268016-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/01/GettyImages-1470268016-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/01/GettyImages-1470268016-1.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Dan Kitwood/Getty Images</div>
The Sephora employee who made the video also mentioned how she has seen “15-year-olds… com[ing] in with chemical burns” while working there.
There’s also the much more worrying TikTok trend which includes young girls diagnosing themselves with serious mental health conditions by observing others on social media. 
“What they are doing is they are going into the interactive media space to soothe themselves, to make themselves feel better, to make themselves the master of that environment when they don&#8217;t feel that they&#8217;ve mastered the environment of the outside world,&#8221; Dr. Michael Rich, director of the Digital Wellness Lab at Boston Children&#8217;s Hospital, said of this new trend, per <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/social-media-mental-health-self-diagnosis/">CBS News</a>. 
&#8220;There is a demand that&#8217;s being filled by people now. The question really is, is how well and how safely is it being filled?&#8221;
&#8220;What&#8217;s online is a free-for-all. There really is no accountability for this and there is no responsibility taken,&#8221; Rich added.
It’s no coincidence that the rise of TikTok has coincided with an absolute explosion in very young children experiencing Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria. Cases of “gender dysphoria” rose in every state <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/gender-dysphoria-diagnoses-rise-in-every-state-except-one" target="_blank" rel="noopener">except one</a> over the last several years, with an estimated 300,000 minors aged 13 to 17 identified as transgender as of 2022, and the number has only continued to rise.
While LGBTQ activists will argue that this phenomenon doesn’t exist or isn’t relevant, the public only needs to look as far as little girls weeping over an insulated cup to see that the power of social media influence over children is very real indeed.

A shopper passes empty shelves once stocked with Stanley insulated steel tumblers

How The Stanley Cup Craze Points To A Bigger Crisis For Teens

Instagram

Social Media

Teenagers

TikTok

Women

Shoppers caused a commotion this week as <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/target">Target</a> and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/starbucks">Starbucks</a> released several drops of limited edition Valentine&#8217;s Day Stanley brand tumbler cups.
Videos showing crowds of people waiting in line outside Target locations nationwide before rushing into the store and grabbing cups off the display have been circulating on social media following the release on New Year’s Eve. The Quencher H2.0 FlowState Tumblers are offered in Cosmo Pink and Target Red and are a part of the brand&#8217;s &#8220;Galentine&#8217;s Collection.&#8221; 
&#8220;Made to gift, a card label is included while a tiny heart adorns the Stanley logo. With a pop of pink and the perfect shade of red, let&#8217;s celebrate your gal pal by spreading the love,&#8221; a <a href="https://www.target.com/p/stanley-40-oz-stainless-steel-h2-0-flowstate-quencher-tumbler/-/A-90630466?preselect=89249675">description</a> from the Target website says.
Cups sold out quickly online and in stores despite the $45 price tag. 
Shoppers were equally excited about the January 3 release of the special “Winter Pink” Stanley cups, with some shoppers choosing to camp out overnight in the Target parking lot. 
“We are seeing an enthusiastic response to the Starbucks x Stanley Quencher and many stores have sold out. It will not be restocked,” a Starbucks representative told <a href="https://www.today.com/food/news/starbucks-pink-stanley-cup-target-rcna132157">Today.com</a>.
One TikTok <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@jazzedbyjaz/video/7318835095551642926">video</a> documenting the in-store experience on December 31 in El Paso, Texas, showed a mass of shoppers running toward the display to score the tumbler. The TikTok user’s caption said, &#8220;Getting trampled for a Target Stanley Valentine&#8217;s Cup.&#8221;
Another <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@victoria_robino_26/video/7318781471873977646?is_from_webapp=1">viral TikTok clip</a> showed what happened in a Target store in Goodyear, Arizona, saying the tumblers there sold out in less than four minutes. Just like in the Texas version, the video showed people rushing to get cups from the display.
“Pulling up to target to wait in line since 10pm the night before for the new Stanley,” user ivey_huerta shared on social media. “Store opens at 8am. It’s now 1:45am. Wish us luck.”
The post comments were a mix of people marveling that anyone would care that much about a beverage container and shoppers bragging about how they had scored one of the coveted cups.
One comment said, &#8220;Stanley definitely knows what they are doing. Everyone and their mom wants one. IDK I still can&#8217;t wrap my head around paying that much for a cup.&#8221;
“Nothing in the world I want or need this bad,” another commenter said.
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The limited edition cups are already listed on resale sites such as Mercari, eBay, and Poshmark for anywhere from $100 to $300. 
The Stanley all-steel vacuum flask was invented by William Stanley Jr. in 1913. The brand has released various container products throughout the years and first introduced the 40-ounce Quencher tumbler in 2016. 
Initially, the Quencher was not a good seller, leading the company to stop restocking and marketing it in 2019. The company partnered with a female-run blog with the goal of selling 5,000 Quenchers and resumed production, introducing the cup in a line of unique colors. 
The cup’s popularity took off and has since helped drive Stanley’s annual sales from $70 million in 2019 to $750 million in 2023, per <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/17/style/stanley-tumbler.html">The New York Times</a>.
The Stanley cup is a status symbol across demographics ranging from teens to adult women.

Limited Edition Valentine’s Day Stanley Cups Cause Chaos At Target, Sell Out In Minutes

Limited Edition Valentine's Day Stanley Cups Cause Chaos At Target, Sell Out In Minutes

Economy

Starbucks

Large <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/california" target="_blank" rel="noopener">California</a> retailers that refuse to display a so-called gender neutral section for children face getting slapped with a fine of up to $500 under a new state law set to take effect in the new year.
Democrat Governor Gavin Newsom made California the first state in the nation to pass such a law — <a href="https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220AB1084" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Assembly Bill No. 10584</a> — which mandates that retailers with 500 or more employees display a section that sells childcare items and toys for &#8220;gender-neutral&#8221; kids. Newsom signed the bill in 2021 without comment.
&#8220;Childcare item,&#8221; according to the bill, &#8220;means any product designed or intended by the manufacturer to facilitate sleep, relaxation, or the feeding of children, or to help children with sucking or teething.&#8221;
Assemblyman Evan Low (D-Campbell), who introduced the legislation, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/newsom-signs-law-requiring-gender-neutral-toy-sections-at-large-retailers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>, &#8220;We need to stop stigmatizing what&#8217;s acceptable for certain genders and just let kids be kids.&#8221; The bill, he said, was designed to &#8220;encourage more businesses across California and the U.S. to avoid reinforcing harmful and outdated stereotypes.&#8221;
&#8220;Part of it is to make sure if you&#8217;re a young girl that you can find a police car, fire truck, a periodic table or a dinosaur,&#8221; Low reportedly said. &#8220;And then similarly, if you&#8217;re a boy, if you&#8217;re more artistic and want to play with glitter, why not? Why should you feel the stigma of saying, &#8216;Oh, this should be shamed,&#8217; and going to a different location?&#8221;
Former California State Sen. Melissa Melendez (R-Lake Elsinore) <a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-california-3270657e85f4b7c4bee79138ba056a28" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> voted against the bill, arguing the state &#8220;let parents be parents.&#8221;
&#8220;Unlike the author, I actually have children, five of them to be exact, and I can tell you it is very convenient for parents,&#8221; Melendez said. &#8220;I don&#8217;t think parents need the government to step in and tell them how they should shop for their children.&#8221;
Several business and conservative groups fought against California lawmakers passing the legislation, saying state regulations against establishments have made it hard enough and adding on another government requirement disrupts their ability to thrive in a free market.
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The Capitol Resource Institute, a public policy organization advocating for Judeo-Christian values, said at the time of the bill&#8217;s passage that the group rejects the belief that the California Legislature&#8217;s role is &#8220;to overstep the natural process of the free market.&#8221;
&#8220;Retail stores are very attuned to the supply and demand of their merchandise, and they are very aware of the clientele they serve,&#8221; the group <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2021/10/11/california-law-gender-neutral-children-toy-section/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a>, according to The Washington Post.
Jonathan Keller, president of the conservative California Family Council lobbying group, dismissed the idea that activists and state legislators have the right to force retailers to adopt government-approved messaging about gender.
&#8220;It&#8217;s a violation of free speech and it&#8217;s just plain wrong,&#8221; Keller <a href="https://www.californiafamily.org/2021/05/ca-legislators-seek-to-force-stores-to-sell-and-display-gender-fluid-clothes/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a statement.
The latest development in California&#8217;s effort to become a sanctuary state for radical gender theory pushed onto children comes as big box stores like Target received backlash for its Pride collection, which included the controversial &#8220;tuck-friendly&#8221; bathing suits.
Target&#8217;s CEO, Brian Cornell, pulled the items from the shelves earlier this year after the store <a href="https://corporate.target.com/press/statement/2023/05/target-statement-on-2023-pride-collection" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> its team members experienced threats against them and their &#8220;sense of safety and well-being while at work.&#8221;
But despite facing opposition for the products, corporations like Target and Lego continue to move forward to offer items that go against fundamental biology.
Lego issued a statement when the bill passed, saying it was working to make toys more inclusive for girls, the Daily Mail <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12829429/California-retailers-gender-neutral-bill.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
&#8220;The company is committed to making Lego play more inclusive and ensuring that children&#8217;s creative ambitions – both now in the future – are not limited by gender stereotypes,&#8221; a statement from Lego said.
Retailers who fail to comply with the legislation beginning on January 1, 2024, will be liable for a civil penalty not to exceed $250 for a first violation or $500 for a subsequent violation, according to the bill&#8217;s text.

gender fluidity or gender confusion: baby doll staring sideways at buttons with pronoun choices

California Retailers Without ‘Gender Neutral’ Section For Kids Face Fines Up To $500 Under New State Law

California Retailers Without 'Gender Neutral' Section For Kids Face Fines Up To $500 Under New State Law

California

Gavin Newsom

Gender Identity

Gender Neutral

Lego

Over the past year, numerous companies have placed themselves in the middle of a culture war and taken the side of radical gender theory and leftism, dumping millions of dollars into radical LGBTQ groups such as the Trevor Project and the Gay Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN). These corporations’ endorsement of life-altering gender procedures and promotion of biological men in women’s spaces have sparked outrage and calls for boycotts from many conservatives this year, but now, the pro-Left companies are looking to gain favor back with shoppers during the Black Friday shopping weekend. 
Popular brands and companies like Target, Native, Harry’s, Hershey’s, Nike, and Apple have all pushed transgender ideology onto customers over the past year. And this week, these companies will beckon shoppers to their doors and websites in hopes of cashing out for the holiday season. But along with all the deals offered by these companies, this Black Friday comes a bevy of woke ideas being crammed down consumers’ throats. 
Here are the popular Black Friday companies that will likely offer deals this holiday weekend as they continue to push radical gender theories and even target children with some of their Pride-themed merchandise:
Target
The Minneapolis-based retail giant went all in on Pride Month earlier this year, even featuring LGBTQ-themed products aimed at children in the front of its stores. Among Target’s Pride-themed products featured on store shelves over the summer were a children’s swimsuit with a tag reading “thoughtfully fit on multiple body types and gender expressions” and LGBTQ-themed books such as “The Pronoun Book” and “Bye Bye Binary.” The retail giant also featured an adult “Pride” collection, which included “tuck-friendly” swimsuits for men who identify as women to tuck their genitals, a t-shirt with the words “Queer Queer Queer Queer,” and a hoodie reading “Not A Phase.”
The corporation also <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/05/26/target-gave-2-1m-to-group-that-urges-schools-to-hide-kids-gender-from-parents/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">donated</a> over $2 million to GLSEN, a radical LBGTQ organization that encourages children to hide their gender changes from parents. “We&#8217;re proud to partner with GLSEN for more than a decade, working to ensure students have a safe place to learn. Target annually supports GLSEN and its mission to create affirming, accessible and antiracist spaces for LGBTQIA+ students,” Target <a href="https://corporate.target.com/sustainability-governance/our-team/diversity-equity-inclusion/team-members-guests/lgbtqia" target="_blank" rel="noopener">states</a> on its website. 
Target came under fire again this week for selling Pride-themed nutcrackers and disabled Santa ornaments. The account End Wokeness shared images of an ornament of a black Santa Claus in a wheelchair displayed on a Target shelf. The account also highlighted a Pride nutcracker figurine wearing a Pride-striped hat and holding a Progress Pride flag. The product description encourages buyers to “show your love and support for the LGBTQIA+ community” by displaying this decoration. Both items are available for sale on Target’s website.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Target outdid itself this year for Christmas <a href="https://t.co/F0YpLmOrkt">pic.twitter.com/F0YpLmOrkt</a>
&mdash; End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) <a href="https://twitter.com/EndWokeness/status/1724590949899092243?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 15, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Target has already pushed a huge marketing campaign to get the word out about its Black Friday deals, landing articles in major national news outlets and shopping sites. The company is hoping to offset two straight negative earnings reports after it faced blowback for its Pride-themed merchandise. 
Harry’s
After pulling its advertising with The Daily Wire over comments from host Michael Knowles on transgenderism it deemed “inexcusable,” razor company Harry’s has only dug itself deeper into the pit of radical gender theory. In June of 2022, for Pride Month, Harry’s partnered with a woman who identified as a man to sell a razor set to men. The razor company <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CfWzJnspHuW/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;ig_rid=d3a5cbee-ee9f-497f-ab25-355a7225eb64">said</a> 100% of its profits for the razor set would go to the Trevor Project, a radical LGBTQ organization that encourages minors to undergo life-altering gender procedures. 
“Celebrating my first Pride with facial hair!” Luke Wesley Pearson said at the time. “@harrys and their sibling brand @meetflamingo worked with @ohnilisle, an artist from the LGBTQ+ community, to design this year&#8217;s Face &amp; Body Shave Set: It includes one razor handle, a Harry&#8217;s razor for your face, and a Flamingo razor for your body. And the best part? 100% of profits from the set are donated to @trevorproject. Feeling handsome and proud to be me every day of the year.”
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Harry’s Razors partnered with a “trans man” (female) to promote their razor set
100% of the profits from this set go to the Trevor Project, which promotes gender surgeries for minors <a href="https://t.co/Sb6ZbBT0GA">pic.twitter.com/Sb6ZbBT0GA</a>
&mdash; End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) <a href="https://twitter.com/EndWokeness/status/1688015091088707584?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 6, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Then in June of this year, Harry’s <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CtRozcxssXK/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;ig_rid=5d4de2a6-6d59-4361-927b-d6c215050a31" target="_blank" rel="noopener">donated</a> more money to the Trevor Project, with $5 from every “Pride Shave” set sold going to the organization. 
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Hershey’s
The chocolate company faced calls for a boycott earlier this year after <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/boycott-hersheys-trends-on-twitter-as-brand-features-man-who-identifies-as-trans-in-international-womens-day-campaign" target="_blank" rel="noopener">promoting</a> a biological man as part of its International Women’s Day celebration. Fae Johnstone was one of five people featured in the campaign, which used the Hershey’s SHE bar to “shine a light on the women and girls who inspire us every day.”
“We can create a world where everyone is able to live in the public space as their honest and authentic selves. See the women changing how we see the future,” Johnstone said in a promotional video.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/Hersheys?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Hersheys</a> is putting the face of a trans-&quot;woman&quot; on chocolate bar wrappers with &quot;HerShe&quot; highlighted in honor of international women&#39;s day. Hershey&#39;s is erasing women. <a href="https://t.co/JzRkAtwTdO">pic.twitter.com/JzRkAtwTdO</a>
&mdash; Leftism (@LeftismForU) <a href="https://twitter.com/LeftismForU/status/1631072298806509568?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 1, 2023</a></blockquote>
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The backlash to the pro-trans marketing campaign led to The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nuts-or-nutless-the-daily-wire-launches-jeremys-chocolates-after-hersheys-trans-farce-insults-customers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">launching</a> its own chocolate company, Jeremy’s Chocolate, which <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jeremys-chocolate-sells-half-a-million-chocolate-bars-within-days-of-launch">sold</a> over half a million chocolate bars within days of going live. 
Native
Like Harry’s and Hershey’s, Native has partnered with a trans-identifying person multiple times to promote its product earlier this year. Last year, biological male and trans-identifying social media influencer Dylan Mulvaney partnered with the company and the Trevor Project to “share [his] story.” Mulvaney <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@dylanmulvaney/video/7109630752328830251?is_copy_url=1&amp;is_from_webapp=v1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> he partnered with Native mainly because it was partnering with the Trevor Project and donating $50,000 to the radical LGBTQ organization. Earlier this year, Mulvaney made another <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@native/video/7198272152368336171" target="_blank" rel="noopener">video</a> for Native deodorant to boost the company’s gummy-bear scented deodorant. Months later, Mulvaney would set another company ablaze in controversy after he partnered with Bud Light and received a specialized beer can with his face on it. 
Nike
Less than a week after Mulvaney’s Bud Light partnership blew up on social media, the trans-identifying influencer <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/stop-giving-them-your-money-nike-partners-with-dylan-mulvaney-ignites-fury-online" target="_blank" rel="noopener">appeared</a> in a paid social media video dancing in Nike women’s gear. In the sponsored Nike ad, Mulvaney showed off women’s leggings and a sports bra. Mulvaney captioned his Nike gear post, “Home for a moment and leaning into cozy workout wear life with [Nike Women]’s newest Zenvy leggings and Alate bra! They’re so comfortable and buttery soft, perfect for workouts and everyday wear! #feelyourall #teamnike #nikepartner.”
After backlash to promoting Mulvaney as a voice for women, Nike <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nike-scolds-critics-upset-about-partnership-with-trans-activist-dylan-mulvaney" target="_blank" rel="noopener">scolded</a> critics who voiced their outrage over the partnership. 
“You are an essential component to the success of your community!” Nike said in a pinned comment on its official Instagram page. “We welcome comments that contribute to a positive and constructive discussion: Be kind ❤️ Be inclusive ❤️Encourage each other ❤️.”
“Hate speech, bullying, or other behaviors that are not in the spirit of a diverse and inclusive community will be deleted,” the comment added.
Nike’s radical LGBTQ campaign didn’t stop with its promotion of Mulvaney. In June, Nike <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nike-marks-pride-month-with-doc-who-does-kids-gender-surgeries-leaked-email-shows" target="_blank" rel="noopener">celebrated</a> Pride Month by hosting a panel discussion with a surgeon who said he performed “gender affirming mastectomies” on minors, according to a leaked email obtained by The Daily Wire.
Apple
Similar to Hershey’s, Apple had its own <a href="https://thefederalist.com/2023/03/08/here-are-5-brands-celebrating-men-in-costumes-this-womens-history-month/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">celebration</a> of International Women’s Day that featured a biological man. When Apple users visited the app store on International Women’s Day earlier this year, they were met with a banner showing plus-size “fat positivity” activist Naomi Hearts. Users who clicked on the banner were redirected to an article celebrating Heart and encouraging life-altering gender procedures. 
The list of major companies that seek to take advantage of Black Friday shoppers’ open wallets after a year of pushing leftism could go on. While many of the largest companies will likely rake in billions more from American consumers this holiday season even as they continue to push radical theories that the majority of Americans don’t agree with, Black Friday shoppers have another option this year as they search for gifts and holiday treats. 
The Daily Wire is making its presence felt on the market this Black Friday as an alternative to these leftist companies. Shoppers can find a slew of products from The Daily Wire, including deals on Jeremy’s Razors and the Daily Wire Shop to membership deals on The Daily Wire’s new kids entertainment company Bentkey.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/black-friday-gift-guide">CHECK OUT THE DAILY WIRE BLACK FRIDAY SHOPPING GUIDE</a>

Black Friday LGBTQ

How Shoppers’ Favorite Black Friday Brands Are Pushing The Left’s Radical Agenda

Apple

Black Friday

LGBTQ

Nike

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/target" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Target</a> has appeared to double down on its acceptance of radical gender theory despite a second straight negative sales report following backlash to its Pride-themed products earlier this year.
Target reportedly selected a man named Erik Thompson as its Senior LGBTQIA+ Segmentation Strategist and Pride Lead, according to a post he shared on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CznNQjcM0pD/?img_index=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Instagram</a> that was <a href="https://twitter.com/libsoftiktok/status/1724588769356161166?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1724588769356161166%7Ctwgr%5E121df7209263f33166c11cf427b86f3f47e7612a%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.outkick.com%2Ftarget-hires-pride-strategist-who-vows-to-make-trouble-debuts-rainbow-nutcrackers-for-christmas%2F" target="_blank" rel="noopener">flagged</a> by popular X account Libs of TikTok. Thompson, who goes by “gaycruella” on the social media platform, shared with followers that he was “honored” to accept the role.
“Time to whip out the Glitter &amp; Hellfire flamethrowers and rip that old world to shreds darlings,” the self-described Target corporate employee shared. “Let’s flip that script and rewrite that narrative. This time for ~ALL Guests, ALL Humans &amp; ALL Hearts.”
A post featuring Thompson’s announcement was shared on X, which prompted many to react to the news on the original post. One commenter asked, “lol you gonna make Targets sales tank too?” to which Thompson responded, “Yes. Yes I will make sales tank,” with heart and kissing emojis.
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Remember when <a href="https://twitter.com/Target?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Target</a> sold tucking swimwear for kids and their sales dropped, stock plunged, and they were sued by shareholders?
Apparently they didn’t learn their lesson cuz they just hired an LGBTQ activist to lead their “LGBTQIA+ multicultural merchandising strategy and pride… <a href="https://t.co/wDZW7hshKi">pic.twitter.com/wDZW7hshKi</a>
&mdash; Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) <a href="https://twitter.com/libsoftiktok/status/1724588769356161166?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 15, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Thompson’s <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/erik-thompson-ab9a1046/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">LinkedIn profile</a> shows him as working for Target since June of 2014. During his tenure, he served the company as a business analyst and buyer in years past. He was also an executive intern at Target in 2013. Thompson listed his new role as becoming active in November 2023.
His LinkedIn bio says, “On a mission to lead in the effort of working to flip the script and rewrite the narrative of CPG retail industries to better serve all consumer segments and thoughtfully &amp; authentically cater to *ALL guests, ALL humans, &amp; ALL hearts* who enter our stores and across the nation.”
Target did not respond to The Daily Wire’s request for comment.
In Target’s third quarter — a three-month period that ended October 28 — the company’s sales tumbled 4.9% following a 5.4% <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/target-sales-sink-after-pride-backlash" target="_blank" rel="noopener">decline</a> in the second quarter, which was Target&#8217;s first quarterly sales drop in six years, CNN <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/11/15/investing/target-stock-earnings/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. Both of the most recent bleak earnings reports came after Target faced backlash over its Pride Month products geared toward children.
Target Chief Executive Brian Cornell said the sales trends “have clearly been tougher than we expected this year, and we are firmly focused on getting back to growth,” while discussing the third quarter earnings report on a call with reporters, according to <a href="https://www.wsj.com/business/earnings/target-tgt-q3-earnings-report-2023-42e94186" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Wall Street Journal</a>.
Among Target’s Pride-themed products featured on store shelves over the summer were a children’s swimsuit with a tag reading “thoughtfully fit on multiple body types and gender expressions” and LGBTQ-themed books such as “The Pronoun Book” and “Bye Bye Binary.” The retail giant also featured an adult “Pride” collection, which included “tuck-friendly” swimsuits for men who identify as women to tuck their genitals, a t-shirt with the words “Queer Queer Queer Queer,” and a hoodie reading “Not A Phase.”
Target came under fire again this week for <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/target-mocked-for-selling-disabled-black-santa-ornament-pride-nutcrackers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">selling</a> Pride-themed nutcrackers and disabled Santa ornaments. The account End Wokeness shared images of an ornament of a black Santa Claus in a wheelchair displayed on a Target shelf. The account also highlighted a Pride nutcracker figurine wearing a Pride-striped hat and holding a Progress Pride flag. The product description encourages buyers to “show your love and support for the LGBTQIA+ community” by displaying this decoration. Both items are available for sale on Target’s website as of Wednesday.
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Target outdid itself this year for Christmas <a href="https://t.co/F0YpLmOrkt">pic.twitter.com/F0YpLmOrkt</a>
&mdash; End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) <a href="https://twitter.com/EndWokeness/status/1724590949899092243?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 15, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Target isn’t the only company to report drops in sales this year following backlash to marketing campaigns that pushed radical gender theory. Earlier this month, Anheuser-Busch <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/anheuser-busch-revenue-declines-in-third-quarter-as-bud-light-sales-continue-to-fall" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that its revenue in the U.S. was down 13.5% for the third quarter, continuing a trend in declining sales after Bud Light partnered earlier this year with transgender-identifying influencer Dylan Mulvaney.
As Black Friday approaches, Target hopes to turn its fledgling year around on the backs of holiday shoppers who will be looking everywhere for the best deals, but whether shoppers are willing to return to the retail giant after the Pride Month backlash earlier this year is yet to be seen.
The Daily Wire is also making its presence felt on the market this Black Friday as an alternative to the companies pushing leftist ideologies on consumers. Shoppers can find a slew of products from The Daily Wire, including deals on Jeremy&#8217;s Razors and the Daily Wire Shop to membership deals on The Daily Wire&#8217;s new kids entertainment company Bentkey.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/black-friday-gift-guide">CHECK OUT THE DAILY WIRE BLACK FRIDAY SHOPPING GUIDE</a>
Zach Jewell contributed to this report.

Screen Shot: Erik Thompson/LinkedIn

Target Promotes ‘GayCruella’ To ‘LGBTQIA+ Segmentation Strategist’ Amid Abysmal Sales From Pride Backlash

Target Promotes 'GayCruella' To 'LGBTQIA+ Segmentation Strategist' Amid Abysmal Sales From Pride Backlash

boycotts

Pride Month

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/target" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Targe</a>t is once again under fire for offering over-the-top leftist merchandise in its stores.
The company faced criticism and boycotts earlier this year for its <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/pride" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pride</a> merchandise, which included “tuck-friendly” female swimwear and children’s merchandise emblazoned with Pride messaging, to name a few. Now, controversy has ensued in the Christmas decor section, and X users are having a field day with the photos.
The account End Wokeness shared images of an ornament of a black Santa Claus in a wheelchair displayed on a Target shelf. “Target outdid itself this year for Christmas,” the post caption says.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Target outdid itself this year for Christmas <a href="https://t.co/F0YpLmOrkt">pic.twitter.com/F0YpLmOrkt</a>
&mdash; End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) <a href="https://twitter.com/EndWokeness/status/1724590949899092243?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 15, 2023</a></blockquote>
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The account also highlighted a Pride nutcracker figurine wearing a Pride-striped hat and holding a Progress Pride flag. The product <a href="https://www.target.com/p/pride-christmas-decorative-nutcracker-figure-wondershop-8482/-/A-88114341#lnk=sametab" target="_blank" rel="noopener">description</a> encourages buyers to “show your love and support for the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/lgbtq" target="_blank" rel="noopener">LGBTQIA+</a> community” by displaying this decoration. Both items are available for sale on Target’s website as of Wednesday.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/black-friday-gift-guide" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CHECK OUT THE DAILY WIRE BLACK FRIDAY SHOPPING GUIDE</a>
The post replies mocked the items and referenced the company boycotts from earlier this year. Target’s market value declined $14 billion by August following the backlash. The company moved its Pride collections to less prominent areas of the store due to the controversy after previously having the merchandise displayed by the front entrances.
“Who the hell shops at Target still?  I have not stepped inside one since the tuck it underwear debacle. Banned for life,” one account <a href="https://twitter.com/TalkWithSally/status/1724591564675240343" target="_blank" rel="noopener">replied</a>.
“Wow. Just wow,” another <a href="https://twitter.com/bfrye21/status/1724591616533369122" target="_blank" rel="noopener">chimed in</a>. “You would think they would have learned from the last time. When will companies finally start to realize it? Go woke…go broke!”
“They are trying really hard to bankrupt themselves,” another person <a href="https://twitter.com/DonMcLaughlin9/status/1724591711769210937" target="_blank" rel="noopener">agreed</a>.
The backlash against these items comes on the heels of rumors that Target hired Erik Thompson as their Senior LGBTQIA+ Segmentation Strategist and Pride Lead, according to a post he shared on Instagram. Thompson, who goes by “gaycruella” on the social media platform, wrote that he was “honored” to accept the role.
“Time to whip out the Glitter &amp; Hellfire flamethrowers and rip that old world to shreds darlings,” the self-described Target corporate employee <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CznNQjcM0pD/?img_index=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shared</a>. “Let’s flip that script and rewrite that narrative. This time for ~ALL Guests, ALL Humans &amp; ALL Hearts.”

Target Mocked For Selling Disabled Black Santa Ornament, Pride Nutcrackers

Christmas

Pride

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/target" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Target</a> CEO Brian Cornell deflected when he was pressed Thursday about specific Target products that generated a boycott starting in May, while suggesting blowback over transgender merch came from violent customers who threatened his employees&#8217; safety more than the George Floyd riots.
Target, as admitted by Cornell, is still suffering from <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/investor-sues-target-over-disastrous-2023-pride-campaign-after-company-loses-billions-in-market-value" target="_blank" rel="noopener">abysmal sales</a>. Outraged shoppers took to social media back in May after discovering LGBT Pride clothing for children and a transgender &#8220;tuck-friendly&#8221; bathing suit at the popular retail chain. It was also later pieced together that a designer tied to merchandise featuring <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/satanic">occult images</a> and phrases such as “Satan Respects Pronouns” and “Trans Witches For Abortion,&#8221; designed some of Target&#8217;s PRIDE items.
Cornell told CNBC&#8217;s Squawk Box that the violence and looting witnessed during the George Floyd riots did not compare to the trans blowback.
&#8220;We&#8217;ve seen natural disasters, the impact of COVID, some of the violence that took place after George Floyd&#8217;s murder, but I would tell you, what I saw back in May, is the first time since I&#8217;ve been in this job where I had store members saying, ‘It’s not safe to come to work,'&#8221; the CEO claimed, adding that angry customers were engaged in &#8220;very aggressive behavior at store-level, lots of threats,&#8221; and &#8220;destroyed products.&#8221;
&#8220;They were very aggressive with our team members, personally threatening them, yelling at them,&#8221; Cornell said. &#8220;You know, they threatened to light product on fire in the store. &#8230; We&#8217;ve been celebrating heritage months, like PRIDE, for over a decade now, we&#8217;ve never seen this kind of response.&#8221;
Seemingly running in contrast with Cornell&#8217;s assertion, stores in at least five states received bomb threats via email from an individual/individuals angry the retail chain &#8220;betrayed the LGBTQ+ community&#8221; by removing the merchandise, The Hill <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/4046688-target-stores-in-at-least-five-states-receive-bomb-threats-over-pride-items/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
Cornell suggested he had to pull the controversial merch from stores, not because of the devastating financial repercussions from the massive boycott, but for employee safety. &#8220;We had to prioritize the safety of the team,&#8221; he said.
The CEO further seemed to deny some of the transgender items and association with the controversial PRIDE designer when pressed by CNBC.
&#8220;People said, &#8216;Look, there are bathing suits that are transgender bathing suits that are being targeted and marketed to kids,'&#8221; host Rebecca Quick told Cornell. &#8220;&#8216;There is a guy who you’re working with, a designer, who, I don&#8217;t know, is a devil worshipper or something.&#8217; What would you say back to some of those criticisms?”
&#8220;I think, you and I both know, those weren&#8217;t true,&#8221; the CEO claimed. &#8220;But, in the moment, we said, the best thing for us to do is address the issue &#8212; we can&#8217;t combat each and every statement that&#8217;s made. And do the right thing for our team, take the learning as we move forward.&#8221;
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
&quot;We&#39;ve been celebrating heritage moments like Pride for over a decade now. We&#39;ve never seen that kind of response,&quot; says <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%24TGT&amp;src=ctag&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">$TGT</a> CEO Brian Cornell. &quot;I knew personally this was not going to be well received. But we had to prioritize the safety of the team.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/m1nP44kBzo">pic.twitter.com/m1nP44kBzo</a>
&mdash; Squawk Box (@SquawkCNBC) <a href="https://twitter.com/SquawkCNBC/status/1720044828291911710?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 2, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/investor-sues-target-over-disastrous-2023-pride-campaign-after-company-loses-billions-in-market-value" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Investor Sues Target Over ‘Disastrous’ 2023 Pride Campaign After Company Loses Billions In Market Value</a>

Target Corp. CEO Brian Cornell Interview

Target CEO: Conservatives Upset Over Trans Merch More Dangerous To Employees Than George Floyd Riots

Target announced plans to shut down nine stores across four different U.S. states after ongoing reports of violence, theft, and organized retail crime have threatened the safety of shoppers and employees.
The company said effective October 21, three stores in the San Francisco-Oakland area, three more in Portland, two locations in Seattle, and one store in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City will permanently close.
“We cannot continue operating these stores because theft and organized retail crime are threatening the safety of our team and guests, and contributing to unsustainable business performance,” Target said in a <a href="https://corporate.target.com/press/releases/2023/09/Target-Closes-Select-Stores-to-Prioritize-Team-Mem" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news release</a>.
Before making the decision, Target officials said the retailer corporation invested “heavily” in efforts to prevent and stop organized retail crime in its stores, including ramping up internal security team members and third-party guard services, but struggled to combat the uptick in retail theft from organized smash-and-grab robberies involving large groups of thieves.
Target’s CEO Brian Cornell <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/target-veers-off-target-reaps-rewards-of-pride-collection" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> last month the company has been battling an “unacceptable amount” of retail theft that has become increasingly violent and dangerous for workers.
Store theft that included “violence or threats of violence” surged 120% during the first five months of the year, Cornell said, adding that Target’s full-year profitability is expected to reduce by more than $500 million compared to the previous year.
Cornell reportedly said the company intended to keep locations open after releasing its rising shrink reported in the fiscal second-quarter earnings in mid-May.
“We do not want to close stores. We know how important our stores are. They create local jobs, they generate taxes, they’re very important for those local shoppers, and they play a critical role in communities across the country,” Cornell said. “We’ll continue to do everything in our power to keep our doors open,” he added. “At the same time, we’ll be closely monitoring the safety of our team and guests as well as the financial impact to our business as we determine the right path forward at Target.”
Organized retail theft has spiked in cities around the country, with videos from some incidents showing hooded figures in dark clothes darting in and out of stores with merchandise, often expensive luxury items.
Critics blame progressive prosecutors, who they say allow criminals to get off without serious consequences — if they face consequences at all.
Earlier this year, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), a senior member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) <a href="https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/01/30/2023/grassley-cortez-masto-bill-bolsters-federal-response-to-organized-retail-theft#:~:text=The%20Combating%20Organized%20Retail%20Crime,trends%20in%20organized%20retail%20theft." target="_blank" rel="noopener">introduced</a> legislation to target the rise in flash mob robberies sweeping the nation, which they estimated costs retailers $720,000 for every $1 billion in sales — a 50% increase since 2015.
The bill, which Target officials advocated for in its announcement on Tuesday, would create a multi-agency federal task force at the state and local levels to promote inter-agency efforts and cooperation to crack down on theft and organized retail crime.
CNBC <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2023/09/26/target-says-it-will-close-nine-stores-citing-violence-and-theft-.html?__source=sharebar|twitter&amp;par=sharebar" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that over the last two years, at least nine states have passed similar laws to impose harsher penalties for those involved in organized retail crime.
Target’s latest announcement comes after the company revealed a dismal quarterly report showing its sales sank 5.4% for the first time in six years after facing national backlash over its Pride Month collection.
Mairead Elordi contributed to this report.

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