Posted on 07/29/2004 7:51:26 AM PDT by ConservativeMajority
(Talon News) -- The Subway Restaurant chain recently launched an advertising campaign in Germany that asks, "Why are Americans so fat?" House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX) finds the insulting promotion too much to swallow, saying that for some companies, "corporate patriotism is as flexible as Jared's waistline." Jared Fogle is a Subway spokesman who claims to have reduced his weight from 435 pounds to 245 pounds on a diet of Subway sandwiches.
German customers are being served their sandwiches on a trayliner that promotes the movie "Super Size Me," the story of filmmaker Morgan Spurlock's month-long splurge of eating only McDonald's food. He says his overeating caused him to add 25 pounds and raised his liver and blood count to unhealthy levels. Spurlock questions the responsibility of the "fast-food culture" for endangering Americans' health.
The advertising text uses a derogatory term for Americans -- Amis -- and features an obese caricature of the Statue of Liberty holding a hamburger and fries.
The ad also features a quote from controversial 300-plus pound filmmaker Michael Moore that says, "The only time I have been scared for my life has been going through a McDonald's drive-thru."
DeLay said, "It is clear that Subway has done very well for decades due to the patronage of Americans. For Subway to thumb its nose at its American customers and promote Michael Moore's blame-America-first conspiracy in a foreign country is very concerning."
The National Legal and Policy Center has called on Subway to immediately stop the promotion it says is designed to exploit anti-American sentiment in countries like Germany.
Chairman Ken Boehm said, "Subway has defined a new low in corporate behavior with this campaign."
He added, "Inflaming cultural tensions to increase market share is immoral and dangerous. Americans deserve to know about Subway's campaign to insult us abroad and to attack our national symbols."
Frontiers of Freedom has sent a letter to Subway Founder and President Fred DeLuca asking him to immediately recall the offensive trayliners.
Vice President of Policy Kerri Houston said, "This is an outrageous example of poor corporate citizenship and judgment."
She continued, "Your support of Morgan Spurlock and Subway's promoting him as the "new" far left Michael Moore are very troubling. Both men's misleading and factually dishonest 'documentaries' advance a 'Blame America First' message."
Houston complains that the mockery of Americans and their national symbols is an insult coming from a company that has profited handsomely by the patronage of its customers in the United States.
"Super Size Me" won the award for Best Direction at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival.
Subway is based in Milford, CT and has over 21,000 restaurants in 76 countries.
An image of the trayliner can be viewed online at www.nlpc.org.
Copyright © 2004 Talon News -- All rights reserved.
I don't recall if Blimpie did advertise on Rush, but since my building is a Faraday cage(all Steel) I can't get radio inside even though I'm less than a mile from the WABC Transmitter .
I only get to listen to Rush if I'm going out and driving which isn't all that often.
I do prefer Blimpie over Subway anyway, but now I can trim that subway option entirely.
Really? They're all over NYC...
Which is why they used it, along with the derogatory term for Americans -- to appeal to the rampant anti-America sentiments in Germany.
Correction accepted. One thing's for sure, they're not for me !
>>Really? They're all over NYC...<<
Must be new then. I havn't worked in the city since 2000 and never saw one on the occasional visit and I don't see any over here in Jersey.
Up in Canada Quiznos uses Don Cherry (famed Hockey Night in Canada personality) as a spokesman.
It is a great country, and we both have our freedom to do as we please.
My concern is that the conservative political movement and free republic doesn't become caught up in petty boycotts and worried about being insulted and disrespected the way the left does. It makes the rest of us as conservatives look bad, "in my opinion." Secondly, it distracts us from the actual issues that are important and are in front of us. Third, it's like the boy who cried wolf and no one takes us seriously when there is an actual insult. For example, making vulgar comparisons between a President's last name and genitalia is offensive, and the outcry was appropriate. "In my opinion" getting huffy about being called a fatty is petty, especially since for the most part it is true.
But on the other hand, it seems that no one else on this forum seems to agree with me so who knows...maybe everybody's still scared of the fat kids.
Chucky Cheese?...
If you haven't tried them yet, do so ASAP. You'll thank me.
Rats! And I liked Subway, too. I guess I'm going to have to stick with Quiznos and Fire House Subs from here on out.
Ok, Subway, this is one less customer. Make that 4 less customers in household. You were too expensive anyway. BTW, anyone who thinks they can't live without Subway's Sweet Onion sauce can easily make it at home (do a recipe search) or use a half teaspoon of Marie's Spinach Salad Dressing on your own homemade 25 cent sandwich and pocket that $5 you saved.
No, it's not that we've "turned into a bunch of whiny, sensitive, girly-man liberals", but that Subway jumped on the diet wagon with Jarod and then with their Atkins wraps so supposedly help their bottom line, um, customer's bottoms. But now they're pulling a Dixie Chick in Germany. Enough is enough. If a company can't support the American people and runs off to foreign countries badmouthing their American customers, then they certainly don't need my money.
That was a misprint. What happened was a group of children at a McD's birthday party were scared by Jaba Moore.
Consumers in a capitalist system are perfectly free to vote with their wallets if they don't like the irresponsible practices of a particular business. People do still have the right to pursue happiness, in case Subway hasn't ridiculed and belittled that, too.
hmmm - we're going to have to rethink this one.
Quinos creepy rats. And not to mention their need of dental attention. I went there once (group majority rule) but never again. Thanks, I'll make my own sandwiches.
For some reason Subways don't do all that well in Philly. ;-)
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