Consumers of Ben & Jerry Ice Cream who lean politically to the right might be dropping their spoons in protest and refusing to eat the iconic ice cream created by Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield. On Facebook, they posted “Our scoop shop managers got to meet THE Ben and Jerry at the annual franchisee/manager retreat! Stay tuned to see how our shop will implement Ben’s take on “hands up don’t shoot” campaign to address police brutality and empowering children of color, ” as reported by AllHipHop.
Ben Cohen talked directly about #BlackLivesMatter at the Franchise meeting and included a video. Ben Cohen wore a Hands Up Don’t Shoot t-shirt.
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Right wing consumers were outraged at what they considered the politicization of ice cream, and posted inflammatory responses on social media. Shannon Daly Moran posted, “Please don’t call Law Enforcement when your shops are vadelized (sic) by the thugs you are supporting when the next “peaceful protests” takes place near one of your “disrespectful” establishments. Pathetic liberal Fucktard!!!”
Police officer Doug Ryan said he would not be eating Ben & Jerry’s ice cream anymore … they will fight “police brutality” by wearing a shirt that has a meaning for something that never actually happened?” Robert Osbourne posted “The point of the hands up don’t shoot campaign is that cops shoot first and ask questions later. It is a stupid campaign and the cops haven’t done anything wrong. Anyone who supports it I have no respect for.”
Efforts to boycott Ben & Jerry’s ice cream over the issue won’t hurt Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, who sold the company to Unilever. Regardless of whether people will come out in droves and boycott the ice cream for political reasons, if such boycotts are really that widespread, make a meaningful dent or are even practical given that few can resist the temptation of the delicious ice cream, Unilever has seen better days. The company recently missed earnings estimates, and said the slowdown in Europe and drastic reduction in China sales are hurting the company that owns brands such as Ben & Jerry’s, Dove soap and Persil washing powder.
