FOR WHOOPI, TO UNILEVER/SLIMFAST

A letter I wrote to the PR flack at Unilever, parent company of SlimFast.
Keckler@slimfast.com

Dear Ms. Keckler,

Shame on Unilever for giving in to an orchestrated campaign of intimidation. You, being in Communications and PR, know as well as anyone that this is an artificial controversy created by one small segment of our society as part of their campaign to advance their own extremist agenda. And you surely know as well that the media have been too often uncritical accomplices to much of this political grandstanding, as demonstrated yet again by essentially parroting that segment's criticism of Ms. Goldberg, and that entire fund raising event.
In this regard, Whoopi has become yet another scapegoat, and you have also become accomplices. Giving in to intimidation by self-censoring is the worst form of citizenship--corporate or individual. And of course you are aware that--this being a created scandal--the vast majority of your customer base does not give a hoot about Whoopi's so-called "offensive" remarks. But they do care about intimidation of thought and speech.

It has been suggested that Unilever has much to gain by supporting the Bush administration due to its military contracts. We will never know your company's true motivation for this action, but it is suspect, because surely this huge multinational corporation cannot be intimidated by extremists who would attack for political gain one of the foundations of this democracy, the First Amendment--the very amendment that guarantees your company's right to promote itself as it sees fit, including who you choose as a spokesperson. The irony of your decision is not lost on your customers. You may not have compromised Ms. Goldberg's free speech, but you surely have done so for your own.

Our family and friends will join the growing boycott of all Unilever products, and will urge everyone we know to do the same, We may or may not effect your bottom line, but we will not forget your cowardice in the face of these hypocritical attacks on our constitution.

Sincerely,

Arthur Cohen