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Kellogg's Wimps Out Over Phelps's Bong Hit: What Century Are They Living in?

By Bruce Mirken, AlterNet. Posted February 6, 2009.


While hypocrisy is hardly rare in American life, Kellogg's decision not to renew his endorsement contract is really egregious.

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Cereal giant Kellogg's has announced that it won't renew Olympic swim champion Michael Phelps' endorsement contract because he's been photographed apparently smoking marijuana. While hypocrisy is hardly rare in American life, this is a particularly egregious example.

And it's already causing thousands of Americans to swear off Rice Krispies and other Kellogg's products.

"Michael's most recent behavior is not consistent with the image of Kellogg," a company spokesperson told Ad Age.

Are they kidding? In 2004, Phelps pleaded guilty to drunken driving, but apparently that offense -- just as illegal, and which actually could have resulted in someone being hurt or killed -- was not an issue for Kellogg's.

Let's get real here. If Phelps had been photographed hoisting a Budweiser, no one would have said a word. But there is simply no question that if one wants to relax with a mood-altering substance, marijuana is far safer than alcohol.

Alcohol is more addictive. According to the Institute of Medicine, 15 percent of those who ever drink become dependent on alcohol. The figure for marijuana is just 9 percent (for tobacco, by the way, it's 32 percent).

Alcohol is massively more toxic. Every year, people die from alcohol overdoses (too often in college drinking parties and the like). And the chronic effects of heavy alcohol use -- e.g. liver damage -- kill thousands upon thousands more. There has never been a medically documented marijuana overdose, and the chronic effects of even heavy marijuana use are relatively mild and decidedly nonlethal.

And unlike marijuana, alcohol tends to make users reckless, aggressive and violent. A review in the journal Addictive Behaviors explained, "Alcohol is clearly the drug with the most evidence to support a direct intoxication-violence relationship. … Cannabis reduces the likelihood of violence during intoxication…"

People are already talking about a boycott of Kellogg's, while others are urging folks to contact the company and complain. I don't know if a boycott will work -- they're difficult to pull off, and most don't succeed. But I do know that there are plenty of other breakfast-cereal makers that haven't indulged in such stupidity and hypocrisy, and they will be getting my business for a while.


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Bruce Mirken is communications director for the Marijuana Policy Project.

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View:
The same century as Marion Jones
Posted by: marjani on Feb 7, 2009 1:15 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/21138883/. Except he didn't get jail time added to it.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

Michael Phelps story, M.J. overdose
Posted by: 3party on Feb 7, 2009 1:33 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
You say there has never been a documented case of a marijuana overdose. In 1972 or 1973, one of the Chicago 'papers ran a story with the sub-head: "Boy dies from marijuana overdose." One of my roommates was a scientist, post-doc, and he and I decided to figure out how it was possible to die from an o.d. of m.j. We did and it is.

Here's how: The kid was smoking joints, possibly in a very small room. Eventually, the room filled up with his roaches [cigarette ends], and the actual cause of his demise was not an o.d. of m.j. but, rather, suffocation.

Your point about Kelloggs' attitude to his DUI offense and how it contrasts with their attitude to this is well taken. If ever there was an administration capable of modernizing federal laws with respect to m.j., it is this one. And the Supreme Court reaffirmed not long ago that federal law pre-empts state laws on this subject. Hoist the bastards by their own petards!

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

» That's not and OD Posted by: kegbot1
» RE: That's not and OD Posted by: helenahanbasquet
» Suffocation is NOT an overdose. Posted by: badkitty68
Kellogg's products addictive, Phelps silly kid.
Posted by: Li'l Wizard on Feb 7, 2009 1:42 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Living in China at the moment, I am not in a position to check quickly, but I seem to recall that the sugar and salt levels in Kellogg's cereals are at addictive levels, and certainly health threatening. So it is OK to down a bowl of sugar disguised with corn or rice, but not OK to have the much safer inhalation of THC?
Phelps meanwhile is just a silly kid, floundering in a sea of adulation. Anyone buying a product because he recommended it is less than brilliant. I wonder if it would have been Ok to eat hash cookies made with crushed cornflakes (right brand of course!)?

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Maybe....
Posted by: TerryW4 on Feb 7, 2009 1:48 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
all (adult) pot smokers should mail Kellogg pictures of themselves (actual identity obscured somehow) in support of Phelps. Kellogg could literally get millions of photos, that might "send them a message" and everyone else too.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

» RE: Maybe.... Posted by: mtatasmith
Kellogg's Has it Bass Ackwards....
Posted by: Jayzer on Feb 7, 2009 1:54 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Kellogg's has it all bass ackwards: instead of cancelling Phelps' contract, they should be extending it. Consider this (now lost) advertising opportunity: "After catching a nice little buzz, I get the munchies. You know what sounds gooooood, right now? A big ol' bowl of Kellogg's Sugar Frosted Flakes!"

Truly, these geniuses are missing the boat.

Maybe the people at Quaker Cereals will be a tad quicker. Here's Michael Phelps: "I'm high on Life!"

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

» RE: Kellogg's Has it Bass Ackwards.... Posted by: chemicalhijack
» RE: Pot Tarts Posted by: Sister_Lauren
» Excellent! Posted by: morticia
Kellogg's -- Cereal cartel out of touch with customers
Posted by: Mikmo6 on Feb 7, 2009 3:52 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
I'm sorry, but this is an obvious case of a company (Kellogg's) being out of touch with its customer base. Who do they think are eating their "kids" cereals? Not adult stoners? Nah, these people don't make up a significant portion of our customer base, do they?

I think it's high time for the folks at Kellogg's to re-evaluate just who it is that Snap, Crackle and Pop really appeal to, and to stop fighting against a substance (cannabis) which stimulates appetite like no other and inspires folks to buy their products in the first place.

The only people who really are offended by the behavior of Phelps are DEA agents who make their living criminalizing pot and making sure companies like Kellogg's are on-board with their demented plans to poison the public's perception of the plant.

To tell the truth, I really don't think Kellogg's would lose any customers by continuing to endorse Phelps and, no, I don't think DEA agents are consuming that much Frosted Flakes in the first place.

It should be an interesting experiment anyhow to see what kind of economic impact a boycott from the cannabis community can have on a company that relies on it a lot more heavily than they apparently are able to admit (let alone cater to).

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Time to come out of the closet..
Posted by: mikekimble on Feb 7, 2009 4:11 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
I think that it is time for all pot smokers, especially celebs, to come out of the closet; just like the gay community has done. We all know that most intelligent people have either tried or currently smoke the evil weed. It's time for all smokers to stand up and tell the truth: We have a nation of fat alcohol-fueled dumbos; thanks to these insane pot laws. I've spent a good bit of my life in bars playing music, and what I've learned is that alcohol makes people stupid and fat. And violent.
And one other thing: it's a plant, not a drug. How can we outlaw a natural plant, and why don't we start with poison ivy instead?

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» RE: Time to come out of the closet.. Posted by: Sister_Lauren
» RE: Time to come out of the closet.. Posted by: chrysalis124812
Sign the petition - boycott Kellogg
Posted by: babzter on Feb 7, 2009 4:21 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
You've gotta start somewhere - we are not powerless unless we allow ourselves to be.

http://www.petitiononline.com/Kellogg/petition.html

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» Lighten up, Lauren Posted by: fsuthai
» RE: Sister Lauren to you Posted by: Sister_Lauren
Hypocrisy
Posted by: kegbot1 on Feb 7, 2009 4:25 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
thy name is America.

When will this country grow up?

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Kellogg, you have lost another customer
Posted by: wagner on Feb 7, 2009 4:44 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
I never had a joint nor do I have the desire to ever have one. However, the publicity given Mike's pot experience makes me sick. Do politicians, cops and moralists ever wake up to reality and learn from the history of prohibition? Mike is bigger than life, he must know what it takes to be successful and if he believes, that occasional pleasure of smoking pot is part of it, Kellogg should celebrate smoking marijuana. Kellogg, you lost credibility and no matter how much I like your products, I do not do business with companies that have no credibility.

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Lazy parents
Posted by: Purple Girl on Feb 7, 2009 4:57 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
The only ones screaming about this are parents who rely on Idol worship to motivate and inspire their children. Parents who have failed to not only BE a role model for their kids, but fail to instill self esteem and fortitude in their childrens personal identity.
this is not a performance enhancing drug. it is not a drug which has physical and psychiatric side effects or presents societal concerns like Steriods ('roid Rage) or Cocaine.
What is more agregious to the decision by kelloggs is the 'innocent before proven guilty' Judicial Value we hold dear in this country. Where did this photo come from, who was it's source, what was their motivation and most importatntly who has proven that was pot he was smoking? He mere claimed it was a mistake- same could be said for smoking tobacco- considering lung capacity is vital to swimmers.
I have written kellogg. I'm not only a MI'er, but also a loyal Kellogg consumer.
I am far more concerned about what they are saying to our youth about Justice- Innocence,and unsubstantiated Prejudice than I am about what Phelps face or image will convey aobut Marijuana use.
I am sick of parents demanding Society and Companies take on THEIR responsiblities in raising a well adjusted, civic Minded adult who can accept respsonbility for their actions and it consequences. Phelps imediately took repsonsiblity for his own actions, far more admirable than any Wall Streeter or Repugs has yet to do.

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» RE: Lazy parents Posted by: seaoftears
GOOD FOR KELLOGS
Posted by: brigit on Feb 7, 2009 5:03 AM   
Current rating: 1    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Kellogs my not do everything right but they have every right to do this, it is indeed uplifting to see standards upheld. Pot perhaps should be legal, but it is NOT. If you want to make money by advertisment you have obligations. Hello everybody out there, because some people think 'to have standards in America is obsolete', I am very glad to see this opinion is not universal!!!!

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» RE: GOOD FOR KELLOGS Posted by: rsteeb
» RE: GOOD FOR KELLOGS Posted by: rsteeb
Kellogg's is Right!
Posted by: jpinsatx on Feb 7, 2009 6:02 AM   
Current rating: 1    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Michael Phelps is an international roll model for millions of impressionable children. As for "If Phelps had been photographed hoisting a Budweiser, no one would have said a word.", I totally disagree. There would be a public outcry and denouncement. However, not as strong in the USA because alcohol IS legal, drugs are not!

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» RE: Kellogg's is Right! Posted by: Curio
» Honey, guess what?! Posted by: Grandma Crabby
» RE: Kellogg's is Right! Posted by: gjones
» RE: Kellogg's is Right! No: Posted by: blitzmesser
» RE: Kellogg's is Right! Posted by: Jayzer
Boycott Kellogs!
Posted by: bloggeddowninMKE on Feb 7, 2009 6:08 AM   
Current rating: 4    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
I did! It may not work, as the author points out, but at least it will send a message that this kind of hypocritical behavior will not be tolerated by some. The author provided a link in the article to another article with some contact info, but I just went to Kellogs' contact page at, http://www2.kelloggs.com/ContactUs.aspx and filled out the form. Either way should work.

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» RE: copy and corrupt their T shirts. Posted by: Sister_Lauren
It's about the kids folks
Posted by: gladmueth on Feb 7, 2009 6:23 AM   
Current rating: 1    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Come on people, let's not reach for our emotional defense positions to look at this issue practically.
Kellogg's should have viewed the drunk driving issue with equal weight. Whether pot should be legalized or not is not the issue. Kellogg's deals with a young demographic and even if I believe pot should be legal, that doesn't mean I want my kid embracing it as "cool", "hip", "enlightened" or however a "true" liberal "should" look at it. I'm not against it. Do I spend time getting high? No, and quite honestly, when I was younger I thought it was occasionally "fun"... I just don't now, I've got lots better things to do. Kids don't need to see their heroes getting high, we've got a lot of problems in society that our kids are struggling with right now. So, fine, support your MJ initiative, but keep it where it belongs, out of the sightline of young children who cannot yet make healthy decisions for themselves. The better question is who are Phelps' "friends" who are taking and sending out the photos of him having a good time?

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» Prove it. Posted by: brock_samson
» RE: It's about the kids folks Posted by: sunnywater
» RE: It's about the kids folks Posted by: pinnacle
» RE: It's about the kids? Really? Posted by: bloggeddowninMKE
» RE: Posted by: Bud
Boycotting Kellogg's?
Posted by: noChurchInState on Feb 7, 2009 7:16 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Make sure they know. Increase the impact by flooding their inbox.
http://www2.kelloggs.com/ContactUs.aspx

Or call, if you feel so inclined: 1-800-962-1413

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Fortunately
Posted by: aahpat on Feb 7, 2009 7:49 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
there are other munchies in the world.

A company that is so dependent on the good will of people who really like munchies should not be throwing stones at its customer base.

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Yeah, I'm not eating any more "Kellogg's Corn Flakes"...
Posted by: fsuthai on Feb 7, 2009 7:54 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
unless I get the 'munchies' later tonight & can't find anything else. But I'm not going to buy any more (been eating them for sixty years or so) and I'm going to their website to let them know how I feel about their hypocrisy! Just wish Phelps had shown more courage then to apologize for taking a bong hit!

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» Oops... Posted by: fsuthai
SCREW KELLOGS
Posted by: jeffrey7 on Feb 7, 2009 8:04 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
ya know,for a company that uses genetically altered corn crops to make their products they sure bitch a lot about something that isn't GMO...POT. I'd bet you a box of thier corn flakes that most of the workers,administration and support staff smoke pot,some on the job.

They might think porr Mikie Phelps is bad for their image,but when kids start growing extra appendages from their GMO crop useage,what's really going to give them a bad image...a kid smoking a bong or a kid with a third eye?

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Professional Behavior
Posted by: snax on Feb 7, 2009 8:06 AM   
Current rating: 1    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Why cry for Michael Phelps?

While it may seem hypocritical how Kellog has handled this issue, the question of professionalism must still be addressed.

Michael Phelps is both an athlete AND a public figure. On both counts he has failed himself in the management of that image. The real issue is not whether he drinks and drives or smokes marijuana, but how he has allowed those relatively private issues to spill over into public image. It is just plain irresponsible, particularly when endorsements include brands that are marketed to children.

Did he really think that he could continue to be caught engaging in such things and not hurt his marketing potential? I.e., what would your next potential employer think if they checked out your MySpace page only to discover a bunch of drunken party pictures?

So while he may still have a future hawking supplements or fitness equipment, Kellog was right IMO to pull the plug, both morally and financially - illegal drug or not.

The real message here isn't "don't do 'x'", but rather, it is "don't get caught". He was careless and got caught doing the wrong thing twice now. Can you blame any company for not wanting to associate their brand image with such irresponsible behavior?

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» RE: Professional Behavior Posted by: sunnywater
» RE: UNPROFESSIONAL LOGIC Posted by: americansheep
» RE: Professional Behavior Posted by: bloggeddowninMKE
PHELPS MAY FIND HIS GROOVE YET IN THE MIDST OF MADNESS
Posted by: americansheep on Feb 7, 2009 8:11 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
During the Olympics coverage, Michael Phelps was shown relaxing with his dog. He seemed not to be too aware of the "big picture" nonsense world he was playing a role in, as his world focus was swimming and competing. And he was fresh out of childhood. Later, in an interview, he spoke openly of how in school as a boy he was teased and bullied because of his ears. I regaled in his candor to speak freely of it. Now he is seeing that the country of his birth in reality is an "inside-out" bizarro world from that he had grown up to believe in. Now that he has dived into the pool of sharks and sees how treacherous are the predator populace nipping at him, it may well be the spark he needs to become a real role model, a spokesman for debates of reason that lead to the legalization of marijuana.

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Hypocrisy, Inc.?
Posted by: bettyn on Feb 7, 2009 9:00 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
A company that sells **** like Fruit Loops that gives kids wild "sugar highs" and rots their teeth drops a swimmer for smoking Mary Jane at a college frat party. Sounds like the pot (pun intended) calling the kettle black to me.

Stick with cereals you find in the health food store. At least they try to make it better for you(even though a lot of it still tastes like cardboard).

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» RE: Hypocrisy, Inc.? Posted by: Old Uncle Dave
» Kashi is owned by Kellogg, just FYI. Posted by: brock_samson
Crop?
Posted by: pj1fwb on Feb 7, 2009 9:11 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Geezzzz,the last time I checked pot grew right up out of the ground!! Fruit Loops,NOT!!!If they ever get it right the legalization of pot would end the job,tax,farmer,housing problem!! Instead they just keep ruining people's lifes with arrests for nothing!! Come on,please! I don't feel sorry for Phelps, just the american people!!

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Phelps shouldn't have been endorsing Kellogg's anyway, they use GMO soy oil from Monsanto.
Posted by: gunboat diplomat on Feb 7, 2009 9:33 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Kellogg... yes, they are an interesting bunch, but maybe Phelps shouldn't have been endorsing them anyway...

The W.K. Kellogg Foundation was founded in June 1930 as the W.K. Kellogg Child Welfare Foundation by breakfast cereal pioneer Will Keith Kellogg...

The private foundation continues to hold substantial equity in and enjoy a strong relationship with the Kellogg Company, both of which are based in Battle Creek, Michigan. It is governed by an independent board of trustees.

The foundation is now the 7th largest philanthropic foundation in the U.S. In 2005, the foundation reported that the total assets of the foundation and its trust were US$7.3 billion; about US$5.5 billion of this was in Kellogg Company stock.

The foundation funded US$243 million in grants and programs in its 2005 fiscal year. 82% of this was spent in the United States; 9% in southern Africa; and 9% in Latin America and the Caribbean.


A similar "philanthropic foundation" is the Alcoa Foundation (Alcoa being the international aluminum giant, NYSE: AA). In all cases, the goal is to use the foundation to spruce up the corporate image - essentially, it is a public relations program.

What they won't talk about are the negatives - for example, Kelloggs uses GMO soybean oil produced by Monsanto, and doesn't want to be forced to include that on the package label.

Kelloggs has also been found with amounts of illegal for human consumption GMO soy protein (starlink) in their products, which they blamed on their suppliers:

"Kellogg Co., which bought Morningstar's parent company, Worthington Foods, in late 1999, had told customers in a string of letters and e-mails about its conversion to a soy protein that is not produced through biotechnology. Its products were not labeled as GMO-free, however.

Note that in Europe, all Kellogg products are labelled GMO-free (and are not made with U.S. corn or soy). Most GMO crops are modified to withstand high levels of herbicide or to produce their own internal pesticides; they are patented and any effort to limit their use would be fought by the powerful pharma-biotech-chemical-agribusiness lobby... their yields are no higher than normal crops, but they are patented and thus their seeds fetch a higher price. The only way to avoid the whole program is to only buy organic grains, bread, etc. (which is more expensive, unfortunately).

By the way, who made the bong that Phelps was smoking out of? I want one of those - don't you? Now, that could be a lucrative endorsement market for Phelps to look into...

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» Idiotic....as usual Posted by: gellero1
WHAT GOD HATH JOINT TOGETHER, LET NOT MAN POT ASUNDER.
Posted by: Dennis St. John on Feb 7, 2009 10:04 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
"And God said, 'See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth...'" [Genesis 1:29]

Botanically, marijuana is classified as an herb bearing seed. It's not a drug, it's an herb, Herb.

The religious know-nothings have hijacked the Bible and their hypocrisy knows no bounds. In the Bible belt and elsewhere where ersatz Christians hold sway on law, alcohol is restricted.

"And you shall spend that money for whatever your heart desires:...for wine or STRONG DRINK, for whatever your heart desires; you shall eat there before the Lord you God, and you shall rejoice, you and your household." [Deuteronomy 14:26]

"And wine that makes glad the heart of man..." [Psalm 104:15] Jesus drank wine on holy days, to include the Sabbath, and he made over 90 gallons of wine at a party, yet nitwits like Jerry Falwell preached that "Wine is a sin. It's a sin to even touch it."

Small wonder so many persons are opposed to "Christianity." So-called Christians are blocking the door and won't let anyone in.

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Keep in mind this USOC press release from July '08
Posted by: sausage on Feb 7, 2009 10:24 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Anheuser-Busch Renews U.S. Olympic Team Sponsorship

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Anheuser-Busch and the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) today announced the iconic American brewer's renewed commitment to the athletes and organizers of the U.S. Olympic Team, extending its exclusive malt beverage sponsorship through 2012.

Budweiser is the official international beer sponsor of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China, and is the exclusive alcohol beverage and non-alcohol malt-based beverage sponsor of the 2008 Olympic Games telecasts on NBC and its cable and Latino properties. Budweiser and Bud Light also sponsor the U.S. Soccer Federation and the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association, as well as 25 National Olympic Committees including China, Russia, Great Britain and Australia.

"Sponsorship of the U.S. Olympic Team provides Anheuser-Busch with an opportunity to reach adult beer drinkers around the globe and, at the same time, gain national and international exposure for Budweiser and the company's other brands," [Tony] Ponturo,[ vice president of Global Media and Sports Marketing for Anheuser-Busch, Inc.] added.


So remember, kids, this bud's for you. As long as it's St. Louis swill.

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» DAZED AND CONFOOZED... Posted by: americansheep
Raise That Box of Kellogg !!!! The Big Story...
Posted by: picket on Feb 7, 2009 10:32 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Every time "THE BOYS" in Washington raise that box of cereal for breakfast what will come to mind??? Maybe, darn that pesky group of MJ reformers will they ever SHUT UP. The Michael Phelps story brought the whole National MJ debate to every breakfast table.


Maybe "THE BOYS" in Washington will face reality and stop the persecution of Adults and their families and do the work it requires to right the wrongs of MJ Prohibition.

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Frosted Flakes suck, anyway...
Posted by: JohnnyRussia on Feb 7, 2009 10:48 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Kellogg hit its head in the shallow end of the pool...

http://jackrabbitcafe.blogspot.com/2009/02/from-ap_05.html

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delta15
Posted by: 15delta on Feb 7, 2009 12:48 PM   
Current rating: 1    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Hey people if a company wants me to give up ANYTHING INCLUDING sex and pay me the same as Phelps, by all means go for it.
Just goes to show he is not ready for the big time yet.
And yes, I will still eat my cereal!
THEIR GRRREAT!!!!

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Boycott Kellog's!
Posted by: greentara on Feb 7, 2009 3:28 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Kellog's has terrible products anyway! They use GM ingredients in their products and I would not feed them to a dog. Ban Kellog's!!
Ban GM crops! Tell monsanto to stop with their terrorist activities!!

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Wimps
Posted by: kepstein7777 on Feb 7, 2009 3:40 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
This reminds me of the Dell Dude scandal. Remember that?

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Cardboard
Posted by: Gravitas on Feb 7, 2009 5:01 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
I never could stand Kellogs and this is one more reason to boycott their tasteless cardboard. Especially special K.

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What a circus
Posted by: MCahill on Feb 7, 2009 9:30 PM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
yea, right, pot smoking is the norm for people with healthy diets in mind.

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» Yes, It's a Healthy Choice Posted by: iolanthe
Screw Kellogs
Posted by: blitzmesser on Feb 7, 2009 10:56 PM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
I will never eat any products of Kellogs again. So there.
What a bunch of hypocrites they are with their starchy products, just like their minds.

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At your own risk
Posted by: aahpat on Feb 8, 2009 7:22 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
While I do not encourage or endorse illegal activity, it seems a simple matter to make stick on labels in support of Michael Phelps and stick them on some Kelloggs boxes at grocery stores.

"Support Michael Phelps, Boycott Kellogg"

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» RE: At your own risk Posted by: chrysalis124812
» RE: At your own risk Posted by: paganpat
» Oh come on Posted by: gellero1
Is This Really About Kelloggs Jumping at an Opportunity?
Posted by: johnbmtl on Feb 8, 2009 1:13 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
It isn't mentioned in all of the stories about Phelps and Kelloggs, but it appears that Kelloggs didn't renew their sponsorship of the U.S. swim team a few months ago.

With the current economy cost-cutting is necessary.
Is Kelloggs using this incident in order to evoke a cancellation clause and get out of their contract with Phelps?

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Obama May Change Medical Marijuana Policy, per FOX News
Posted by: Sister_Lauren on Feb 8, 2009 3:27 PM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Obama May Change Medical Marijuana Policy

So last week's raids in California may be the last of their kind.

"The DEA's not likely to want to confront a new president," said Heymann. "It may simply be that they're behaving as they have traditionally, and they haven't anticipated the change Obama and his spokesman are signaling."


Amazingly enough the comments are in favor of legalizing there too. Wow. We're winning!

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» RE: The Failed Drug War on TV Posted by: Sister_Lauren
» RE: Medical Marijuana ASA blog spot Posted by: Sister_Lauren
Why Just Marijuana?
Posted by: Dweeb on Feb 8, 2009 5:33 PM   
Current rating: 1    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Phelps, or for that matter any high profile athlete, should lose their endorsements and competition memberships for smoking ANYTHING. In fact tobacco has a far worse affect on athletic endurance than marijuana. But either way, the image of a famous and popular athlete smoking, suggests to youngsters that they can smoke and excel at sports. Not true. Bad example. No more paid public exposure.

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» Logic?? Posted by: gellero1
» RE: Why Just Marijuana? Posted by: Sister_Lauren
BOYCOTT
Posted by: Revolutionary (Direct) Democracy on Feb 8, 2009 6:15 PM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kellogg's

Refuse to buy each and every crappy little product that Kellogg's makes. Contact them and tell them exactly what you're doing and that you intend to convince others to do likewise.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kellogg's


FREE AMERICA

REVOLUTIONARY (DIRECT) DEMOCRACY

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» RE: BOYCOTT Posted by: TootsC
STOP BUYING KEL-CLOGGS FRANKEN FOODS! It's genetically modified POISON!
Posted by: Ottomatic on Feb 9, 2009 6:30 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
STOP BUYING KEL-CLOGGS
Fat Producing, Artery Clogging
FRANKEN FOODS!
It's genetically modified POISON!
It's GARBAGE!
MONO-SAINT-CO’s
Genetically modified
POISON!
Kel-cloggs thinks the worst thing in the world is a Kid taking a Toke!
I think the Worst thing in the world is the unhealthy crap they sell labeled as FOOD.
Corn Syrup,
Hydrogenated Oil,
Mono sodium Glutamate,
Dyes and
Over processed Refined Flours are all
POISON
Avoid at all cost!
They’ve taken whole grains and have made them unwholesome and inedible.
Eat The Box!
”The cardboard is Healthier to eat” then the crap inside!

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Ending Pot Prohibition in 2009
Posted by: aahpat on Feb 9, 2009 8:31 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Cannabis, along with all drugs targeted in the war on drugs, is illegal because many of the 535 members of the United States Congress want it that way. But they are all that stands against drug policy reform. when we change the minds of a majority of that 535 members of congress we change the policies.

Here is how to do that.

In the immediate there are two bills in the congress now that would decriminalize personal use of cannabis and stop federal law enforcement from their egregious attacks on medical marijuana in the 26% of our states that have DEMOCRATICALLY created laws to regulate medical use.

H.R.5842 : To provide for the medical use of marijuana in accordance with the laws of the various States. (Hosted page by Aid & comfort blog H.R. 5842)
H.R.5843 : To eliminate most Federal penalties for possession of marijuana for personal use, and for other purposes. (Hosted page by Aid & comfort blog H.R. 5843)

Writing to your representatives and senators in congress to take up and pass these two bills is the quickest way to CHANGE.

Additionally, as a means of giving impetus to these bills, take advantage of these tough economic times by lobbying your state legislatures to do two things: 1 reschedule cannabis to a summary ticket offense (they can't legalize outright without congress). And 2. pass a state legislative resolution instructing your state's U.S. congressional delegation to take up and pass the two bills, H.R. 5842 and H.R. 5843.

Rescheduling simple possession in the states would reduce criminal justice costs and increase local citation revenues. State legislatures sending resolutions to your congressional delegations gives state legislative support for decriminalization at the federal level.

The reasons the state legislatures should do this are;

1. Reduce the costs of criminal justice.

2. Start the process, at the state level, of regulating the cannabis markets to create jobs, direct tax income into state treasuries and deprive gangsters of billions of dollars in tax free subsidies in the form of pot income. Most important, regulation of the cannabis market puts sales into the hands of responsible licensed and regulated members of the community who would better respect American values to keep drugs out of the hands of kids.

Under the current policy the only morals and values in between kids and drug sales are the morals and ethics of addict dealers and gangsters. So to best protect children from drug sales America should legalize and regulate cannabis sales. Send the message to children that we are now protecting them, with the strongest regulatory institutions in our society, from the addicts and gangsters who would harm them.

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wasted energy
Posted by: sureshot45 on Feb 9, 2009 11:25 AM   
Current rating: 3    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
pot will never be legal in the u.s.a. no matter how many articles are written about it, and how it compares to alcohol and tobacco use etc. it is illegal, and as such a corporation has made a decision that they felt was in their best interest to keep profits up and loss down. i dont see what all the fuss is about. phelps was photographed breaking the law, which im sure was in his kelloggs contract, and now dropped. get over it.

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» RE: wasted energy Posted by: gladmueth
» Another looter philosophy Posted by: gellero1
oops...
Posted by: LANCE on Feb 9, 2009 12:08 PM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
I saw Tony the Tigar in a porn flick. Oops, Sorry, Kellogg's gave me a sugar rush!

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I bet if politicans
Posted by: seaoftears on Feb 9, 2009 1:22 PM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
had to be drug tested, they would get busy changing the drug laws. Hell, they work for us, we should be allowed to demand drug testing.

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Well, the best medicine that I know for being pissed off...
Posted by: gazooks on Feb 9, 2009 1:34 PM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
...ain't Frosted Flakes.

I think Phelps will be able to get by just fine without Tony & Co.

WTF does pot or cereal have to do with swimming anyway? Doubtful that it's the man's last bong exposure, but he probably won't be eating that nasty corn and sugar shit from Kellog's.

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» So wadda you eat?? Posted by: gellero1
In 2004, Underrage Phelps Arrested for Drunk Driving - Got Slap on the Wrist
Posted by: colleenwhalen on Feb 9, 2009 2:45 PM   
Current rating: 1    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
In 2004, a teenage, underage Michael Phelps was arrested for drunk driving and all charges were dropped. He skated out with a $250 fine. Case closed. He made a B.S. contrite apology about learning his lesson.

So now he's photographed smoking pot and lost a zillion dollars in an endorsement contract.

So what - who cares.

Why is Alternet reporting on this non-issue?

Phelps is a mixed up bratty party boy. Yet another screwed up athlete. He still has plenty of other opportunities to be a millionaire and his career will go on. The guy is mixed up and needs some boundaries. He doesn't understand there are consequences for idiotic behavior.

Anybody stupid enough to smoke pot in public where they could be photographed deserves to be "outed" in the media - and take the consequences. If he wants to smoke pot - do it behind closed doors without other people around.

If he had been caught having gay sex his career would have been ruined - all Americans need is a sex scandal to destroy someone's career.

If he had been caught with a stripper hooker getting a lap dance his career would have been toast.

So he had a bit of embarrassment and lost his Kellog contract - he still HAS a career, so what's the fuss about.

I'm a LOT more concerned about 10% unemployment and businesses in my neighborhood are going out of business right and left.

This forum is supposed to be about serious political issues - not some party boy athlete who likes to get stoned and drunk.

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Idea
Posted by: paganpat on Feb 9, 2009 3:14 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Just say Yes and jam up kelloggs lines. They have a place you can go to on their sight that askes you if you have an idea for them. Tell them you have a grrrrrrreat idea and go into all the reasons they would be better off by supporting Michael.Someone that is paid by kellonggs read these ideas and well...you get the idea.

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Earth to dope smokers: grow up
Posted by: PJT on Feb 9, 2009 4:11 PM   
Current rating: 3    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Smoking dope is illegal. If you don't want to get in trouble for smoking dope, don't do it. If you insist, then at least take responsibility for your choice. The Phelps story is a laugh: the guy did something that some people are in jail for because smoking dope is against the law in this country. What do you expect Kellogg to do-- celebrate Phelps's bad judgment? He's an adult, he made a decision, he pays the price. You got a problem with that?

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» Yes Posted by: aahpat
Kellogg's
Posted by: osd on Feb 9, 2009 8:12 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
cereals are shit and not fit for human consumption. Full of sugar, salt and refined carbs. They brainwash the youth with there concept of what's good for them when it's not. Another bad company who should go by the wayside. If they put some milk whey and hemp protien in there cereal it would at least have something good for the bodies of the kids that eat that shitttt.

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'Amatuer' Athletics
Posted by: gellero1 on Feb 9, 2009 9:02 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
They get too much for endorsements anyway. Where's the usual Alternet umbrage about the money??

I wonder who's the friend who narc'd and sold the pic??

'scuse me while I self medicate......aahhhh........

PS....so typical of this site that posters see a simple source of pleasure as another way for BigGubmmint to loot our wallets.

At least the looters are consistant....the State gets a cut of everything !!

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Um - it was a joke?
Posted by: jennymac on Feb 10, 2009 12:31 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Get it? Sheesh...

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They own WAY more than just cereal!
Posted by: jennymac on Feb 10, 2009 12:44 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
http://investor.kelloggs.com/overview.cfm?navSection=BInfo

Unreal! Better watch my shopping list carefully. No Eggo Waffles? Bummer, but it's gotta be done.

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The author of this article, who is the director of the
Posted by: sjramunno on Feb 10, 2009 5:23 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
marijuana policy project neglects to address in the slightest the biggest issue related to marijuana use. That being - IT IS ILLEGAL - and the people who profit the most from it wouldn't bat an eye at killing you or anyone else who gets in the way of their money. But maybe some of you boycotters think these people will be your friends.....

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Organizing a boycott
Posted by: Sister_Lauren on Feb 13, 2009 6:24 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Co-op America’s Boycott Organizer’s Guide

How can shareholder resolutions help boycotts?

Shareholder resolutions are another powerful economic tool consumers can use to facilitate change.

Sometimes the threat of resolutions from stockholders asking a company to change a policy is enough to push company leaders to negotiate with activists: concerned corporate executives want to avoid the embarrassment of such a resolution coming to a full shareholder vote.

Are boycotts effective?

A nationwide survey found that business leaders consider boycotts to be more effective than other consumer techniques such as class action suits, letter writing campaigns, and lobbying. Because well organized boycotts directly threaten sales, company leaders take them seriously (Friedman, 1991) (See Resources.)

According to Todd Putnam, former editor of the now-defunct National Boycott News, "Boycotts used to take between five and ten years to get results, but now they take about two. That's because they're better organized and get more media attention: corporations recognize the damage potential much earlier."


We might make it go even faster. We will see. The PDF went on with a list of suggestions,

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