Anheuser-Busch Urged to Abandon "Idiotarod" Beer Promotion

Center For Science in the Public Interest ^ | February 28, 2007

[Eric Blair 2084]

WASHINGTON—Anheuser-Busch should drop its sponsorship of a Washington, D.C. charity event called the "Idiotarod," organized by a local group that goes by the acronym "SMASHED," according to the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI). The March 3 event, in which young people are urged to acquire shopping carts and drink beer in one bar after another, is in clear violation of the Beer Institute's Advertising and Marketing Code, which prohibits marketing which encourages rapid or excessive beer drinking or drinking games, according to the group.

"Prepare your liver," the SMASHED organizers say on their web site. "We know there's going to be a lot of drinking and in some places we might even encourage it." As for the shopping carts the participants are urged to acquire, the organizers "don’t want to know how or from where" they come. The event, which is cosponsored by Anheuser-Busch's Bud Light brand, starts at a bar called the Front Page in Washington's Dupont Circle neighborhood on Saturday.

CSPI called on Anheuser-Busch to immediately withdraw its sponsorship of the event, which organizers say “is about testing your own willingness to make an ass of yourself."

"Here's Anheuser-Busch putting Bud Light's seal of approval on this sophomoric and potentially dangerous event, where who knows how many intoxicated people will take to the streets of Washington pushing stolen shopping carts," said George A. Hacker, director of alcohol policies at CSPI. "This makes a mockery of Anheuser-Busch’s professions of concern about heavy drinking."

Anheuser-Busch has come under fire before for promoting excessive drinking and drinking games. The company was widely ridiculed for claiming that a drinking game called Bud Pong should be played by drinking water instead of the beer the game is named for.

[Eric Blair 2084]

Hey, I don't care. I had my fun in college and the statute of limitations has long since expired to charge me with any misdemeanors. I just feel sorry for the kids who will never have those memories if people like this have their way.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Hey! Your friends at CSPI are at it again. :)

[Eric Blair 2084]

Big Brother, Nanny State, Grant Junky, Bogus Study, Junk Science, Social Engineering, Sheeple Control, Health Nazi Ping!!!

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[Renegade]

"Cardinal Puff, may I drink to you for the first time
tonight ? "

[Dinsdale]

Makes me wish I was younger so I could participate.

I once hit 115 quarters shots in a row. It's all in the technique.

[CindyDawg]

Not Real mean of genius, huh? :')

[Domicile of Doom]

Well that's great but I fornicated with 179 floozies from 6 different Sororitys, the soccer team, softball (big butted girls), while directly contributing to the expulsion of at least two dozen fellow class mates (due to poor grades, too much partying). All that and more, and I finished with a good gpa in four years - I'm proud of my accomplishment let me tell ya.

[JimRed]

There used to be a summertime bicycle rally here on the Jersey coast, stopping to vist numerous scheduled bars along the way. I think it was a fund raiser of some sort. I haven't heard of it in a lot of years!

[lesser_satan]

Kids will get drunk and push each other around in stolen shopping carts whether or not Anheuser-Busch encourages them. So the Center for Science in the Public Interest should go do something useful, like debunking Al Gore's retarded hysteria.

[Fierce Allegiance]

Iditarod ping!

Lemme know if you want on or off the list.

[Dinsdale]

You had me until you claimed to have hit the softball players.

They all played for the 'pink team' (well known fact).

I lived on a dorm floor my freshman year that had an average GPA of 0.3! I carried a 3.2 that year so there had to be a bunch of 0.0s.

Graduated with two engineering degrees in nine semesters.

They also had a breathalyser at a bar. We used to go for highest blow of the night. Lost it's appeal after we were old enough to drink legally.

[CindyDawg]

That's impressive. Been tested lately?

[L98Fiero]

"Cardinal Puff, may I drink to you for the first time
tonight ? "

Oh jeez. Memories of 2-for-1 pitchers on Wednesday nights.

[true_blue_texican]

You got any phone numbers?

[Renegade]

You can actually remember ??

[jdub]

Until I got almost to the end of your accomplishments, I was thinking "this guy had as good a freshman year as I did...".

[L98Fiero]

Remember what? ;-)

[HIDEK6]

I just feel sorry for the kids who will never have those memories if people like this have their way.

IN MY DAY, we didn't need corporate America to tell us how to get smashed.

[ASOC]

LOL

A REAL hair of the dog race.....

[Fierce Allegiance]

I used to get nickle drafts in the late 80's, but on base, not at college. Slammed for a buck, not a bad deal!