RT.com
23 Jun 2022, 23:43 GMT+10
As US corporations paint their logos in rainbow colors for Pride Month, all they think about is profit ? just like every other month
Conservatives love saying "get woke, go broke," but that's not necessarily the case these days. Corporations earn social credit by virtue signaling, and Pride Month, which falls every June, has woke capital putting its most progressive virtues on display.
Designed to mark the 1969 Stonewall riots and LGBTQ rights, Pride Month has become an opportunity for multinational corporations like Coca-Cola, Microsoft, Intel and so on to vomit rainbow colors onto their social media profiles like a herd of bulimic unicorns.
Everyone's noticed, of course - it's become something of a running gag and a joke among internet users. Elon Musk splashed a meme on Twitter showing off a mass of rainbow-colored logos in a whirlwind with the caption "Here it comes!"
Others have pointed out the irony in such a move. While corporations remain eager to tell the world how much they support progressive causes, they're less likely to do so in the Middle East, where these very same companies chose to remain on the downlow and resisted putting up any such displays. So much for courage.
It's just business as usual on the Middle East pages of the very same companies that sponsor drag-queen events for children in the United States and Europe. There's an inconspicuous absence of rainbow flags and virtue signaling. Woke capital is absent in places where such displays of virtue would have the most impact. Extrajudicial killings of gays don't matter all that much to corporations if it hurts their bottom line.
How courageous is it, exactly, to celebrate a cause that every establishment in the West supports? With the backing of the mainstream media, Big Tech, and even the US government, it's not exactly transgressive to parrot what everyone else is saying.
The satirical Twitter account Titania McGrath (created by comedian Andrew Doyle) summed it up best when (s)he wrote in 2021, "It takes real courage for major corporations to display the Pride rainbow colours in our homophobic and heteronormative culture. And yet how wonderful to see that the Arab states are so progressive that the corporations don't even have to bother."
Woke capital was never about courage. It's always been about fattening quarterly earnings - and woke-themed marketing and branding helps these corporations maintain their place in a society that rewards wokeness. It's too good an opportunity to let go to waste, and unlike Valentine's Day or Thanksgiving, it lasts a whole month.
But that's only scratching the surface. Woke capital goes much deeper than that.
Vivek Ramaswamy, the author of Woke Inc., suggests in his book that being woke is a function of ESG (environment, social, governance) metrics and enjoys a variety of benefits that would otherwise be unavailable to corporations that don't make wokeness a priority.
Ramaswamy writes:
It's a system of quid pro quo: Woke capital backs whatever agenda their favorite liberal politician supports for some kickbacks in return, be it in the form of government contracts or fewer regulations. It's a tale as old as time; it's crony capitalism dressed up in a pink wig and a rainbow-colored T-shirt.
That's what makes Elon Musk's tweet about Pride Month even more courageous. Musk said the quiet part out loud, mocking the immodest display of virtue that every major corporation peacocks - year in, year out.
Many in his replies have pointed out that as soon as June began, companies ditched their support for Ukraine, like Andy throwing Woody in the garbage. "I don't want to play with you anymore." To woke capital, Ukraine was last season's flavor. They've replaced the Ukraine flag with a rainbow and trans pride flag.
Give it another month and they'll be on a whole other topic.
(RT.com)
Get a daily dose of Japan Herald news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Japan Herald.
More InformationBEIJING, China: China's national soccer team may struggle to stir excitement, but its humanoid robots are drawing cheers — and not...
]LONDON, U.K.: A World Health Organization (WHO) expert group investigating the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic released its final...
FRANKFURT, Germany: Germany has become the latest country to challenge Chinese AI firm DeepSeek over its data practices, as pressure...
SYDNEY, NSW, Australia - , Australian Federal Police (AFP) have shut down a secret drug lab in Sydney's west and seized more than 100kg...
(New York) - China's government has erased Hong Kong's freedoms since imposing the draconian National Security Law on June 30, 2020,...
Leh (Ladakh) [India], July 2 (ANI): GOC Trishul Division's Galwan Cycling Expedition team covered a distance of 312 km from Nyoma to...
NEW YORK, New York - Global stock indices closed with divergent performances on Tuesday, as investors weighed corporate earnings, central...
TORONTO, Canada: Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced late on June 29 that trade negotiations with the U.S. have recommenced...
Vancouver, Canada: A high-stakes legal showdown is brewing in the world of athleisure. Lululemon, the Canadian brand known for its...
LONDON, U.K.: British oil giant Shell has denied reports that it is in talks to acquire rival oil company BP. The Wall Street Journal...
NEW YORK, New York - U.S. stock markets closed firmly in positive territory to start the week Monday, with the S&P 500 and Dow Jones...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: On Friday, President Donald Trump announced that he was halting trade discussions with Canada due to its decision...