
Feb 22 // Feb 6 2017
Boycott this.
Our long national nightmare is over.
Cut up your Nordstrom’s card a few weeks ago? Good for you! A person of principle. There was no way they were going to get one more dime – or more like 5,000 dimes – of yours while they offered merchandise from the spawn of Satan (aka Ivanka Trump.)
Small aside: Two Weeks Ago News likes to think about this in terms of the Women’s March in Washington last month. The one that was all about supporting the sisterhood. Women supporting women as they work toward opening up opportunities and experiencing success on their own terms. It’s all good – as long as you like the sister, I guess. If you don’t – maybe not so much. Done. Dismiss. Degrade.
But back to our collective outrage and retail triumph. The good news is Nordstrom has corrected their error and removed the offensive line from their stores. Hurrah – everyone can go back to shopping again. Whew! Carry on.
Couple of things seemed obvious to us at Two Weeks Ago News as we watched this story unwind on social media and elsewhere.
But obviously, it meant a lot to Nordstrom. And as far as the company was concerned, continuing to carry her clothing line was never going to be a “win.”It wouldn’t result in an enormous uptick for their stores in Montana or Nebraska, where shoppers who may have voted for the President may also happen to think Ivanka is just wonderful. (There aren’t any Nordstroms in Montana or Nebraska. Or in Mississippi. Or Wyoming or New Hampshire or South Dakota or Vermont or West Virginia. Seeing a pattern here?) Nordstrom claims to have dropped the offensive merchandise (for at least the season) due to flagging sales. Well, that and the fact that many of the people who shop there – largely wealthy people, perhaps like the people who shop in their 79 locations in California alone – were vocal and aggravated that Donald Trump is the President.
2. People were also outraged at another upscale favorite: L.L. Bean. Bean doesn’t sell Trump brands but Linda Bean, one of the family member co-owners and a Board member, raised money for a Donald Trump PAC. Please read that again: one of the Board members – a free, private citizen of the United States, chose to donate her own money and/or raise money for the political candidate she supported. Sure, go ahead. Unless you want to risk the wrath of the L.L. Bean shopper.
Look, Two Weeks Ago News has no fiscal interest in the companies listed above. We pretty much make a lot of our shopping decisions based on specious things like value, quality, and price. Truth is, we like Nordstrom! We like L.L. Bean. Still do. If some of the profits that an owner or a company makes as a result of our commerce with them goes to a candidate we don’t like, we suppose that’s their right. And if we find ourselves truly outraged – outraged!!! - at the people and things they support as a result of their commercial success then yes – the answer would seem to be to boycott them and keep our money out of their hands.
Fine. Sensible. Logical. Righteous, even. But we do wonder this: Has everyone who ranted about Nordstrom also given up Bloomingdale’s? Or Dillard’s? Or Lord and Taylor? Cut all those cards up, have you?
The list of offensive companies (read: carry Trump products or are otherwise connect to Trump Inc.) is long and distinguished. We haven’t heard a peep about Bed, Bath and Beyond, DSW, Zappos, Bluefly, Buy Buy Baby, See’s Candies, Welch’s or Overstock.com.
And put down that drink. Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Yuengling, MillerCoors…all of them either supported President Trump’s campaign or were connected with his inauguration or once said something nice about him. (Indra Nooyi, chairwoman of Pepsi, is a member of President Trump’s Economic and Policy Forum. There’s that sisterhood again! A traitor to women everywhere.)
And just in case you were thinking about picking up something stylish, skip clothing from these companies and/or designers (we think you know why): New Balance, Dolce and Gabbana, Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger and Under Armour. Nope.
So by all means, live by your principles. Support the people who think exactly as you do. Always. In every situation. Surround yourself by those who echo your sentiments and help you feel very, very comfortable knowing that you are the smartest person in the room. It’s absolutely your prerogative and you get no argument from Two Weeks Ago News.
But we do ask this: please be consistent in your outrage. If you want to be thorough, you can ensure you haven’t missed the chance to express your noble outrage by withholding your commerce from the list of deviants and otherwise unworthy here. (P.S. And while you’re at it, go ahead and deactivate your Amazon Prime account, too.)
Boycott this.
Our long national nightmare is over.
Cut up your Nordstrom’s card a few weeks ago? Good for you! A person of principle. There was no way they were going to get one more dime – or more like 5,000 dimes – of yours while they offered merchandise from the spawn of Satan (aka Ivanka Trump.)
Small aside: Two Weeks Ago News likes to think about this in terms of the Women’s March in Washington last month. The one that was all about supporting the sisterhood. Women supporting women as they work toward opening up opportunities and experiencing success on their own terms. It’s all good – as long as you like the sister, I guess. If you don’t – maybe not so much. Done. Dismiss. Degrade.
But back to our collective outrage and retail triumph. The good news is Nordstrom has corrected their error and removed the offensive line from their stores. Hurrah – everyone can go back to shopping again. Whew! Carry on.
Couple of things seemed obvious to us at Two Weeks Ago News as we watched this story unwind on social media and elsewhere.
- Does it occur to many of the people protesting and boycotting Nordstrom based on the Ivanka merchandise on their racks that many of the people who voted for President Trump have never once stepped foot in a Nordstrom and never will? (Note: Many other Trump voters certainly have, surely. but the blue-collar, disinfranchised people who were enthusiastic and vocal during the campaign about why Candidate Trump best addressed their concerns are not likely to get the Nordstrom emails regularly.) This boycott meant nothing to them.
But obviously, it meant a lot to Nordstrom. And as far as the company was concerned, continuing to carry her clothing line was never going to be a “win.”It wouldn’t result in an enormous uptick for their stores in Montana or Nebraska, where shoppers who may have voted for the President may also happen to think Ivanka is just wonderful. (There aren’t any Nordstroms in Montana or Nebraska. Or in Mississippi. Or Wyoming or New Hampshire or South Dakota or Vermont or West Virginia. Seeing a pattern here?) Nordstrom claims to have dropped the offensive merchandise (for at least the season) due to flagging sales. Well, that and the fact that many of the people who shop there – largely wealthy people, perhaps like the people who shop in their 79 locations in California alone – were vocal and aggravated that Donald Trump is the President.
2. People were also outraged at another upscale favorite: L.L. Bean. Bean doesn’t sell Trump brands but Linda Bean, one of the family member co-owners and a Board member, raised money for a Donald Trump PAC. Please read that again: one of the Board members – a free, private citizen of the United States, chose to donate her own money and/or raise money for the political candidate she supported. Sure, go ahead. Unless you want to risk the wrath of the L.L. Bean shopper.
Look, Two Weeks Ago News has no fiscal interest in the companies listed above. We pretty much make a lot of our shopping decisions based on specious things like value, quality, and price. Truth is, we like Nordstrom! We like L.L. Bean. Still do. If some of the profits that an owner or a company makes as a result of our commerce with them goes to a candidate we don’t like, we suppose that’s their right. And if we find ourselves truly outraged – outraged!!! - at the people and things they support as a result of their commercial success then yes – the answer would seem to be to boycott them and keep our money out of their hands.
Fine. Sensible. Logical. Righteous, even. But we do wonder this: Has everyone who ranted about Nordstrom also given up Bloomingdale’s? Or Dillard’s? Or Lord and Taylor? Cut all those cards up, have you?
The list of offensive companies (read: carry Trump products or are otherwise connect to Trump Inc.) is long and distinguished. We haven’t heard a peep about Bed, Bath and Beyond, DSW, Zappos, Bluefly, Buy Buy Baby, See’s Candies, Welch’s or Overstock.com.
And put down that drink. Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Yuengling, MillerCoors…all of them either supported President Trump’s campaign or were connected with his inauguration or once said something nice about him. (Indra Nooyi, chairwoman of Pepsi, is a member of President Trump’s Economic and Policy Forum. There’s that sisterhood again! A traitor to women everywhere.)
And just in case you were thinking about picking up something stylish, skip clothing from these companies and/or designers (we think you know why): New Balance, Dolce and Gabbana, Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger and Under Armour. Nope.
So by all means, live by your principles. Support the people who think exactly as you do. Always. In every situation. Surround yourself by those who echo your sentiments and help you feel very, very comfortable knowing that you are the smartest person in the room. It’s absolutely your prerogative and you get no argument from Two Weeks Ago News.
But we do ask this: please be consistent in your outrage. If you want to be thorough, you can ensure you haven’t missed the chance to express your noble outrage by withholding your commerce from the list of deviants and otherwise unworthy here. (P.S. And while you’re at it, go ahead and deactivate your Amazon Prime account, too.)