The Interim presents information in Corporate Watch only as a point
of information. It does not necessarily advocate boycotts or other punitive
measures against companies known to fund anti-life and anti-family causes,
although readers may wish to pursue such paths on their own initiatives
if they wish.
The Interim also advises that in all cases where one is considering
a punitive measure, boycott of, or communication to, a company thought
to be a corporate supporter of an anti-life or anti-family cause, an
individual should contact the company in question and confirm that that
is indeed the case. Although The Interim attempts to be as accurate
as it can, and to derive its information from reputable sources, constant
changes in corporate giving policies may result in some information
being out of date by the time it appears in Corporate Watch.
On the good news front, and speaking of Levi Strauss,
the LDI boycott may be having an effect as the Planned Parenthood-supporting
clothing manufacturer closed its last two sewing plants in the U.S.
and cut 800 jobs in the process. In addition, the company's three remaining
plants in Canada are scheduled to close this spring. The company has
weathered seven straight years of declining sales after hitting a peak
in 1996.
Another U.S. clothier, Abercrombie & Fitch, announced
in December that it will be ceasing publication of its quarterly catalogue,
following an uproar by family advocacy groups that decried the catalogue's
pornography-like images and articles about "group sex and more." The
company's racy marketing philosophy appears to be failing, as November
2003 marked the fourth straight November of declining sales.
Again on the clothing front, U.S. department store JCPenney
decided to pull a line of sexually suggestive clothing after a campaign
by thousands of teenagers across the U.S. through the website OneMillionYouth.com.
The clothing line featured T-shirts with crude and suggestive messages,
such as: "Had a great time last night, whoever he was," and, "You don't
know me, but your girlfriend does."
U.S. automaker Dodge cancelled its proposed sponsorship
of a "Lingerie Bowl" - a pay-per-view TV program during the Super Bowl,
featuring seven scantily clad women playing football - after criticisms
from the American Family Association and other family
advocacy groups. "When you offend a great number of Americans, we do
get vocal, we do express our opinion, we do exercise our First Amendment
rights," said an AFA spokesman.
Dr. Ted Baehr, of the Christian Film and Television Commission,
says Hollywood is out of touch with mainstream America - and the fact
that Americans are turning off racy, adult-oriented programming in increasing
numbers proves it. The Fox network, for example, cancelled
the new show Skin after just three episodes.
NBC's explicit program Coupling is also on
the shelf (NBC's website says that "an upcoming episode has not yet
been scheduled"). Meanwhile, quality family shows such as Doc
and Seventh Heaven are maintaining solid viewerships.
Randy Sharp, director of special projects for the American Family Association,
agrees with the view that Americans are saying "no" to filth on television.
"Our culture has been so saturated with sex on television that people
are getting fed up with it. Hopefully, Hollywood is getting the message
that sex doesn't sell like it used to," he said.
Pro-life advocates are continuing their efforts to stop Microsoft
(an LDI boycott target) from supporting abortion, despite a setback
at the corporation's annual meeting in November. Shareholders turned
down a proposal to have Microsoft end its practice of giving directly
to charities, including organizations that commit abortions or provide
for abortion counselling. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
is reported to have given at least $2.8 million to the Planned
Parenthood Federation of America in 2001.
Planned Parenthood acknowledges that Microsoft matches
employee grants to it and provides software and training services.
