...By Gift BADEWO for TDPel Media.
Jack Daniel’s is facing controversy over its “small town, big pride” campaign featuring drag queens, with some consumers calling for a boycott of the brand while others praise it for supporting the LGBTQ+ community.
This debate is symbolic of a wider conversation about the role of companies in social and political issues.
The campaign, which featured drag queens from Ru Paul’s Drag Race completing challenges around the company’s distillery located in Lynchburg, Tennessee, was released during pride month in June 2021.
Despite being publicized for nearly two years, the campaign is now receiving fresh scrutiny as transgender rights and liberties become a key issue of contention in the culture wars.
While some have praised Jack Daniels for supporting the LGBTQ+ community, others have criticized the campaign as “woke” and only appealing to the “mentally ill.”
The backlash comes from critics who are concerned about the exposure of children to drag shows, as the sexualized content of drag shows is being questioned.
Jack Daniels has defended the campaign, stating that its products are “made with everyone in mind, including the LGBTQ+ community,” and that it is a “longtime champion” of LGBTQ+ rights.
Drag queens Trinity the Tuck and Manila Luzon, who partici
All the @JackDaniels_US drinkers should take note. pic.twitter.com/W0d9lMoSxq
— Travis Tritt (@Travistritt) April 6, 2023
pated in the campaign, have praised it for celebrating individuality and friendship.
The boycotts against Jack Daniel’s campaign raise questions about the role of companies in social and political issues and the impact of such controversies on their brand image and financial performance.
These incidents highlight the divisive nature of social and political issues, as well as the challenge for companies to navigate these issues without alienating their consumers.
A Pew Research Center survey found that opinions on transgender rights in the U.S. are deeply divided, with 38 percent of Americans believing society has gone “too far in accepting” transgender people and 36 percent saying it has not gone “far enough.”
This controversy follows similar social media outrage directed at Hershey’s and Bud Light for their support of transgender rights.
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