Free Republic

ISLAMABAD: An international detergent brand has come under fire for an advertisement questioning gender stereotypes in the conservative patriarchal country, with critics denouncing the company for allegedly insulting Islam. The commercial for Ariel soap, owned by US-based Proctor & Gamble, calls for women to break free of conservative norms and pursue careers. In the ad, several women representing different professions - including a journalist and doctor - are seen pushing dirty sheets hanging on a clothesline off the screen. The sheets are printed with common refrains used to reinforce the oppression of women in Pakistan, including the question “What will...

One of the world's most successful brands committed ideological hara-kiri this week. Recognized around the world as a symbol of manly civility for more than a century, Gillette will now be remembered as the company that did itself in by sacrificing a massive consumer base at the altar of progressivism. To which I say: R.I.P.-C. (Rest In Political Correctness). In case you hadn't seen or heard, parent company Procter & Gamble launched a Gillette ad campaign blanket-demonizing men as ogres and bullies. Guilt-ridden actors gaze ruefully at their reflections in the mirror -- not because they've neglected their hygiene, but...

President Obama plans to nominate former Procter and Gamble executive Robert McDonald to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs, sources confirm to Fox News.

Reality appears to have finally arrived at Procter & Gamble, the world's largest marketer, whose $10 billion annual ad budget has hurt the company's margins. P&G said it would lay off 1,600 staffers, including marketers, as part of a cost-cutting exercise. More interestingly, CEO Robert McDonald finally seems to have woken up to the fact that he cannot keep increasing P&G's ad budget forever, regardless of what happens to its sales. He told Wall Street analysts that he would have to "moderate" his ad budget because Facebook and Google can be "more efficient" than the traditional media that usually eats...

Tests of Suspect Pet Food Killed 7, Government Says Deaths Remain a Mystery ? WASHINGTON, Mar. 20, 2007 - As many as one in six animals died in tests of suspect dog and cat food by the manufacturer after complaints the products were poisoning pets around the country, the government said Monday. Related Links RECALL: Complete Pet Food ListMORE: Pet Food Recall Grows (3/19/2007)LINK: Menu Foods Web Site (http://www.menufoods.com)LINK: FDA Pet Food Recall Information (http://www.fda.gov)Receive Breaking News AlertsGet Eyewitness News Updates A federal investigation is focusing on wheat gluten as the likely source of contamination that sparked a recall...

Over the years, Peter Lynch has taken some flak for suggesting that investors looking for ideas should open up the fridge and make a list. Some of that flak wasn't entirely fair, because Lynch did caution that this maxim was merely a starting point. In fact, if you open your fridge and cupboards today and make a list of ideas to invest in, you'll do reasonably well. A number of well-known companies such as Procter & Gamble (NYSE: PG), Clorox (NYSE: CLX), Church & Dwight (NYSE: CHD), and Motley Fool Inside Value selection Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE: CL) trade at prices that...