Stop the Stupid: Professional Protesting and Petitioning Edition

 In response to 60 Minutes tweeting a promotion for #Megxit, what appears to be a smear piece about how Meghan Markle has, ‘lost her sparkle’, a wheel-spinning pro jumped in to suggest a campaign to alert the advertisers. The response tweet also pointed out that 60 Minutes is, “second, third, and fourth-hand interpretations,” and called it "gutter reporting."

I agree that second, third, and fourth-hand recounts or interpretations fall in the gutter reporting category and rage about it often. But, instead of creating a petition, protest, or boycott of the advertisers, I boycott the program, publication, or network (if the problem is across the board) that produced the gutter reporting. 

My question to the response was: Why boycott advertising instead of the program or networks airing it?

To which a third person said:

“Because advertising is where the money is and this isn’t a boycott its making sure companies become aware of the content they are paying to support, they can then decide for themselves- racism & misogyny should not be profitable” (copied exactly as written, spellcheck)

I replied:

You think those companies aren’t aware, or that the network won’t replace them with new deplorables? Or, you want to make this a lifetime of spinning wheels?

The person who wisely doesn’t use a real name ignored me and promised everyone else a list of advertisers to tweet. Smiley faces and flowers followed.

Now, the Like/Share/Follow people who resist in hashtag only will cover Twitter, for months, with reminders to like and share tweets (and remember to follow the #resistor who shares tweets but doesn’t resist watching) to each of those advertisers asking them to kindly refrain from supporting 60 Minutes. No doubt, these advertisers have already been asked a zillion tweets worth to kindly refrain from supporting other irresponsible media. And, when they finally caved to the people giving them all of this free advertising and pulled their ads, enjoyed the profits flood of purchases the #resistance made to show gratitude – until they have to repeat the entire process when they move their ads to another program, and new people advertise on the irresponsible program that has just been accused of being racist and misogynistic, making twice as many tweets to like and share.

Is your head spinning? Mine does, too, every time I watch it.

Meanwhile, 60 Minutes continues as they were, with people who resist in hashtag only still watching. My logic says that you support both the people you call racist misogynists and their advertisers when you continue watching, reading, clicking, or in any way giving attention to what they produce. Is there a flaw in my logic?

Replace 60 Minutes  with CNN, MSNBC, The Hill . . .  Same accusations, same spinning wheels, same people, different day.