OK, for today’s blog I have to clarify something right up front.  I don’t make an effort to search for dirt… but I have a hard time ignoring it when it is shoved in front of me.  In addition, many of my blog topics jump out at me as I scroll through the news feed on my I Phone, which I do every morning.  Normally the headlines that draw my attention are from reputable sources and pertain to very relevant topics; but, on occasion I am drawn in by topics that seem totally irrelevant or unbelievable.  Recently, I saw two headlines that I just couldn’t resist:

• “We Drank the Anti-Woke Beer So You Don’t Have To”, Politico
• “Skims Launches New Faux Nipple Bra to Help Fight Climate Change” The Daily Beast

I mean seriously, how could I resist…?

After reading the article on the Anti-Woke Beer I was hooked and dived headfirst down the rabbit hole.  It came as no surprise to me that there is a sizable industry out there that is trying to profit off of our emotions, stances, politics, etc.  For the most part I don’t blame them, and I will freely admit that I have spent money on hats, shirts, coffee cups, and bumper stickers that support my beliefs.  For example, I have a “Ukraine” and a “Co-exist” bumper sticker on my car.  In my office I have a sticker on my file cabinet that says “Enough Is Enough! Ban Assault Weapons NOW!”  Finally, I have an “Vaccinated, Caffeinated and Ready to Go!” t-shirt that I am proud to wear.  However, I draw the line when I find an opportunist that is just exploiting people for their own personal, extravagant gain.

In drilling down on the Anti-Woke Beer article, and links, I believe that I found two examples:

• “Conservative Dad’s ULTRA RIGHT™ 100% WOKE-FREE™ AMERICAN BEER”
• “Jeremy’s Chocolate™”

Before I go on, please understand that I am not making any statement about Woke / Anti-Woke, sex, sexuality, gender, politics, or anything else… except for what appears to be greed.

If you go to the Conservative Dad’s ULTRA RIGHT website, https://ultrarightbeer.com/, you will find they sell beers online, as well as other merchandise.  So far so good.  Here’s what you’ll find when you drill down:

• Their lager beer (Conservative Dad’s Ultra Right”) costs $19.99 per 6-pack, and they have a limited edition (“Conservative Dad’s Revenge”) coming out soon that you can pre-order for $25.00 per 6-pack. Shipping is extra and appears to be around $10.00 for a 6-pack.
• Their lager beer indicates that it will ship “within 30 days after ordering”.
• One of their slogans is “If you know which restroom to use, you know what beer you should be drinking. Stop giving money to companies who hate our values.”
• They have a YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUokwmZcFMM

Now I know that they are trying to capitalize on the anger that occurred when another brewer used a transgender actor in one of its ads.  However, you can buy that other brewer’s beer for $18.98 a case (24 cans), your shipping will be whatever it costs to get to your local liquor store, and you can have it today!  If you’re personal ethics prevent you from buying this beer, go buy something else.  Heck, I’m a Guinness fan and I can get an 8-pack of pub draught stout for $13.73!

I then moved on to “Jeremy’s Chocolate”, an offshoot of “Jeremy’s Razors, LLC”, which is a company that sells woke-free razors and skin care products.  Their website is https://www.jeremysrazors.com/.  So, let’s take a look at the chocolates:

• The price for the chocolates is $18.74 for a 4-pack of 1.5-ounce bars (roughly $4.69 per bar). You can purchase in larger quantities, but it doesn’t look like there is much of a price difference.  If you buy a 4-pack, it appears that shipping will be around $5.00.
• They have two standard chocolate bar offerings: “SheHer” without nuts, and “HeHim” with nuts. Here’s a statement off of the site: “Some chocolate companies don’t even know what a woman is.  But we do.  Indulge in the chocolate binary.  One with nuts, one without.  You know which one is which.”
• They claim to be “100% woke free”.
• The company has an indescribable YouTube ad: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ww5Lf97hXQM

As with Conservative Dad’s Beer, it appears that they are trying to capitalize on the anger that occurred when another chocolate producer apparently used a transgender individual to be a spokesperson for their International Women’s Day campaign.  However, you can buy that other chocolatier’s 1.5-ounce candy bar for about $1.40, you can buy it locally and you can have it today.  Once again, if your personal ethics prevent you from buying this company’s chocolate you can buy from someone else.  Personally, I think that KitKats and Snickers go well with Guinness!

So, after visiting these two sites I have to ask, do you really need to pay over four times as much for beer or chocolate, pay for shipping, and wait for it to arrive in order to demonstrate that you know what restroom to use?  Do you think that those who don’t share your views will be moved by you taking these actions?  Are these really the way for a person to demonstrate their values and opinions; or are these companies just taking advantage of some folk’s anger to make a sizable profit?  Folks, I am all for standing by your principles, but these companies remind me of  P.T. Barnum’s philosophy: “there’s a sucker born every minute”.

Now let’s move on to something completely different, “Skims Launches New Faux Nipple Bra to Help Fight Climate Change”.  OK… so I have decided that I really better not delve into this one for fear that I will be labeled a creep, dirty old man, or something even more insulting.  I have not investigated this product; I don’t know the price.  Further, I found a related article that seems to indicate that some women who have had mastectomies are pleased that this product is being released.  Great!  However, I think everyone would like to know how a bra fights climate change?  Well, you need look no further than the ad used to launch the product: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYU96IDIrRk.  If you aren’t interested in checking out the video here’s a transcript of the text:

“The earth’s temperature is getting hotter and hotter.  The sea levels are rising.  The ice sheets are shrinking… I’m not a scientist, but I do believe that everyone can use their skillsets to do their part.  That’s why I’m introducing a brand-new bra with a built-in nipple.  So, no matter how hot it is, you’ll always look cold.  Some days are hard but these nipples are harder, and unlike the icebergs these aren’t going anywhere.  The Skims ultimate nipple bra.”

Please tell me that this is all tongue in cheek!

Well, there it is!  I am off to don my “Openly Gray” sweatshirt and go shopping at an upscale grocery store that sells items I can get at the local discount store for a substantially higher price.  So there!

Oh, I almost forgot!  Do you know the difference between an opportunist and a catfish?  Well, one is a bottom feeder and the other is a fish…