When Air Jordans came out, the price was so high low income kids couldn't afford it, and sometimes kids were murdered for their Air Jordans. Hakeem Olajuwon, the Houston Rockets' superstar center who led Houston to two NBA titles (at the expense of my Phoenix Suns), was a Muslim who refused based on his religion to allow his name to be used on overpriced athletic shoes. Instead, he endorsed a shoe that was about 1/3 the cost of Air Jordans.
https://abcnews.go.com/Business/nike-sales-booming-kaepernick-ad-invalidating-critics/story?id=59957137
ReplyDeleteNike is an awful company. Most decent Americans have known that for years. It's a very bad example for Victor's argument against capitalism, although I'm glad he is finally catching up to what we already knew about a few evil corporations.
From the article: ""It looks like a real rebuke for folks who said, 'We’ll boycott Nike,'" University of Michigan business school professor Jerry Davis told ABC News. "It turns out Democrats buy a lot more sneakers than Republicans."
Nice try Victor.
Is Jordan the target, or Nike?
ReplyDeleteIf it's Jordan, I believe he was roped in by Nike pretty early in his career, and young people tend to like money. Thought it might not have made a difference, I doubt it was widely known at the time how sleazy Nike is. Heck, maybe it wasn't even true at the time. At any rate, Jordan doesn't own the Air Jordan brand.
If Nike is the target, well as Limited said, everyone knows they are trash. Very quick to virtue signal, but trash.
Not Jordan. He plays it safe. Seems like a nice guy.
ReplyDeleteIt's Nike.
I wasn't sure since Olajuwon seemed to be a contrast to Jordan rather than Nike. He used his name to influence the creation of Spalding shoes that were cheap enough to be sold at Walmart while still having whatever appeal there is for a basketball pro's name being on it. Meanwhile Jordan's name was associated with a shoe that many kids who looked up to him simply could not afford. It was prestige to Jordan's name rather than a product the fans could enjoy.
ReplyDeleteThen again, maybe the contrast is religious faith vs corporate greed.
Jordan is a loyal member of the Democratic party, but keeps it quiet. Nike is openly woke and deserves derision.
ReplyDeleteI don't know the politics of most of the people I do business with, but I'm guessing they are mostly conservative and moderately disdainful of Biden/Harris.
It's difficult for me to understand anyone who has a personal relationship with someone in business who thinks their business and ethics is a contradiction.
Nike's "wokeness" is a marketing ploy. It is about as sincere as Trump's conservatism. There are companies that market the same products as Nike that are more ethical. I am not attacking capitalism. Capitalism causes all sorts of problems. Sometimes the solution is action on the part of government, and sometimes it isn't. The devil is in the details.
ReplyDeleteI'm disappointed in Kaepernick for falling for it.
ReplyDelete"Nike's "wokeness" is a marketing ploy. It is about as sincere as Trump's conservatism"
ReplyDelete"The devil is in the details."
I think that's fair.
I figure for Kaepernick it was more free advertising. For Nike it was virtue signaling for which they were acclaimed by other virtue signaling rich people.
ReplyDeleteWin-win.
I figure for Kaepernick it was more free advertising.
ReplyDeleteIf you mean he did it for the money, I agree.
If you mean he did it for the money, I agree.
ReplyDeleteI mean, he compared the NFL to slavers - a very wise and insightful comparison I might note - so obviously he doesn't want to play for them anymore.
Oh wait.
Maybe Aristotle was right and some people are born to be slaves. Even when they escape slavery they want right back in!
ReplyDeleteWell, I wear New Balance sneakers, and I have no idea whatsoever whether they're an ethical company or not. It says on the label they're made in Vietnam, but if you insisted on wearing only US made shoes, you'd be walking around barefoot. Are any shoes even made in this country?
ReplyDeleteStar, you don't know how ethical your shoe company is? Viet Cong sneaking around shoes. You sound like a commie.
ReplyDeleteFor me, even my natural gas company is on top of things. This from Southern California Edison (from their website):
"Clean Energy
From healthier air to stronger communities, we believe that clean, reliable energy makes life better for all Southern California. Here’s how we’re working toward our goal of an 80% carbon-free energy supply:
Making electric vehicles more affordable"
Get with the program Star
"Making electric vehicles more affordable"
ReplyDeleteThat would be wonderful! I've been shopping around for an electric car, and was saddened to discover that, at present price levels, I simply cannot afford one. These vehicles will never make a dent in our fossil fuel consumption until they drastically lower their price tag.
Perhaps my natural gas company which supplies us with 75% of our hydrocarbon energy (aside from gasoline and diesel) can help you get more carbon free. Being an ethical company, they may give you some money for Chinese made batteries.
ReplyDeleteThese vehicles will never make a dent in our fossil fuel consumption until they drastically lower their price tag.
ReplyDeleteAt my current income level I don't have a comfortable enough margin to afford a car payment, which means I would have to buy used. Which means the battery in an EV I could afford, which is only expected to last around 100k miles, would be needing replaced almost immediately, and that is thousands more dollars.
I'm with you. I simply can't afford one, as much as I would like one. Not to mention there are zero charging stations nearby.
So I think I hear people saying that they are making greedy individual decisions that are harming the environment. How bourgeoisie!
ReplyDeleteI've filed this information with Big Brother.