The main problem with what Bud Light did, from a business perspective, is that it unnecessarily ceded neutral cultural space and entered the political and culture war realm. Aggravating that issue, it entered on the left side of things despite its drinkers generally being on the right, at least for social issues. Then, despite seeing that go so poorly for Bud Light, country singer Garth Brooks did the exact same thing and now SNL alum Rob Schneider is mocking him for it.,
He, during an interview, said not only that his Nashville bar would be selling Bud Light but that those conservatives boycotting it are “assholes.” In his words: “Yes, we’re going to serve every brand of beer. We just are. It’s not our decision to make. If you come into this house, love one another. f you’re an a**hole, there are plenty of other places on lower Broadway.”
Continuing, he said, “In my existence, one a**hole can turn the whole tide down there. My thing is, let’s create a place that you feel safe in. I want the Chick-fil-A of honky tonks I want a place you go in where you feel good, you feel safe. Everybody’s got good manners.”
Even worse, Brooks then doubled down on that attack on conservatives…despite his audience generally being conservative, saying, “I get it. Everybody’s got their opinions. But inclusiveness is always going to be me. I think diversity is the answer to the problems that are here and the answer to the problems that are coming. So I love diversity. All included, so all are welcome. I understand that might not be other people’s opinions, but that’s okay. They have their opinions, they have their beliefs, I have mine.”
Now SNL alum fRob Schneider, a conservative, is mocking Garth for those comments. Recently, he told Fox Nation’s “Woke Up in America” that Brooks needs to just stay quiet and out of culture war drama in the future.
Speaking about that, he said, “I think next time, he’s going to stay out of it, isn’t he? I think Garth Brooks, next time, is going to shut his mouth, and he’s going to pretend like ‘I don’t have anything to do with what beer is chosen in my restaurant.’ I think the culture is in a very weird little place of hypersensitivity one way or the other. And I think that’s why most people shut their mouths.”
He added that, whatever someone’s politics, doing so is the smart thing from a business perspective anyway. In his words: “I mean, just from a business standpoint, just shut up, say I have nothing to do with it.”
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Bud Light lost its spot as the top beer in America thanks to giving up neutral cultural ground with the Mulvaney ad. Anheuser-Busch InBev lost billions in market cap and has been the laughing stock of red America for months now. Garth, and other celebrities, should learn from that and avoid following in its footsteps…rather than doing the exact same thing as companies that failed and suffering the economic consequences.