Another update to the Kieffe & Sons “Sit Down and Shut Up” ad fiasco: The quasi-apology issued by the California Ford dealer on Wednesday was mandated by Ford Headquarters. Kieffe & Sons remains unrepentant, so to speak, and blames the imbroglio on “Blog-lo-dites.”
On Wednesday, Kieffe & Sons posted a statement on their website, apologizing to “all who were offended.” As commenters pointed out, saying you’re sorry that someone got offended is not the same as actually apologizing for what you said. Now, according to the Bakersfield Californian, we find out even the non-apology wasn’t genuine.
“I don’t regret the sentiment at all,” said Kieffe, who bought the 48-year-old dealership from his father in 1974. “It’s what we believe.”
. . .
The dealer’s Web site Thursday bore a statement about the ad that included an apology “to all who were offended.” Kieffe said he’d been contacted by Ford Motor Co. after the manufacturer heard complaints from numerous “blog-lo-dites.” The company asked him to post something saying he was sorry if he’d offended anyone, Kieffe said.
Kieffe said he will continue using J.W. Horne for the dealer’s ads. Horne also confirmed that he wrote the trolling, single-entry blog that went up on Thursday.
Ford Says “Shut Up” Ad Was a Mistake, But Dealer Stands Behind It [Bakersfield Californian]
PREVIOUSLY: California Ford Dealership Radio Ad Tells Non-Christians To “Sit Down And Shut Up”
(Photo: Amy Watts)
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@marsneedsrabbits: I do agree that they ought not to do that, and in the end they would have to answer for it. What I dont agree with is utter hatred for all things “religous”… and those that wield a banstick to threaten and puff themselves up.
@Alex Chasick: well mr. bloglodite, please tell me the ‘stache is real. It is Mustache May for at least one more day now. I’ve added you to my friends list so please tell me who I have to sleep with to get a real star?
I live in an area where there are quite a few really loud obnoxious fundamentalist type christians/churches/organizations. The scream, protest, bang on doors and harass people and businesses who don’t join their little club. The reality is that the majority of the population around here is moderate sane Christian or agnostic/deist leaning. It is just that the wacky fundamentalist ones don’t have hobbies and spend all of their free time causing trouble.
I have seen more than one business come out with some of this outwardly religious nonsense not even as offensive as the car dealership see their businesses take a big hit because of it.
Now take everything the dealership and their ad guy said and every term used for people not of their ideology (atheists, non believers etc.) now replace that with the “n” word and this would have been all over CNN and Ford would have already gotten directly involved. Telling the public that you hate and basically don’t want or will give different (less) service to a protected class of people will get your arse in hot water.
I think this needs the Slashdot/Fark/Daily Kos treatment all on the same day. But direct it at Ford.
Touchy feely liberals offend me with thier PC BS but I never get an appology. Oh yeah, thats right, they dont have to because it isn’t thier problem I’m offended, it mine. I never appologize to anyone for anything I say becuase if you get offended, that is YOUR problem, not mine.
I wonder if Mr Kieffe is working on an Ark with the proceeds of the dealership? I wish these nutjobs would float away…
@D-Bo: I’m not sure about that, but I think he did succesfully Crucify himself. *tucks in chain*
@Logan26: This commercial may be the result of those very feelings. I know most in the area are tired of the PC BS.
It is funny thought that this commercial was running locally for several months. No complaints in the paper, no boycotts called for, was never pulled from the radio. It got more covereage for a longer period of time over the radio and the first complaints came from blogs.
I got mind control over d-bo. He be like “shut the fuck up”… I be quiet, but when he leave, I be talkin again.
What fundamentalists forget is that any God who says “I am the only one, all others are fake” clearly has an inferiority complex and is obviously having penis-length issues.
Probably a teenage-aged Creator.
“we’re too worried about the state of your immortal soul to be concerned with your car breaking down”
true story?
@edicius: Actually, most of the fundies (at least around me) would NEVER wear a crucifix around their necks. That’s too Papist. As a practicing Catholic, I’ve been told by Pentecostal types that one of the reasons Catholics aren’t really saved is our “fixation” on the crucifix. Because Jesus has risen, the cross is empty, therefore the crucifix is a rejection of the Resurrection. Say what now?
Catherine Hicks, who played the minister’s wife on “Seventh Heaven,” is Catholic and wore her own crucifix on the show. They actually had to write it into the show that it had been a gift from a Catholic because viewers initially freaked out about it.
I think a lot of atheists and non-Christians would be surprised if they knew how truly nasty different flavors of Christians are to one another.
@Rippleeffect: I agree with the popular opinion that you’re a troll, however, I’m going to take the time to explain rationally and respectfully why I feel that way.
This ad promotes religious intolerance. It implies that if you don’t worship the same as the owners of the company you’re somehow less entitled to the same treatment as those who do follow their system of belief. Freedom of religion is one of the things that’s supposed to make this country great, however, while it may be a guaranteed right, it’s not always a publicly supported one. These dealers might be nice to you personally when you go to buy a car from them but that doesn’t mean that they treat everyone that way. In fact, I’d say it’s likely, based on this ad campaign, that at least a few dark-skinned customers from across the globe get treated poorly. Try, for a moment, to put yourself in their shoes. How would you feel if you got talked down to and persecuted for being Christian?
So why does all this offend me over here in NJ? Because it belittles us as a nation, and as a species to have narrow minded fools spend more than their fifteen minutes in the spotlight simply for being narrow minded fools. The rest of the world looks down on us as gun toting narrow minded cowboys, and guys like these dealers are precisely why.
By coming on here and defending them just because you had a positive experience with them is the same as coming on here and saying religious intolerance and persecution are ok. Why would you do that?
@What The Geek:
1. Only Touchy feely libs care about what others think, hence the reason they developed PC BS to begin with
2. I said it once, I’ll say it again, the only people wiht an issue here are those offended. They have several choices at their disposal to included, ignore the comments, change the station and not do business with that company.
3. They are persucuting anything, they are simply saying to others out there, please shut the hell up, we dont care what you believe.
I’m an agnostic, and I don’t see why anyone should be offended. I appreciate the fact that I now know not to buy from them. I’m glad they put all their cards on the table.
Let the market sort it out. It will either hurt, help, or have no effect on their business. Likewise it will affect Ford’s image, and may result in Ford taking action. They tried a marketing ploy, and will lose/win accordingly.
Afterthought…
That Georgetown sticker on the car is perfect.
Damn Hoyas…
@Logan26: To represent a name like Ford, you don’t have the option of saying we don’t care what you believe. Hence the reason they bowed down to corporate and issued an apology. I’ll be interested to see how Ford reacts to this however. If it was Joe Schmo’s used cars, that’s one thing. But I don’t think the people over at Ford share the same sentiment as these douches.
@Logan26: For both personal and business purposes I deal with people around the globe. Many MANY of them have a very negative impression of us as a nation. It’s never personally directed at me, however, the sentiment is there. As a child, I heard a lot from my parents and teachers about how wonderful this country is only to grow up and find we rank remarkably low in most academic areas, and high (among industrialized nations) in poverty and crime. All of that combined with the “I love God so hard I’ll punch anyone who doesn’t agree with me” attitude taken up by guys like these dealers upsets me. Not because I’m liberal – truth be told, I’m a political moderate. I’d rather trust a dem w/ my civil rights, and a rep with my money. I care about these things because I want to be able to take pride in the society I live in.
We’re a part of a great big world whether you want to admit it or not. Do we have to like our neighbors? No – but we do have to share a planet with them, which means it’d be great if we could at very least have a mutual respect. That will never happen while we maintain the gun toting cowboy attitude we show to the rest of the world today.
Don’t misunderstand me, I have no qualms with Christians, or members of any other religion for that matter. I personally don’t subscribe to any specific religion, though I do believe firmly in God. I do, however, feel that our negative image as a nation comes from people who take the tenants of Christianity and distort and mangle them, and as I’ve said before, that hurts us all.
And yes – this ad is intolerant and offensive. I disagree with you, but I’m certainly not going to tell you to sit down and shut up because you’re Christian. You’ve got the right to believe what you wish, as does everyone else, without being put down for it.
who cares?
Oh my… like it or not this guy has every right to spew his own brand of narrow-minded religious fanaticism. It’s intolerant filth and if it really does appeal to the community demographic in this area of CA I sincerely feel sad for them. I can only imagine what other ads the dealership will have in store after the recent victory for gay rights.
and I completely agree with you, WhatTheGeek:
@What The Geek: Because it belittles us as a nation, and as a species to have narrow minded fools spend more than their fifteen minutes in the spotlight simply for being narrow minded fools.
The thing that offends me is how he refers to us as “blog-lo-dites”. Do they think they are better than us bloggers too? They in so many words called bloggers left winged liberals who started this whole mountian from a molehill.
If a McDonalds franchise owner in you area made this same commercial, only condeming christians, I bet you wouldn’t hear us libs (or whatever your stereotyping us for) tell you to just eat at a different McDonalds and get over it.
i hope a Muslim suicide bombs there dealership
@marsneedsrabbits, these bozos aren’t any more Christian than I am. I’m sure you know Jesus’s admonition that not all who call “Lord, Lord” are truly his followers. No worries, apology or no apology, they’ll get theirs in the end, eh?
And what everyone else said about Bakersfield. Atlanta, Georgia is more liberal than many parts of California.
@nedzeppelin: Apparently you don’t and we do.@Alex Chasick: Does his comment classify as boring?
@snoop-blog: why do you care so much?
are there no real news stories or pressing matters going on in the world?
it fascinates me.
I don’t know how many people have actually driven by this dealership, but its way out in the middle of the desert, and the next town is 15 miles away. The sign coming into Mojave has a quote from the bible on it. I was coming home from a dig and stopped into one of the fast food resturants (I think it was a Carls Jr. ) and we were sitting eating our food and a church group came in and sang for the people in the resturant (religious songs naturally)..it is just the nature of the area. I alwasy thought that it was a little weird having a dealership in such a small town. just my two cents.
@nedzeppelin: I’m at work for another hour and then I could care less. Besides I’m bouncing back and fourth between here and wonkette. Believe me, I’d rather be selling a car. Ironically I work at a car lot.
I’d buy a Ford from this dealership vs. all the other hippies that have overrun the People’s Republic of California.
@nedzeppelin: It doesn’t help that I took a 10miligram vicodin either. Usually I’m not so chatty.
@rasbill:
I hope a Muslim suicide bombs there own people. Oh wait, they already do that.
@snoop-blog: lol – I find it HIGHLY amusing that you work at a car lot – nice.
Man O Man! THIS just keeps getting better & better!!!
It’s almost like they WANT to drive away all their business. Wow.
Frankly, I wish more companies would be gutsy enough to spew this kind of bullshit. I’d love to know of all the places that I don’t want to spend money. It’s so much easier to boycott crazy when it’s in such technicolor.
@Logan26: And thanks for playing “Really Bad Analogy.”
To the people saying it’s giving them free advertising:
How so? Sure the name is getting out, but seeing these people carry on like assholes? Does that make anyone want to buy a car from them?
@Alex Chasick: Flag? They got rid of that like 3 months ago
@pine22: this whole “Christian” car dealership thing just doesn’t make a lot of sense to me. what the hell does selling cars have anything to do with religion?
Denying peak oil has passed.
Denying global warming.
Denying environmental damage and air pollution.
Rationalizing war on muslim countries to enable theft of their oil (i.e. the “deal” the US signed this week to permanently annex Iraq).
That’s what it has to do with religion.
Thank goodness I am an Agnostic because, “Frankly my dear I don’t give a damn…about religion that is.” It has to be exhausting being so sanctimonious all the time telling people what to believe in. Can’t even fight a war without it being about religion. Can’t go to school without it being about religion. Can’t decide for yourself whether you want a child unless it is about religion. Can’t wear clothes, eat certain foods, wear certain hairstyles, speak certain words, hell you can’t even sell a car without wrapping it around religion.
Man, I am exhausted for you just thinking about all the religion you have to factor into your daily life. How do people get anything done? I’m just curious…are there any decisions left that a grown adult can make for himself that don’t require a sanction by the Pope, Allah, Jehovah, Buddha, John Smith, etc?
I wish I could say I am being facetious but I’m not. It just would be nice if people would keep their private choices private and stop thrusting them out into the public. I no more care about who or what you believe in than I do about the type of ice cream you like. I would just like to buy a car without a dealership taking my heathen soul into consideration. I would rather him take into consideration the value of my trade-in.
So this rude bigot is also a liar? Wow. Jesus must be proud!
How embarassing for him, that no one as of yet has sat him down and explained that evolution is provable, like gravity or where sunlight is coming from.
I always find it amusing when Christian Right Wing-nuts say things like “touchy-feely liberals” and all that nonsense. Here Logan, here is the truth, given to me by the revelatory power of the Flying Spaghetti Monster:
If it was Christians who were being discriminated against, we would care. If it were Muslims, we would care. Black, Yellow, Purple, Brown, or Paisly, we would care.
And that, my friend, is why we are better people than you.
I don’t know what kind of franchise agreement Ford has with this fool but they need to shut him up or cut him loose. Ford is having a difficult enough time as it is selling automobiles and they do not need any bad publicity on top of it to make matters worse for them.
@Logan26: “They are persucuting anything, they are simply saying to others out there, please shut the hell up, we dont care what you believe.”
While at the same time going on a rant about how they are subject to persecution that is pretty much imaginary at best.
They need to “shut the hell up”. After all, they are part of the “silent majority”, maybe they should pay attention to the first part of that. Kieffe also might want to read up on that whole part about honesty in his professed faith as well with regards to his fake apology, which was a nice example of him wanting his cake and eating it as well. If they were not playing people as fools, he would have valiantly stood up to Ford with the same vigor as his strawmen and refused to apologise.
Was it HL Mencken who said two of the most horrifying words in the English Language are “Christian Businessman”?
Then again, I was really shocked when in the course of business I met a person who got tangled up with Primerica, which was “Christian” and yet tucked up with Travelers and Citi.
@Rippleeffect: “Do you have any proof of this claim?” He doesn’t need proof. He has faith that you are a troll. I think Jesus told him. Personally.
@Rippleeffect: I don’t want to jump on the bandwagon here, but I had to ask the question:
“imo, this was a smart advertising move considering the local people here. Mostly Christian, conservative, and republican, and they mostly advertise on the local country station (typically more christian listeners than other genres) I can’t really see that people locally were offended.”
So if most of the local populace were KKK members, would it have been OK for them to put out an ad saying “we don’t serve them uppity n****rs”? Or, if it’s a mostly male community for them to say “women should just sit down and shut up”?
It doesn’t matter who your target audience is, this is the age of communication and the internet. Any message you put out, good or bad, is going to reach farther than you realise. If your message is inherently offensive (and that ad was, to atheists and non-Christian theists alike), you should be prepared for a reaction and to make an apology if people are offended. Especially when, as in this case, you’re as much a representative of a multinational business as for your own franchise.
Whether or not they were intended to cause offense, and whether or not people in the “target area” were offended, people were indeed still offended. This kind of behaviour casts a bad light on Ford, who may actually lose business in other areas of the country (or other parts of the world) if people get the idea that these comments are supported by the company. Yet, Kieffe can’t even make a simple apology stick.
(Apologies in advance for any offense I may have caused…)
@Logan26: “They are persucuting anything, they are simply saying to others out there, please shut the hell up, we dont care what you believe.”
Yet, people who are not Christians in America have to listen to constant rantings about what *you* believe. They have as much right to say “we don’t care what you believe, why should we be the ones to shut up?” as you do. Even many Christians are tired of hearing of some of the stuff that members of the faith say in their name.
@snoop-blog: Hey, differing opinions are cool, but I just had to reply to say, amusedly, that I saw your reply just as the “freezing air comes down from the stratosphere and hits NY” scene came up in Day After Tomorrow…
Sadly, my last statement is true. You’re a car dealership and lose your franchise, you’re screwed. Ford isn’t exactly in need of more dealers right now…
Funny how he references the troglodyte, one of the early creatures from which much of the animal world _evolved_. Do you think he gets the irony here? Of course, he probably things that species is only 7000 years old or something.
Also, I have to think that Georgetown bumper sticker is a leftover from a previous car owner, as it’s difficult to imagine one of these ID idiots being accepted to a prestigious university.