Landsend.com's SURPRISE SANTA ("bye-bye", NOT "buy, buy" Lands' End).

Lands' End website ^

[petuniasevan]

My teed-off email to Land's End:

It has been brought to my attention that you have retained actor Rob Reiner as a spokesperson.

Like thousands of your customers, I am appalled at your apparent lack of judgement in this action.

Reiner is an extreme leftist/socialist who wrote the hate speech that Gore gave recently; the one that viciously attacked the President in his role as Commander-in-Chief.

If you REALLY think that alienating middle America with this faux-intellectual will build your business, go right ahead and use Reiner.

But know this: Neither I nor anyone in my family will continue to do business with Land's End.

Your action has also been noted at various websites such as Free Republic. Imagine how soon thousands of FORMER customers will spread the word to start shopping at your competitors.

Bad judgement, bad timing. If you are smart you will reconsider hiring the hate-monger Reiner.

Because your customers are already leaving in droves.

[Little Bill]

My Comment: If you continue to use Rob Reiner as a spokesman I will never buy another thing from you again.

I used to buy a lot of things from these people, never again.

[pbear8]

Since Mr. Reiner is Jewish, perhaps this is really Hanukkah Harry.

[mikeb704]

My response from Lands' End:

Thank you for your message to Lands' End. We apologize if you are concerned by our choice to have Rob Reiner on our catalog. Your concerns will be forwarded to the appropriate Lands' End department.

If we may be of further assistance, please let us know.

If I am concerned? If I am concerned?

They must not read terribly well.

Michael M. Bates: My Side of the Swamp

[All Blue State]

Don't have them stop sending the catalogues. Keep getting them and toss them straight into the garbarge. You might as well be a liability for them, as will I.

[vikingchick]

bttt

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Your action has also been noted at various websites such as Free Republic. Imagine how soon thousands of FORMER customers will spread the word to start shopping at your competitors.

Bad judgement, bad timing. ...

Good one. You sound concerned. Perhaps Daschle's 'concerned' speech writer got a job writing e-mail responses for Lands' End after the Nov. 5th election.

[mlmr]

Linda Bean's stance on conservative issues has nothing to do with LL Bean.

[Capt. Tom]

November 25, 2002

Dear Mr. ****:

Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us regarding our selection of Rob Reiner as our mystery Santa. Thanks also for your comments regarding his political background and views. We're sorry we upset you with this choice.

However, there is no political approach at work here on Lands' End's part, or any reference to politics in the catalog. This is strictly about doing right by children through the I Am Your Child Foundation.

Mr. ****, we would like to thank you again for your e-mail and taking the time to bring your views to our attention.

Sincerely,
Richard Mensch
Customer Relations
Lands' End

[Chancellor Palpatine]

[pettifogger]

From the "I am your child" foundation website (Reiner's message):

In addition, I Am Your Child is working to promote increased public spending on early childhood programs because if we invest more money in early childhood programs we'll save a lot of money on the other end. These public policy goals are vital to our children, our families, and to our entire society. Policy makers must increase investment in affordable quality child care; expand pre-school programs; increase commitments to early intervention programs for families at risk; and provide more resources for health programs that address not only children's nutritional and physical needs, but also their emotional needs.

Blecchh. Whatever happened to Moms and Dads?

[GOPrincess]

I really appreciate the information and links provided. Here is the letter I just send Lands' End:

"Dear Lands' End,

I have shopped with your company for many years. I am dismayed that you are now engaging in political advocacy through your catalogue and website. Rob Reiner is a left-wing political advocate (are you aware he engineered Al Gore's speech earlier this year criticizing our Commander-in Chief?) and the organization for which you are soliciting funds is an extremely liberal organization. It is *not merely a charity* which helps children. If you read the information you have linked to your own website, the I Am Your Child organization advocates *increasing public funding* for things like child care and preschool. "Public funding" translates to tax dollars. My husband and I work a total of three jobs in order to care for our four children at home *ourselves*, and Mr. Reiner's organization advocates making it even harder for us to raise our own children by taking away more of our hard-earned cash to give it to others -- this is socialism, in a nutshell. I pay for my preschooler to go to preschool -- why take away my money to send someone *else's* child to preschool? You may say, "It's just a dollar or two," but a bit here and a bit there for social programs adds up to an incredibly heavy tax burden on the average working family. I am very unhappy that you are soliciting donations for a liberal organization that *attacks*, rather than supports, the American family. I will be watching your company's future conduct in this regard and make my buying decisions accordingly. You owe your customers an apology."

[pettifogger]

Great letter, GoPrincess. Love the screen name as well.

[AnAmericanMother]

Here's my screed:

Dear Lands' End,

I have been a regular customer almost since you began your catalog service. I have ordered many, many items including outdoor wear and school uniforms. I have a huge pile of your catalogs on my kitchen counter. I have recommended your products to many of my friends.

But that may have to change.

I was stunned to learn that you have started using your catalogue and website for flagrant political purposes. Rob Reiner is a radical socialist who wrote Al Gore's speech attacking President Bush earlier this year. And his organization is not a "children's charity" - it is a very liberal political action group that supports radical changes in child care, primarily increased government taxation and concomitant control over my children. If you investigate, you will see that "I Am Your Child" wants to raise taxes in order to place children more and more under government control and supervision.

I would think you would see that, the more of my paycheck is taken away for government giveaway programs, the less disposable income I will have to spend at Land's End. Even if you don't see that simple equation, you should stay out of politics because you are bound to anger at least one half of your customers.

I expect an apology and an explanation. In the absence of any response - or if you simply send a canned Email response - I will cancel my account and cease to purchase any more of your products.

Yours sincerely,

An American Mother (address)

[ncpastor]

I haven't bought from Lands' End in years. They can have Rob Reiner, and keep 'im, too. Bah! Humbug!

[July 4th]

I'll give Lands End the benefit of the doubt until I hear a response. Not only are they a "local" company for me, the little town that they operate out of in Wisconsin is in solid Bush country. I'm not about to punish a company for what is currently just a stupid move at this point.

[harpo11]

Why its Rob Reiner earning money through barbarian capitalism? What a joke he is, being on one hand a socialist leftist arrogant busy body snob, and on the other hand a paycheck earned from an Corporate America.

Well, I'm sorry to hear that Land's End is really into leftism. No wonder some of their women's fashions look so dowdy and frumpy. But, Rob does at least look passable in a Santy outfit, not much padding needed at all.

Too bad he advocates increasing taxes. He really is a sourpuss Grinch in Santa's clothing.

[Cultural Jihad]

Here is a copy of my message to Lands End:

Most excellent. Business hates controversy. It gives them headaches. They are not in the business of alienating their customers. Even a small handful of letters such as yours will weigh very heavily upon the board's minds, and it will not be long before Rob Reiner is reining in some other cushy job elsewhere while their marketing director is back at pushing the mail cart down the hall.

[GOPrincess]

Excellent letter!! Loved the points that they are bound to anger half their customers and that increased taxation means less money to spend on Lands' End :).

Keep 'em coming, folks, we just might be able to make a difference :).

Thanks to those who made it so easy to look into this and contact Lands' End.

[sunshine state]

This stinks! I finally, after MONTHS of waffling and scraping, have the money to buy a couple of sweater sets from Lands End. I was sitting here with the catalog in my hands last night making my choices. Now this! They're not getting my money now. Can anyone recommend another place to buy cotton sweater sets (I'm allergic to wool)?