Shame on Kayak.com for Pulling Advertisements from All-American Muslim

This week, whether intentionally or not, Kayak.com followed the poor example set by home improvement retailer Lowe's, when it, too, decided to pull future advertising from the TLC program "All-American Muslim." Of course advertisers have the right to decide where they run their ads, but it is disappointing to see a company feed into the fear mongering facing the American Muslim community.

No company can argue it is not taking a political stand when it yanks advertising from a TV program because of the religion of the people portrayed on the show and the unfortunate and unnecessary political controversies surrounding them. Kayak.com's decision to cease running ads on TLC during broadcasts of "All-American Muslim" is evidence not only that the travel website's leadership would rather sacrifice publicity and potential sales than risk being seen as supportive of a certain segment of the American population, but more importantly, that it sends a message that it may not respect the diversity of faiths that define and enrich our country, despite what Kayak officials might say to the contrary.

What makes the United States special is the very notion -- as enshrined in our Constitution -- that all Americans are free to believe in any religious faith, as they choose, without fear of criticism, retribution, or investigation because of it. Sadly, American Muslims are facing fear and criticism for simply trying to exercise these rights in the same way as their neighbors of other faiths. As TLC explains on its website, through the reality show examining the lives of five Muslim American families in Dearborn, Mich., "Each episode offers an intimate look at the customs and celebrations, misconceptions and conflicts these families face outside and within their own community."

TLC should be applauded, not punished, for seeking to illuminate the religion, culture, and, well, the normal daily lives, of a growing number of Americans -- and a too often misunderstood group of Americans, at that. Through making the active decision to remove its advertising, Kayak's goal may have been just to remove itself from what it acknowledges is a show "that may produce controversy." In fact, the company's decision in turn created negative publicity for both itself and on a larger level, the laudable goal of introducing viewers to American families whom they might not otherwise meet or get to know.

In a statement posted on Kayak's website, Kayak chief marketing officer Robert Birge claims that his company "adamantly support[s] tolerance and diversity." He adds, "Unfortunately, this decision comes across as bending to bigotry. It also appears that we did not support people who deserve support as people and as Americans. ... We would not want anyone to think that we caved to hatred." He goes on to argue that "TLC was not upfront with us about the nature of this show" and that "TLC went out of their way to pick a fight on this [lightning rod of a topic], and they didn't let us know their intentions."

It appears Mr. Birge and Kayak CEO and cofounder Steve Hafner, who issued a follow-up statement, simply seek, with an air of naiveté, to cover up and deflect the company's decision to remove advertising. In reality, this cowardly decision does not reflect the values they claim to espouse. Anytime words and actions conflict, I take more seriously the actions; shame on Kayak for its hypocritical behavior. Caving to a controversy that is rooted only in bigotry, which is exactly what Kayak has done, endangers religious freedom for all Americans through the implication that there is any reason not to support a program about the lives of an American religious community.

I can only hope that the torrent of press attention that has come out in response to this controversy serves not only to call Kayak and Lowe's out on their weak moves, but simultaneously to take us forward, not backward, in the fight to ensure religious freedom for all.

 

Comments

[oldwarhorse]

10:17 AM on 12/30/2011

You said it Rev. They have a right to pull any advertising they want. If they see this as a revenue loss then more power to their decision.

[doodie pants]

06:50 AM on 12/26/2011

I thought this was business? Why cater to certain advertisers if it's going to drop revenue? Cut the emotion and get real.

[Nadine Smith]

11:17 PM on 12/22/2011

Thanks for putting a spotlight on Kayak.com's completely disingenuous and indefensible argument for pulling their advertising dollars. I have deleted them from my phone and will look elsewhere for my travel needs unless I hear something from them that restores my faith. I've actually written about David Caton, the bigot du jour at the center of this controversy in the HuffingtonPost media section. It traces his long and ugly path to the current national spotlight. http://t.co/2LRvihI3 via @huffingtonpost

[doodie pants]

10:13 AM on 12/28/2011

Should they lose revenue to appease a certain religious perspective?

[huffge]

12:51 PM on 12/22/2011

I for 1 think we have been quiet long enough.. They don't have a show called All American Baptist or All American Methodist. I think this is a country that has tollorated enough of this kind of stuff. I don't believe in African Americans or Mexican Americans or Muslim Americans...Just Americans... Color or religious preference should have nothing to do with it.... I am not a White American just a Proud American. Thanks for letting me vent...Gene

[Carol Puopolo]

11:33 AM on 12/28/2011

and I agree with you is all I hav e to say. Enough!!!

[Carol Puopolo]

10:55 AM on 12/21/2011

Well, I don't see why they have ot have a rality show at all. I don't see the All American White Show.In fact everyone other than the whites has something going.Whats this country coming to anyway. I thought we were here first.!

[Yasser Yousufi]

01:09 PM on 12/21/2011

"I thought we were here first.! "

Looks like they dont just ban teaching evolution. History is another casualty~!

[scorpionturtle]

04:40 AM on 12/23/2011

maybe that's the problem, you think white people were here first but in fact there were 6 million native people here already when Spanish people first came here. Your ancestor probably came less than a 150 years ago. Almost every single show is the all american white show. Name even ONE show on TV that has a muslim character.

[Jan Allen McDaniel]

11:37 PM on 12/20/2011

It is the goal of interfaith organizations to paper over the differences between religions and find common ground all can share.

That’s a good thing--within limits.

There are times when those differences should not be discounted, but squarely faced--and I believe the differences between Islam and our liberal democracy must be faced, especially by American Muslims.

It is unrealistic to expect Islam and the West to suddenly walk hand in hand peacefully after 1400 years of competition and enmity. Just because our immigration policy changed drastically in 1965 and since, there is no reason to believe that the tension between Sharia law and Western law will suddenly melt.

It is not at all clear that Islamic civilization and Western civilization can combine peacefully. Why should we be surprised at the severe conflicts generated by that effort, and why try to whitewash that reality with propaganda like All American Muslim?

Lowe's simply got caught up in that conflict, and wants to exit the controversy. Nothing wrong with that--no apology is needed.

[doodie pants]

06:58 AM on 12/26/2011

Well Said Jan. This whole thing is ridiculous. Not to mention, the perspectives are mostly whiners acting as if a privately owned business can't choose it's advertisers based on what will bring in the most revenue. Does BET select advertisers based on race? I hardly see how this is much different.

[old-glory]

02:32 AM on 12/19/2011

FYI: Report on the group behind the FFA and Lowes controversy...

Fear, Inc.: America's Islamophobia Network
George Zornickon August 29, 2011

http://www.thenation.com/blog/163023/fear-inc-americas-islamophobia-network

Fear, Inc. The Roots of the Islamophobia Network in America

Download this report (pdf)
http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2011/08/islamophobia.html

■Introduction and summary
■Chapter 1: Donors to the Islamophobia network
■Chapter 2: The Islamophobia misinformation experts
■Chapter 3: The grassroots organizations and the religious right
■Chapter 4: The right-wing media enablers of anti-Islam propaganda
■Chapter 5: The political players
■Conclusion

FEAR INC! Exposed Millions Being Spent To Spread Islamophobia Fear & Hate Of Muslims
August 26, 2011 CURRENT TV Keith Olbermann

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=um4v49dqFsI

REPORT: $42 Million From Seven Foundations Helped Fuel The Rise Of Islamophobia In America

http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2011/08/26/304306/islamophobia-network/

Democracy Now hosted by Amy Goodman: Fear, Inc." Exposes the So-Called Experts and Donors Behind Islamophobia in the United States

http://www.democracynow.org/2011/9/6/fear_inc_exposes_the_so_called

[BurtonDesque]

10:37 PM on 12/18/2011

I've changed my mind about advertisers abandoning this show. I've only just learned that some of the "mainstream" Muslims on the program voiced support for Hezbollah and Hamas.

Disgusting.

[cochise59]

07:12 PM on 12/19/2011

thank you for pointing this out! more power to Lowes and Kayak. it's their right to pull ads so anyone who doesn't agree can suck it up! welcome to capitalism.

[Cedo]

09:21 PM on 12/18/2011

Hey people, It's a reality show !! Made up, fake and over dramatic etc. I don't care what reality show it is, I can't stand them!!!

[mhic]

08:18 PM on 12/18/2011

Good for Kayak. This is the United States of AMERICA.

[TXanimal]

10:53 AM on 12/19/2011

And there are American Muslims...did you not know that?

[bbmcrae]

01:43 PM on 12/19/2011

You're deep, aren't you?

[Janet Monaco]

02:02 PM on 12/18/2011

So much for Lowes. And what about saying Merry christmas. Marcs checkout girl said if she got caught saying it she would get fired. I said if she did I would be one of the first to be protesting their store. I just don't beleive all this.

[BurtonDesque]

03:44 PM on 12/17/2011

I wrote to the folks at Kayak.com. Got this e-mail back, signed by the CMO, Robert Birge:

"We agree that we handled this incompetently. I can assure you however that we are not bigots and do not cave to bigots. We've never listened to any of FFAs countless spam campaigns, and in this case, we weren't even on the email template.

We have issued a detailed explanation and public apology ( http://www.kayak.com/news/we-handled-this-poorly.bd.html ).

For the record, we didn't pull our advertising. We continued running it. We simply chose not to buy it again in January. Our decision was primarily based on TLC misleading us about the show."

Believable or not? I think the use of the word "primarily" in the last sentence calls the first paragraph of the message into question.

[westLAfadeaway]

12:43 PM on 12/18/2011

All I got back was a confirmation "we have removed your account".

[volanj]

07:33 PM on 12/18/2011

Their decision was primarily based on TLC misleading them about the show - yes, they were misled. American advertisers were misled into thinking that this show is going to portray ordinary Americans of Muslim persuasion who are loyal to America. Would they spend their advertizing dollars if they knew that this show wull portray people who support Hezbollah?

[EducatedWoman]

02:32 PM on 12/17/2011

Kayak is so competent and useful that it is difficult to believe their excuse of naivete. I'll be back when they renew their sponsorship.

[doodie pants]

10:15 AM on 12/28/2011

Why do they need to sponsor a show that will lose them revenue? That's bad business.

[HermeDentist]

10:20 AM on 12/17/2011

Actually while Lowe's pulled their ads, Kayak did not. A follow up from Birge stated that they continued to run ads for the time they bought. They just decided they weren't going to buy a second run for the next season. Considerin­g how poorly the show was doing before this controvers­y, I don't blame them. Of course, the timing of the announceme­nt was horrible as was Kayak's handling of the aftermath. The result is articles and blog posts such as this one that place the company in a position where they're issuing awkward apologies because they didn't do what folks want them to really apologize for.

[David Zook]

09:56 AM on 12/17/2011

Where is the line between tolerance and intolerance? The tables could be turned just as easily on the author of this post. Could it not be said that he is being intolerant of a differing opinion?