Read Debord.
Vox actually did a pretty nice article about it, and in case you were wondering what charities it is supposed to be benefiting
https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2018/10/30/18043054/ben-jerrys-political-pecan-resist
Ben and Jerryās isnāt making an empty advertising gesture. They company has supported Bernie Sanders, and made an ice cream flavor to raise awareness of global warming. They run progressive news stories on their websites and social media. They pay their workers a living wage. Even their brownies are sourced from a company that specializes in hiring people out of jail to help them get their lives back on track. Theyāre open supporters of socialism. I understand the idea of āno ethical consumptionā but Ben and Jerryās isnāt just adopting a political message for nothing.
Blind cynicism will make friends look like enemies.
They are a pretty fresh company in Poland (their ice cream showed up in stores less than two years ago), but they already are very strong financial supporters of our LGBT organizations, especially in Warsaw. They were one of the sponsors of the Warsaw Pride, they also gave 6000 zÅ (~1600$) to two important LGBT organizations so they could renovate their shared, first real office (the organizations are MiÅoÅÄ nie Wyklucza, who are fighting mainly for marriage equality, and Parada RĆ³wnoÅci, organizers of Warsaw Pride), and right before the Pride this year they sponsored us a fireproof rainbow in the former spot of an art installation - a rainbow made of flowers - that was burned down seven times. Click for a short english video on the story of this rainbow!
And let me tell you, this is not good PR for them here. It would be better for them and their sales here if they didnāt openly show us any support. Their local fanpage is filled with people raging about their āleftist ideologyā. But they still do, which shows they are true to the values they talk about.
Take a look through the comments and youāll see a lot of things like this, whether itās refusing to sell two scoops of the same flavor ice cream in Australia until citizens voted in favor of gay marriage, one of the founders showing up personally to a trans rally to hand out ice cream and hugs, or both owners getting arrested at protest rallys.
Then just normal shit like āpaying their workers a living wageā and āethically sourcing ingredientsā that seem like should be bare minimums for companies but somehow isnāt.
Theyāre also just flat out giving money to these charities regardless of sales, the artist is one of the co-founders of CultureStrike & Presente.org (also a queer WOC), and regardless of whether you buy the ice cream the very fact that weāre talking about it and the names of the charities are visible means that the marketing campaign was successful.
I think one of the most interesting comments Iāve seen on this thread was something like: if there truly is no such thing as ethical consumption under capitalism then we also have to accept there is no such thing as ethical production. And at that point I think it makes more sense to look at both through a filter of context and intent.
