10 Liberal Brands The Right-Wing Hates

Republicans are rallying their base to boycott major companies they deem too “woke.” But what does it even mean to be woke in the eyes of the right-wing? Originally it meant being attuned to injustice, but today conservatives use the nebulous term to slam anything progressive.

These 10 huge brands have faced fiery backlash and calls for boycotts over perceived liberal bias. However, the outrage often stems from supporting marginalized groups, making modest diversity efforts, or countering right-wing narratives.

Decoding the Murky Meaning of “Woke“

The word “woke” has become ubiquitous across political discourse, but its actual meaning remains unclear. Even former President Donald Trump has publicly stated confusion regarding the nebulous term, which he uses frequently to rile up supporters. Originally waking up to societal injustice and racial oppression, “woke” first emerged in Black protest songs about raising consciousness. But today, Republicans have co-opted the word as a catchall pejorative for anything vaguely progressive they wish to complain about. From diversity initiatives to environmentalism and more, virtually any value outside the right-wing purview risks earning the dreaded “woke” label.

Despite the vague definition, Republicans are quick to disparage brands and corporations as too “woke” if they show any sign of aligning with liberal policies. Companies that embrace gender diversity, support marginalized groups, or counter prevailing conservative narratives are condemned as woke and face calls for widespread boycotts.

Budweiser Blasted for Transgender Ad Campaign

When iconic beer brand Budweiser posted an ad campaign featuring transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney documenting her transition journey, the company immediately sparked conservative outrage and calls for an all-out boycott. In the eyes of the right-wing, the simple act of featuring Mulvaney made Budweiser too “woke” as they embraced gender diversity. Major brands like Nike faced similar fury from the right when they collaborated with the transgender star on a new sneaker line. However, despite the waves of criticism propagated by high-profile conservatives, neither Budweiser, Nike, nor Mulvaney herself backed down in the face of backlash.

More and more companies like Budweiser are realizing they gain more from supporting marginalized communities than acquiescing to conservative censorship. As a result, right-wing threats of boycotts increasingly fail to dictate corporate decision-making.

Pepsi: Not Progressive Enough to Avoid Right-Wing Wrath

In 2021, some conservatives attempting to avoid the supposedly excessively “woke” Coca-Cola brand pivoted to rival Pepsi products instead. However, Pepsi was quickly deemed too progressive as well for its long record of support for LGBTQ+ rights and role as a corporate sponsor of various pride events. Outrage soon erupted from elements of the right-wing, who called on the soda company to “focus on selling soft drinks, not gay sex.” However, Pepsi refused to back down from supporting the marginalized communities that make up a significant portion of its consumer base and talent pool.

For iconic food and beverage corporations like Pepsi, Budweiser, and others, taking a stand for minority rights or creating inclusive campaigns featuring diverse communities inevitably earns them the dreaded “woke” designation from some conservatives. Simply supporting equality for all is enough to push corporations into the crosshairs for boycotts-even brands traditionally considered mainstream staples.

Right-Wing Devotees Exact Revenge on Keurig

When Fox News host Sean Hannity staunchly defended far-right senatorial candidate Roy Moore against multiple sexual assault allegations in 2017, coffee corporation Keurig decided to pull its advertising from Hannity’s show. Furious supporters responded by posting viral videos of themselves dramatically destroying their Keurig coffee makers.

While critics argue Keurig’s move limits free speech, it highlights the reality any brand that challenges powerful right-wing media narratives risks facing coordinated outrage and intense retaliation from vocal conservatives. By daring to dissent from reactionary viewpoints, Keurig experienced serious backlash firsthand.

Disney in the Crosshairs of Florida’s DeSantis

As Disney vocally opposed Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’s discriminatory “Don’t Say Gay” education bill limiting classroom discussion around LGBTQ+ identities, DeSantis slammed the company as surrendering to “woke” ideology. As retaliation, he orchestrated stripping Disney of its 55-year special governing jurisdiction status in the state.

Disney marks the highest-profile example yet of DeSantis and other Republicans wielding legislative power to punish major corporations for embracing progressive values over reactionary ideology. Disney’s stand against state-sanctioned bigotry in schools positioned them as the latest “woke” entity facing consequences.

United Airlines Concurrently Praised and Pilloried

When United Airlines announced ambitious plans to ensure half of their 10,000 pilots hired in the next decade are women and/or people of color, right-wing Fox News host Tucker Carlson slammed the move on air. He baselessly claimed the airline prioritized diversity over safety and security.

In reality, United retains top world-class safety certifications while working to correct representation imbalances. Despite meeting responsibilities on both fronts simultaneously, United still faced predictable allegations of succumbing to “woke” ideology for its modest diversity efforts.

Nike Endures False Attacks in Wake of Trans Campaign

After high-profile collaborations with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney, false rumors emerged claiming basketball legend Michael Jordan had cut ties with Nike in protest. However, Jordan remains closely involved with the brand through its Jordan subsidiary.

The fake news further displays how desperate conservatives grow to fuel outrage against companies deemed excessively progressive. Even easily disproven falsehoods propagate wildly if they damage Nike’s image. Fact-checking fails to deter right-wing outlets from attacking brands aligning with liberal values.

Amazon Denounced Despite Improving Diverse Hiring

When Amazon released a 2021 diversity and inclusion plan encouraging equitable hiring, retention, and promotion, the company immediately faced condemnation from conservatives for supposedly championing “woke” policies. However, their diversity efforts helped drive concrete improvements in hiring women, people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, and veterans.

Amazon drew frequent criticism from progressives on fair labor practices but faced backlash from conservatives solely for trying to improve diversity numbers. Despite tangible gains in representation, any perceived nod toward liberal values spurred accusations of Amazon unjustly favoring identity politics over pure meritocracy.

CVS Commits to Abortion Access Nationwide

After the Supreme Court overturned federal abortion protections in 2022, pharmacy giant CVS announced they would provide abortion pills to patients nationwide regardless of restrictive state bans. CVS CEO Karen Lynch cited “unacceptable” rollbacks in healthcare access for women as motivation for CVS’s stance. Her vocal support for reproductive rights earned CVS calls for boycotts from anti-abortion Republicans.

By daring to center women’s healthcare autonomy over ideological purity, CVS entered the crosshairs of Republican calls to boycott another “woke” corporation. However, CVS remains undeterred in its commitment to provide equal access to reproductive options for their millions of American patients.

Misinformed Attacks Expose Absurdity of Outrage

When conservatives set up right-wing cellular carrier PureTalk as an “anti-woke” alternative to major providers like Verizon and AT and T, most were unaware their new patriotic provider operates on AT and T’s nationwide network. AT and T itself even faced “woke” allegations from portions of the right wing for supposedly owning CNN and supporting Black Lives Matter.

The uninformed backlash toward AT and T proves the foundations of many right-wing boycotts grow more from reactionary outrage run amok rather than factual concerns. Their ideologically pure phone carrier relies entirely on a progressive boogeyman’s infrastructure.