Retail giant Lowe’s has pulled its advertising from Discovery Communications-owned TLC’s reality show All-American Muslim. This takes place after a conservative organization launched an email campaign to discourage advertising support for the show.
Conservative group Florida Family Association wrote in a statement that it has sent three email alerts, encouraging supporters to email advertisers in regards to the show. “All-American Muslim is propaganda that riskily hides the Islamic agenda’s clear and present danger to American liberties and traditional values,” it said.
The Association also posted an email from a Lowe’s representative on its website saying: “While we continue to advertise on various cable networks, including TLC, there are certain programs that do not meet Lowe’s advertising guidelines, including the show you brought to our attention. Lowe’s will no longer be advertising on that program.”
The move has sparked supporters and opponents alike to sound off on various media outlets.
An outraged Twitter user, using the Twitter handle LawyerAsif, a tax lawyer in Washington, DC, wrote to Lowe’s that “your actions did alienate people and you knew it would. Will you next consider KKKs demands to pull ads from BET?”
The home improvement company tweeted a response to one chiding tweet saying: “We did not pull our ads based solely on the complaints or emails of any one group. It is never our intent to alienate anyone. Lowe’s values diversity of thought in everyone, including our employees and prospective customers.”
According to Hollywood Reporter, a Lowe’s spokeswoman stated “We understand the program raised concerns, complaints or issues from multiple sides of the viewer spectrum, which we found after doing research of news articles and blogs covering the show. We based our decision to pull the advertising on this research and after hearing the concerns we received through emails, calls, through social media and in news reports.”
A TLC spokeswoman declined comment on the issue, but said: “There is strong advertising support for the show,” wrote Hollywood Reporter.
