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
Ben and Jerry’s isn’t 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. They’re open supporters of socialism. I understand the idea of “no ethical consumption” but Ben and Jerry’s isn’t 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 zł (~1600$) to two important LGBT organizations so they could renovate their shared, first real office (the organizations are Miłość nie Wyklucza, who are fighting mainly for marriage equality, and Parada Równości, 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 didn’t openly show us any support. Their local fanpage is filled with people raging about their “leftist ideology”. But they still do, which shows they are true to the values they talk about.
Take a look through the comments and you’ll see a lot of things like this, whether it’s 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 “paying their workers a living wage” and “ethically sourcing ingredients” that seem like should be bare minimums for companies but somehow isn’t.
They’re 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 we’re 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 I’ve 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.
They were big supporters of Amendment 4 here in Florida, the largest expansion of voting rights in the country since the Civil Rights Movement. Florida permanently banned folks with felony convictions from ever voting again, leaving roughly 1 in 10 Floridians over the age of 18 without access to the ballot box. Ben & Jerry’s didn’t just support financially—they led a statewide ice cream truck tour to help get out the vote during the final weeks of the election, educating voters on the impact of Amendment 4 passing and giving out free scoops, swag, and info sheets. Like, even when capitalism is overthrown, there’s still a place for Ben & Jerry’s in the socialist future, I hope.
