What a Shocker! North Texas Ford Dealers Don't Like Gay Ads

PlanoA4 submitted on 08/17/2006 Official AutoSpies Timestamp: 11:36 AM
from: www.jalopnik.com

[26] user comments | category: Misc News

Tags: Ford Gay

Ford Gay

We've known some fine people from North Texas. We made the decision to move to Central Texas of our own volition, and we still have many fond memories of the place and often miss it. To the coastal types who think all Texans are stereotypical bigots, well, we'd like to deflate that notion right now. That said, there is a reason for that impression, and a coalition of North Texas Ford Dealers sent a letter to HQ in Dearborn presenting their objections to Ford's rejection of concessions to the American Family Association after the Gay Mafia threatened to break some kneecaps.

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mstangpny07 - 8/17/2006 12:04:45 PMView My AgentSpace

+1 Boost

This seems fake: Moving from "North Texas" to "Central Texas"? If they ad was run in Texas, don't you think they would name the actual cities/towns? Just my opinion, but seems weird.

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PlanoA4 - 8/17/2006 12:28:35 PM

+1 Boost

Ford has been battling the American Family Association for some time now. First they initially pulled the ads due to the boycott, and then AFA made more demands to end the boycott. Ford realizing they were being blackmailed, flipped and took a hard stance. So the AFA now went to the dealers to apply pressure. Basically a special interest group attempting to blackmail a business to further their cause. So is the AFA gonna boycott if they advertise to religious groups?

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jeffy210 - 8/17/2006 1:16:55 PM

+1 Boost

mstangpny - There is no need to name North and Central if you're from Texas. Generally North means the DFW metroplex (including Plano, hence PlanoA4), and Central Texas generally means the Austin metro region (including Round Rock, George Town, etc). South Texas (where I'm at) refer's to San Antonio and surrounding communities.

The only problem here was PlanoA4 using Texas-centric nomenclature. Not trying to hide anything.

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webguy - 8/17/2006 1:20:50 PM

0 Boost

Why? WHY take any controversial preference and target that audience? Next Ford ads will be "Are you pro-life? Try Mercury. " "Pro-choice? Ford is for you." "Do you like Democrats? Slip into a Volvo." "Are you a die-hard Republican? Lincoln is your car."

Ford: along with your Lincoln engineers, fire your ad agency and start MARKETING TO PEOPLE WHO LIKE CARS!!! It’s that simple. Build good cars and sell them to people who like cars.

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PlanoA4 - 8/17/2006 3:08:14 PM

+1 Boost

jeffy210- It actually was a national post even though it had the Texas-centric nomenclature (good use of verbiage though). I don't agree with the dealers at all but in the DFW area “good business” is often confused with “good godliness”. They are large organization that are telling the dealers “we won’t buy your cars” and then the dealers tell Ford Corp, they don’t agree with where their dollars are being spent (they contribute to the advertising fund). This is where the leverage is being applied.

The AFA on the other hand has a “moral agenda” to push and wants to control Ford. The AFA is also the large religious group that battled with the networks about censorship of the TV and the airwaves. Look at there sight to see the broad scope of censorship the wish to instill.

I guess if given the choice, AFA would want to withhold knowledge AIDS medications to these groups as well. Because the pharmaceutical companies would need to advertise to a demographic at risk., and they would make money overall.

It is senseless and actually IMHO bigotry, many of the leading members have their own agendas to push. And tolerance and diversity are not on the list.

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PlanoA4 - 8/17/2006 3:09:46 PM

+1 Boost

webguy- Ford has basically told them to shove it, so the AFA went to the dealership level to protest.

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JeffLosAngeles - 8/17/2006 7:07:41 PM

+1 Boost

You would think the dealers would be happy just to make a sale? I guess they are making so much money they can pick and choose who they sell too. That would be a nice position to be in as I wish I could pick my customers.

The AFA should find a real cause to go after instead Ford and their dealers. Hmmm, maybe they could work on getting the divorce rate below 50%? That seems to be more of an issue splitting up families more than car ads.

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Rupert - 8/17/2006 8:09:49 PMView My AgentSpace

+2 Boost

not to open a huge can of worms here, but why does the afa and other associated groups think civil partnerships (as they are called here in the uk) will "destroy" the "sanctity" of marriage?
i don't know anyone who thinks it affects them in any way at all, and i don't think anyone has said it has affected their marriage plans. we have them here, has the country collapsed?
the divorce rate thing is so true, i mean half of people think their marriage wasn't sacred enoguh to save, so they got a divorce! i don't think gay people getting civil partnerships would affect that decision at all.
tolerance and diversity? in the south? in america? not to be rude, but the view is not one of those ideals (from an outside perspective, "bigot" america still prevails).
what next, not selling to musilms because they might support terrorism? it's all so stupid.
webguy, not to be picky or too PC, but timeframe is right.
preference does not come into it, inherent genetic trait does. (apparently if you are a woman and have a gay brother you are more fertile)
preference is now out of date, but you were using it in a context so that preference as the only word that fitted. (one doesn't exaclty have an orientation on abortion does on?)
i don't understand the afa, kids have got to learn about stuff somehow, so censoring someone's butt is a bit stupid.
and on ther website (this topic has got me ranting now) they have someone who "used" to be gay, but "converted" thanks to christianity.
now that is weird.
he says all the stuff about immorality and god not loving you, and of course "if you are gay you will get aids and die".
b**tard.

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Rupert - 8/17/2006 8:26:30 PMView My AgentSpace

+2 Boost

here is the afa page
http://www.afa.net/ford081006.asp

they have a link showing the front cover of the advocate, a risque (not) picture of a topless man.
and the articles they complain about are no worse than you find in cosmopolitan.

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cktoo - 8/17/2006 9:38:11 PM

-4 Boost

Great point webguy...but you obviously are a "bigot" because you used "preference" instead of "orientation". Good grief, are you people crazy. There are just as many wacko's on the other side of the AFA pushing their agenda. Guess what, it's ok to have a different viewpoint about the gay lifestyle/behavior/etc. A lot of people think it is just plain wrong, nothing more, nothing less. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out the pieces don't work too well together and was not the preferred route to go by whomever/whatever put us on this great planet.

Anyway, Ford can do whatever the heck they want and guess what, so can the dealers. It just so happens it's a very controversial issue. Happens all the time and you have viewpoints on both sides. I personally would prefer Ford as a company not to promote to that lifestyle, others will disagree, and usually it falls somewhere in the middle with what finally gets decided.

As for civil partnerships, you might as well call it marriage. Same thing, it's just a name change that someone has found to be more acceptable to push their agenda. In the US, they don't really need anything except a good old will/trust and/or medical power of attorney. It will do the same thing as "gay marriage/union" but won't give you government benefits if your partner dies. Apparently, that and the "marriage" label is high on the gay agenda...I guess to make them feel "legit".

-just another "redneck/bigot/homophobe/blah/blah/blah" from Philly.

PS. Since Ford is in such a tolerant mood, maybe they should advertise in PQ (Pedophile Quarterly), CFM (Confederate Flag Monthly) or PAN (Palestinian Apologists Newspaper) as well.

Bombs Away !!!

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1970toyotamarc - 8/18/2006 12:23:03 AM

0 Boost

are there no moderators on autoblog?
how on earth does a bigoted comment from cktoo get through?

you people amaze me. get your head out of the sand, grow up, and realize that this is the 21st century. You've lost your precious white heterosexual, male-dominated, religious, fear mongering world. And it kills you, doesnt it.

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SixxFive - 8/18/2006 12:39:56 AM

+1 Boost

cktoo: as in CK 2, the fragrance from Calvin Klein??

In has been well established that people who tend to be the most outspoken and hateful against gay and or lesbians are deep in the closet.

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Rupert - 8/18/2006 8:13:15 AMView My AgentSpace

0 Boost

doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out the pieces don't work too well together and was not the preferred route to go by whomever/whatever put us on this great planet

did you not see my comment?
"if you are a woman and have a gay brother you are more fertile"
it's a clever ploy by nature to make women more fertile.
evolution comes into it.
and you know the arguement "it's not natural", if it's not natural, then why does it happen?
and i don't think comparing gay people to pedophiles and palestinian terrorists marks you out as a fair and balanced person.

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PlanoA4 - 8/18/2006 11:51:00 AM

+1 Boost

1970toyotamarc- Simply deboost him enough and the comments will be flagged.

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JeffLosAngeles - 8/18/2006 12:23:41 PM

+1 Boost

..."As for civil partnerships, you might as well call it marriage. Same thing, it's just a name change that someone has found to be more acceptable to push their agenda. In the US, they don't really need anything except a good old will/trust and/or medical power of attorney. It will do the same thing as "gay marriage/union" but won't give you government benefits if your partner dies. Apparently, that and the "marriage" label is high on the gay agenda...I guess to make them feel "legit"...

cktoo no, not really. The "good old will/trust and/or medical power of attorney" as you stated has very little legal standing in a same sex couple as they are not considering family as they would be considered under a "marriage". The member of their family can overturn those documents regardless if that is what the person wanted or not.

The main difference between a civil union and a marriage is the marriage includes religious implications whereas the civil union would provide the same legal/civil/financial/inheritance protection provided by a marriage.

This is the main issue as the AFA, Republican party, etc. keep trying to apply their religious beliefs to legal matters. They are NOT related in the least, especially if we follow the Constitution which is supposed to separate church from state.

I guess I don't understand how offering a same sex couple legal rights afforded everyone else is going to destroy the family as we so often hear. What, are those legal rights going to convert all their kids to turn gay? No, don't think so!! It is the free toaster that you get when you come out is the real incentive.

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Rupert - 8/18/2006 12:30:56 PMView My AgentSpace

+2 Boost

jeff, you are very right.

but free toaster?

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mkk21 - 8/18/2006 12:42:59 PMView My AgentSpace

+1 Boost

I'm glad Ford took a stand against the AFA. Now just have to work on the dealers. Well they are cutting dealerships, so maybe a few in Texas are on the chopping block.

We seem to be a very label centric socitey in America. Can't they all just sell to people.

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SteveL - 8/18/2006 1:36:38 PM

0 Boost

I really don’t think there is that big of a Gay market for autos? Gay/Lesbian people only make up about 5 maybe 10 percent of the population. Divide that between car company’s and from a sales stand point I don’t think it would be worth all this trouble. I would advertise in some Gay magazines and shows but give money to all these Gay groups? I don’t think so. Why didn’t Ford just keep out of this situation? Why didn’t they just say something like, “we don’t what your sexual preference is, we just want to sell cars”?
Are they supporting straight organizations this much? Disabled organizations? I don’t know maybe they are. I agree with WEBGUY though, why doesn’t Ford just build some nice cars? There cars & truck now are boring and there quality has dropped big time.
It seems to me that outside left & right extremist’s influences are trying to run the company more than the management and Ford is letting them.

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PlanoA4 - 8/18/2006 3:37:23 PM

+1 Boost

SteveL- Ford (or anyone for the matter of fact) doesn't want to be blackmailed. Which is what the APA is doing.

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JeffLosAngeles - 8/18/2006 5:37:43 PM

+1 Boost

Rupert, maybe they have recently updated the gift. I'm just trying to add a little humor. :-)

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Rupert - 8/18/2006 6:44:09 PMView My AgentSpace

+1 Boost

only a toaster?
with such a major lifestlye choice, i would expect more than that.
a car perhaps.
but then again i don't really want a new beetle. ;)

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crackityjones - 8/18/2006 9:13:17 PM

+1 Boost

Ford is grasping at straws. Do you see BMW targeting ethnic/sexual/political groups? Does anyone see that this issue is quicksand and not worth arguing about?

Ford should just run ads that say, "We're desperate."

If you check the hot cars gay list, which some pub put out recently, it's Minis and A3's anyway. Not Fords.

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