The Boycott List (running)

From time to time, I just need to take a stand. I boycott a product, a company, a location, business, my landlord, stopping at stop signs, whatever. I really stick it to The Man.

Here is a running list of things I am boycotting:

• Widmer Brothers Brewing. Seventh largest brewery in the country. Their hef helped me get hooked on beer, but that's not enough to override their general dickery, and the new Brrr commercial campaign is sexist and made to appeal to the people I like least in Oregon.

• Sportscenter. Stroking stupid sports fans and Northeast sports teams for too many years to count now.

• ESPN.com. See above. Also, I'm not paying a penny to read Hollinger's self-righteous shit.

• FOX News. Duh, right? But, I mean, I won't even turn to the channel to see what kind of insane things they're doing now. Just makes me too angry.

• Nike. Too dominant, too much money going into the University of Oregon, too many unethical labor practices, and too much Michael Jordan. They can't have my money.

• Walmart. I don't care how cheap it is. Please do not ever buy me a Walmart gift card.

• Coors. Nope, I won't drink a Coors Light if it's the only beer at the party and I've had the worst week of my life. Pete Coors makes me hopeful there's a hell.

• David Sedaris. Just not very funny, although he's okay on This American Life. Overhype = boycott. (Dave Eggers, you and your McSweeney's crowd are on my radar, too! Influencing pop culture by publishing your friends = boycott!)

• Rogue. Oh. My. Gosh. I still need to fully explain this one in a separate post. Man, I'll never drink another Rogue beer in my life. We were treated like children over a perfectly legal ID at the brewery in Newport, and subsequent e-mails between myself and one of the founders/co-owners revealed just how awful they really are, how profit trumps all, and how lying is okay when you're a big enough brewery. (Josh also experienced such unprofessionalism and disrespect.)

• Australian wine. Seriously, you live near some of the best wines in the world if you live in Oregon, Washington, or California. Let's support the Oregon and Washington wine industries.

• Myspace. So happy this company is dying in the hands of News Corp. Last.fm and Pitchfork are just as good (Better? Wouldn't know anymore!) for finding music.

• U2. I will childishly plug my ears and scream Boycott Boycott Boycott!

• Onions. Obviously.

• David Bartholomae. Write for the institution, write for the institution, write for the institution. (I'm probably misrepresenting here, but what the hell, right?)


More to come!

Tell me what you're boycotting. I'm probably down for the cause!