Are.
You.
Kidding.
Me.
Bud Light paid the UFC $100 million to partner with them. The UFC is a based company and a lot of its athletes are based. Dana White is as based as a sports executive as we've had in the modern age.
Now, I was disappointed in this deal, but money is money, and I don't want to criticize the UFC or Dana White.
But let's not kid ourselves: Bud Light is paying the UFC so that the UFC will tell conservatives to stop the boycott.
Which Dana White explicitly did:
That pisses me off, and doesn't make me like Bud Light more. It makes me like Dana White less.
But whatever. He's getting paid for it. That's the way the world works, and I expected this when I heard about the deal.
But what I wasn't expecting was Kid Rock, who kicked off the boycott by shooting up cans of Bud Light with his sport rifle, to suddenly call for an end to the boycott as well (CNN):
Kid Rock is changing his tune on Bud Light. He was one of the first people to declare a boycott on Bud Light after the beer brand briefly partnered with a transgender influencer, leading to a significant and lasting sales slump.
Rock told Tucker Carlson on his X show that Bud Light "deserved a black eye and they got one" for the partnership with Dylan Mulvaney, but then added he's over the boycott. "So, do I want to hold their head underwater and drown them because they made a mistake? No, I think they got the message."
Rock's reversal might come as good news for Bud Light, which has experienced a steep slump in sales since the transphobic backlash began in April. The Mulvaney partnership caused some of its core customers to abandon the beer and Bud Light's botched response alienated supporters as well as the LGBTQ community.
Weird that that's on Tucker Carlson too.
And wouldn't you know it: Now that Kid Rock's called an end to the boycott, Tim Pool also says it's time for "we" conservatives (we conservatives, Tim?) to end the boycott as well.
Now we know that one of them, Dana White, just accepted a check for $100 million for his company, which he'll be benefiting in.
And the other two? Who just happened to follow along within days of Dana White initiating the public relations blitz?
Am I supposed to believe they weren't paid?
Here's what I find really suspicious: Bud Light has ceased even to be an issue. No one is actively boycotting it any longer. They just aren't drinking it because it was always crap and they stopped drinking crap. There is no reason to drink crap, whether that crap aligns with your values or not.
This is only an issue again because Bud Light is paying for it to be an issue. Bud Light wants a second look. Bud Light wants a reevaluation campaign.
Okay.
So who are the people participating in this reevaluation campaign? Who are the "early adopters," if you will? And why are they early adopters?
I know why Dana White is an early adopter.
I can guess why Kid Rock is -- I bet Bud Light has sponsored a lot of his tours.
Why's Tim Pool an early adopter?
I find this so incredibly suspicious I'm tempted to throw caution to the wind and just assert Yes, Tim Pool and Kid Rock did take a payment from Bud Light.
But I don't know that.
I sure suspect that, though.
"We conservatives." Harumph, as they say.
Even Megyn Kelly isn't cucking out like these two are:
Megyn Kelly
@megynkelly
Bud Lite never apologized or even acknowledged how deeply it offended its customers.
That's bc it's still beholden to the vicious trans activists who threatened it & cares more about them than its customers.
Why would you give them your business? Bc one musician folded?
HARD NO.
Speaking as a "we conservatives," "we conservatives" say this:
I'll join your Publicity Campaign, Bud Light. The moment you cut me a check for $185,000, the same amount you paid Dylan Mulvaney. You don't have to make me my own can.
Then I'll "organically" decide that hey, I've totally reconsidered this issue on my own too and would like to Take the PR Win Now.