Slim-Fast Sheds Whoopi Goldberg After Bush Riff

Netscape News ^ | 7/14/04

[11th Earl of Mar]

Slim-Fast Sheds Whoopi Goldberg After Bush Riff

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Comedian Whoopi Goldberg will no longer appear in ads for diet aid maker Slim-Fast following her lewd riff on President Bush's name at a fund-raiser last week, the company said on Wednesday.

Florida-based Slim-Fast said it was "disappointed" in Goldberg's remarks at last Thursday's $7.5 million star-studded fund-raiser at Radio City Music Hall in New York.

"Ads featuring Ms. Goldberg will no longer be on the air," Slim-Fast General Manager Terry Olson said in a statement, adding that the company regrets that Goldberg's remarks offended some customers.

Republicans have expressed outrage over the fund-raiser for presumptive Democratic nominee John F. Kerry and his vice presidential running mate, John Edwards, in which entertainers lined up to skewer the president.

The New York Post said of Goldberg's appearance at the event: "Waving a bottle of wine, she fired off a stream of vulgar sexual wordplays on Bush's name in a riff about female genitalia."

A spokesperson for Goldberg declined immediate comment.

Slim-Fast is a unit of Anglo-Dutch food-to-detergent group Unilever Plc .

© Copyright Reuters Ltd. All rights reserved. The information contained In this news report may not be published, broadcast or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of Reuters Ltd.

[visualops]

One big happy non-family.

[Calvin Locke]

Heard on TV the other day that Slim Fast

I saw the Slim Fast commercial tonight on the TV Guide channel.

That channel is designed to be so bad as to make you want to buy the hard copy, anyway.

[George W. Bush]

Thats one way to get rid of 150 lbs of ugly fat. What do ya know, slimfast really does work.

This should be nominated for quote of the day!

[TheBattman]

July 14, 2004




Dear M ,

Thank you for contacting us recently about our use of Whoopi Goldberg, specifically regarding
her remarks made at the recent fundraiser at Radio City Music Hall. The manner in which Ms.
Goldberg chose to express her personal beliefs at this event do not reflect the views and values
of Slim·Fast Foods Company.

Slim·Fast selected Whoopi Goldberg as its spokesperson because of her commitment to losing
weight, which we applaud.

We are disappointed by the manner in which Ms. Goldberg chose to express herself and
sincerely regret that her recent remarks offended you. Advertisements featuring Ms. Goldberg
will no longer be on air.

We appreciate you sharing your views with us and we hope you will continue to use Slim·Fast
as your partner in healthy weight management.

Sincerely,

Beverly Shell
Consumer Services Representative

[Lauren BaRecall]

Here's one for you:

Whoopi as Lady Macbeth. "Out, out damn spot!"

Cameo appearance by Yorick (on table).

[Future Useless Eater]

>>Let's see if Whoopi's really mad. I think that would be a good guage to use regarding what Slim Fast may have told her behind closed doors.

The Bloomberg article is about the most detailed I've seen so far.... Whoopie seems very subdued and calm, almost as if she is being PAID handsomely to keep very quiet, and make no more waves regarding this incident.

I also noticed as others have said, that Slim-fast...
* did NOT say they disagreed with Whoopi's obscenities,
* did NOT say that THEY were offended,
* but ONLY that they regretted 'some of their consumers' were offended

[Steve Van Doorn]

I suggest we thank them.

[Neever]

I'm sure that many people, non-Freepers, also complained. Middle America is simply fed up with these "Democratic Values." The country is slowly moving to the right. Let's hope that Hollywood gets the message.

If anyone is going to clean up the filth that is coming out of Hollywood, it will be the advertisers that support them. When pressure is put on them, they will put pressure on the artists.

[MeekOneGOP]

hehe! We done good ! :^D

[hattend]

How many kids do all those women combined have? Anybody know? They are all menopausal too (with the exception of Ashely Judd). I don't understand why they are so vocal about abortion.

[Mears]

Nice to be appreciated!!!!!

[Lauren BaRecall]

Thanks for the link. However, I disagree that she's low key.

``I've done material on every president in the past 20 years, from Reagan to Carter, from Clinton to Bush,'' Goldberg said, adding that ``it seems now that people from the other side are using this to further their own agenda.''

She's being a snot.

Oh, and she has no agenda? No, she's an artiste.

[Socratic]

"........As the spokesperson for SlimFast, what she stands for is what your product also says. It's a shame you folks don't value your customers who vote conservative. In the future, let me encourage you to use commercials that are neutral toward all of your customer base........"


Excellent letter! May I use it in adapted form when a future occasion arises (as we all know, it will)?

[new cruelty]

``it seems now that people from the other side are using this to further their own agenda.''

I've no doubt you're nasty antics will pop up again elsewhere and I am equally confident those on the right side will be there to quash your wicked efforts. Far better to further the agenda of those on the right side than to further your filth, whoopi. See you soon.

[McGavin999]

They had a real bad quarter last quarter. Not only that but so did their parent Unilever. Any loss during a period of growth is a signal not all is well, they don't need this additional hit, especially during a campaign season.

In addition, most of their sales are to the red zones.

[visualops]

I don't think any of them have any kids.

[xzins]

Sure, use away.

Give some credit to Rush Limbaugh, who brought up typecasting of political actors/musicians back during the Dixie Chicks debate, I think.

[Lauren BaRecall]

Here's one for YOU! :oD

Whoopi in "The Virgin Queen."

[Lauren BaRecall]

Here's another - Lauren BaRecall and Whoopi in happier days:

Backstage during an off Broadway production of "A Mid Summer Night's Dream." Me (on left), as Peaseblossom, and Whoopi as Nick Bottom.

[Ciexyz]

Yes!!!! My email to Slimfast surely helped. Everybody working together, we got a victory on this one!