Sure, JC Penny’s is free to hire Ellen. Consumers are also free to object, organize boycotts and not visit their stores if they don’t want to feed the CEO’s limo liberal cause of radical social engineering.
Corporations used to know that it was not to their advantage to isolate or shrink their American consumer base by engaging in the radical Left’s social engineering and political activities. They knew what is popular with their elitist limo mob, is not necessiarly popular with mainstream America. The CEO would have been fired for causing a polarizing controversy that is not in the interest of the corporation’s public image for it’s consumer base.
Big headed globalism has made for a culture of radical aggression - elitism - in Corporations. They have been able to insult and rip off Americans because they don’t depend upon American workers and consumers and they are also legally free to do it. Ultimately, it will all backfire and lead to failure - like liberalism always does. There is no business sense in running polarizing radical politics out of Corporate offices.
That is where the trouble begins. I think of Charles Nelson Riley on the old Match Game show. It was obvious he was homosexual, but he never talked about his boyfriend(s) or whatever. He was a funny dude. He could be a spokesman for somebody, and I don't think anybody would have cared much. He was a flamboyant guy and that's it. Ellen seems to have crossed over and gotten a little political with it. And I guess we will see if anybody cares.