Berenstain Bears Flip Off Chick-Fil-A

[joeybee12]

Comments by the CEO of the fast food chain Chick-fil-A opposing same-sex marriage continued to reverberate for a second week, drawing the beloved children’s book figures the Berenstain Bears into the controversy.

Dan Cathy, CEO of fast food chain Chick-fil-A, told the Biblical Recorder on July 16, "We are a family-owned business, a family-led business, and we are married to our first wives.” The fallout was immediate.


The Jim Henson Co., which until recently furnished the restaurant chain with "Jim Henson's Creature Shop Puppet Kids Meal Toys," spoke out against the chicken sandwich restaurant on Facebook: “Lisa Henson, our CEO, is personally a strong supporter of gay marriage and has directed us to donate the payment we receive from Chick-fil-A to (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation).”

(Chick-fil-A then said it had pulled the puppets from the meals because of safety concerns.)

Chick-fil-A replaced the Muppet toys with Berenstain Bears books, but the Berenstain family doesn’t appear thrilled to be associated with Chick-fil-A either. A statement on the company web site said the books’ publisher, HarperCollins, has been working on this marketing project for more than a year.

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/07/30/13037988-berenstain-bears-try-to-keep-distance-from-chick-fil-a?lite

[Kalidurga]

1. Yay, I can like the Bears again.

This is really good news. I am old and my kids are far from the age that I would read these to them. But, it is really nice not having those memories of reading the Berenstain Bears to them not be sullied by them being associated with Chick-fail-A.

[joeybee12]

3. The woman who created it (with her husband) died only a couple months ago...

I guess her remaining family have issues with Chicken Hate.

[TheMightyFavog]

11. Did control get wrested away from their son Mike?

I seem to recall reading somewhere that Mike Berenstain was a real fire-breathing fundie.

[obamanut2012]

16. He is -- I was wondering that, too!

[unapatriciated]

23. Not sure they do or just don't want the bad pr.

Son Michael has taken the bears (with his new found faith) in a whole new direction with The Bererstain Bears Bibile Stories and Bible.

[Bluenorthwest]

5. The Bears are taking the money and this is just the Bears saying 'don't hate us for hating'

They are claiming they have no choice but to continue their association, and we should not blame them, nor Chick Fil A....
Never was a fan of those Bears.

[The Link]

2. I hope that HarperCollins pulls the plug on this project.

[joeybee12]

4. The link to the article shows a screen shot from their site

Looks like they are pulling out.

[Bluenorthwest]

6. The link actually says the opposite. They are going to do the deal.

They want to have it both ways, make hate money while claiming to oppose hate. Harper Collins goes on the list of active hate mongers.

[joeybee12]

7. No, it says they are honoring the current deal, but will not

work with them in the future.

[Bluenorthwest]

9. Exactly. This deal goes forward. You said 'they are pulling out' and they are not.

A 'future deal' is just a chimera. They are continuing their current deal, when pulling out was the right choice. Henson dumped them. The Bears are keeping their ties to hate for the time being.
It is what it is. They are keeping the money from Chick Fil A. It is that simple.
Henson pulled out, Harper Collins is digging in their heals to stay in place with hate. The 'cake and eat it too' rhetoric does nothing for the now.
Those Bears, they are high sodium high fat hate Bears. Feh.

[joeybee12]

13. You are reading too much into it...you don't know the details

of the deal with the Muppets or of that with the Bears/Harper Collins...contractual details may be very different...seems to me the Muppets may have done the same thing as the Bears, which is more likely since it was Chick-Fail-A that actually pulled the Muppets toys, lied about it, of course, but they didn't tell Chick-Fail-A to pull, Chicak-Fail-A could have lept the current deal going, but they decided not to, probably because of bad press.

[Bluenorthwest]

27. Henson also donated all the 'hate dollars' to good places....

Harper Collins is simply not doing the same thing. Here is the Henson statement so folks can compare it to what Harper Collins is saying:
"The Jim Henson Company has celebrated and embraced diversity and inclusiveness for over fifty years and we have notified Chick-Fil-A that we do not wish to partner with them on any future endeavors. Lisa Henson, our CEO is personally a strong supporter of gay marriage and has directed us to donate the payment we received from Chick-Fil-A to GLAAD."

Clear support with a face on it, and money following what the mouth is saying. Harper is not doing that.

[democrat_patriot]

8. Why don't they get those veggie tales to sponsor.

They're uber-religious.

[unapatriciated]

24. because the Bears have been saved!

http://www.amazon.com/Berenstain-Bears-Holy-Bible-NIrV/dp/0310726085

[Bluenorthwest]

10. Harper Collins and Berenstien Bears are maintaining their deal with Chick Fil A

Sorry, that's the fact.

[99Forever]

12. Are you a contract attorney?

Has it occurred to you that perhaps Harper Collins cannot negate the "deal" without an expensive legal battle? Did you bother to note that Harper Collins is donating the proceeds to Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation? What precisely is your problem with that?

[obamanut2012]

17. They are donating to GLAAD?

Good!!!

[unapatriciated]

19. jim henson family is donating to GLAAD

doubt that Michale Berstain is. He has plans for a Berenstain Bears Childrens Bible.

http://www.christianpost.com/news/berenstain-bears-author-uses-his-talents-for-god-in-faith-inspired-series-51146/

[obamanut2012]

22. Ah--thought Harper was also donating

I doubt the Bears would!

[Bluenorthwest]

29. That poster is just saying that without any proof.

Harper has not said they are donating a dime to anyone, much less all the procedes to GLAAD. Henson did that, not Harper.

[unapatriciated]

18. the son, Michael may not have a problem with this deal.

The second generation author of the bestselling children's series The Berenstain Bears, says the new "Living Lights" mini-series gives him the opportunity to express his newfound faith.
The Berenstain Bears series has existed for nearly five decades, teaching children of all ages lessons about everyday family life. In the last four years the brand has also begun publishing Bible-themed stories such as the The Berenstain Bears Show God's Love and The Berenstain Bears Follow God's Word in a mini-series called the Living Lights

.

Read more at http://www.christianpost.com/news/berenstain-bears-author-uses-his-talents-for-god-in-faith-inspired-series-51146/#MrKmh7QXuHrKYDFK.99
http://www.christianpost.com/news/berenstain-bears-author-uses-his-talents-for-god-in-faith-inspired-series-51146/

[99Forever]

20. I don't read religeous propaganda, sorry.

None of your c&p addresses my comments or questions. Does this son, Micheal have sole or at least main control and is he a sexual orientation bigot and will he drag the Berenstein Bears into this display of asshattery? Those are the relevant questions.

[unapatriciated]

21. sorry it was an interview with Michael Berenstain.

It is not my propaganda but Mr. Berenstain's own words and direction he is taking the company. It would seem like Michael does have a good deal of control (his brother is also involved).
Here is another link that talks a little about Michael's faith based stories and the interview with the "religeous propaganda" link I posted. Sorry but I'm not the one who gave them the interview it was Michael Berenstain.
http://www.modbee.com/2009/04/11/663388/growing-up-berenstain-son-follows.html

His mother died earlier this year.

http://www.npr.org/2012/02/28/147590615/jan-berenstain-co-creator-of-childrens-book-series-dies

[unapatriciated]

25. I think you need to read the story again.

The Jim Henson Co., which until recently furnished the restaurant chain with "Jim Henson's Creature Shop Puppet Kids Meal Toys," spoke out against the chicken sandwich restaurant on Facebook: “Lisa Henson, our CEO, is personally a strong supporter of gay marriage and has directed us to donate the payment we receive from Chick-fil-A to (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation).”

No where in the story does it state Harper Collins is donating anything.

[99Forever]

26. Fine.

I misread it, doesn't change my position one little bit.

If they side up with the kkkristian bigots, then so be it. I'm way past the point in my life that I have use for childrens books anyway. Good on The Jim Henson Co. for doing The Right Thing.

[unapatriciated]

30. not sure way you are so angry with me

nor can I tell from your post what your position is.

[99Forever]

32. Good grief.

Where did I say I was angry with you? My position?

I detest bigots, of all stripes, especially those that cloak their stupidity and prejudice in religion.

[unapatriciated]

33. I guess it was this comment.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=1051188

The link I posted was an interview with Michael Berenstain and the direction he was taking the family business. You accused me of posting religious propaganda. I can't help it if those are the publications that Mr. Berenstain chose to give an interview to. That in and of itself pretty much tells me he is a fundy. You seem to be upset because I and others pointed out that you might be mistaken about this guy. I have not been rude to you and do not care for the accusation you made in the linked post.

[99Forever]

34. My apologies.

A simple misunderstanding. I won't give traffic to religious sites, ever. My Constitutional choice is to live in freedom FROM religion as much as possible.

[unapatriciated]

35. apology accepted

We share the same Constitutional choice.

[Bluenorthwest]

28. Where does it say Harper Collins is donating to GLAAD? It does not say that.

This gets old. All that snark and bluster, and yet your 'facts' are just made up.

[qb]

14. Chick-fil-A's kid's meal toy options have been reduced to Caribou Barbie!

[unapatriciated]

15. I posted this story early this morning

bluenorthwest posted some great links in my thread as to how the company actually works.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10021050361

[Bluenorthwest]

31. Thanks for mentioning that

It is important because their method is different from all other franchise models. Their process of application is basically 'make sure the applicant is like us'. Hard for me to see such a process as anything but 'weeding out those people we don't like'.