Jim Henson Company ends business relationship with Chick-fil-A over anti-gay views

MSN ^ | July 23, 2012, | Brent Lang

[IbJensen]

Kermit and Miss Piggy won't be chomping down on Chick-fil-A chicken sandwiches any longer.

The Jim Henson Company will stop providing toys for the fast food chains kids meals because of Chick-fil-A's anti-gay marriage stance.

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On Facebook, the company said that CEO Lisa Henson is a strong supporter of marriage equality and decided to end the relationship with the food-maker. The company behind the Muppets will donate the money it received from Chick-fil-A to the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD).

"The Jim Henson Company has celebrated and embraced diversity and inclusiveness for over fifty years and we have notified Chick-fil-A that we do not wish to partner with them on any future endeavors," the statement reads.

The controversy over Chick-fil-A's views on gay rights came to a head after the the company's president Dan Cathy told the Baptist Press that he was "guilty as charged" when it came to his support for the Biblical definition of marriage as being between a man and a woman.

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"We are very much supportive of the family -- the Biblical definition of the family unit," Cathy said. "We are a family-owned business, a family-led business, and we are married to our first wives. We give God thanks for that."

The company has also reportedly donated millions of dollars to anti-gay Christian groups. With over $4 billion in revenue, Chick-fil-A has continued to stress its religious values by refusing, for instance, to open on Sundays.

[Mears]

I never even heard of them——sounds good though

[Soul of the South]

This is a great test of the free market. Ms. Henson and her company can do business with whomever they choose. Likewise the customers of Henson and Chick fil ‘A can decide how they wish to direct their dollars.
Let’s see if Ms. Henson’s actions have any effect on Chick fil ‘A.

[nolongerademocrat]

I didn’t get a chance to talk to him, they were packed out the doors and cars were wrapped around the building for the drive-thru.

[Mr Rogers]

I think it is time for Chick-Fil-A to announce the “Big Bird Special” - the half-pound chicken sandwich with lots of yellow mustard...

[getmeouttaPalmBeachCounty_FL]

Kermie can go pack sand.

[Alberta's Child]

Maybe it’s just me, but I’m wondering if these companies are doing this as some sort of last-ditch attempt to ingratiate itself with cultural elites as their business tanks. JC Penney’s stock has been in the toilet since they “came out” as a pro-gay retailer, and General Mills can’t be far behind with their idiotic public opposition to a proposed traditional marriage law in Minnesota.

[Secret Agent Man]

Ditto that.

[ilovesarah2012]

I didn’t let my children watch Sesame Street. I thought it was just dumb.

[Ray54]

Everyone here, except you.

[Jack Hydrazine]

Chick-Fil-A Restaurant Locator
http://www.chick-fil-a.com/Locations/Locator

[Gay State Conservative]

Everyone here, except you.

So most here see it as tragic that the Jim Henson Company has severed ties with Chick-fil-A? I must admit that I'm surprised.I would think that my attitude of "go bleep yourself,Jim Henson" would be widespread here.

[PapaBear3625]

I think somebody put a gun to the heads of the Jim Henson Company. The muppet trademarks are now owned by a Disney subsidiary The Muppets Studio. I'm going to guess that somebody at Disney made it clear that being associated with a "homophobic" company would jeopardize their relationship with Disney.

[PapaBear3625]

Jim Henson is dead. The company is run by his two kids, and it's main asset, the Muppets, was sold to a Disney subsidiary. As I said in my prior post, they may not have wanted to piss off the very pro-gay Disney Corp.

[aruanan]

Jim Henson Company ends business relationship with Chick-fil-A over anti-gay views

I guess we know now why Kermie and Miss Piggy never hooked up:

[PapaBear3625]

Looking further, The Jim Henson Company's current main activity involves doing "puppetry, animatronics and digital animation" effects for movie productions. As such, their income flow is totally dependent upon keeping gay-dominated Hollywood happy with them. They could not survive a boycott from the various studios. That's likely the reason they were forced to do this.

[RichInOC]

So wrong.

I laughed.

[stevio]

The sheep will be separated from the goats.

[nutmeg]

Bravo, Chick-fil-A!

Just had our first-ever Chick-fil-A chicken sandwiches at an Akron Aeros minor league baseball game in Akron, Ohio last week (they were pretty good!).

Unfortunately, there are no Chick-fil-A locations near us here in the People's Socialist Republik of Connecticut. If we see any Chick-fil-A restaurants during our travels, we'll do our best to give them some business...