After we published our List #5 a few weeks ago, one of our readers, Greg Ennis, left us this simple comment: “Who the hell is left?” Thanks for your input, Greg, and unfortunately, depending on the industry, that’s an excellent question. With the technology and apparel industries, for instance, finding alternatives to the companies on our list isn’t easy. Nonetheless, it’s important to understand the companies with whom we’re doing business. And just because there’s no viable alternative for an insidiously woke monopoly or oligarchy right now doesn’t mean there won’t be other options in a year.
In the meantime, there’s always value in knowing the organizations to whom we give our money. Also note that for each company we list, we do our best to point out ideas for substitutes. And remember, at the very least we can ensure that we don’t allow our savings (via 401K, IRA, or individual stocks) to be invested in these companies.
The first five editions of this series are available here:
- 12 Woke Companies To Avoid
- More Woke Companies To Avoid: List #2
- More Woke Companies To Avoid: List #3
- More Woke Companies To Avoid: List #4
- More Woke Companies To Avoid: List #5
[Note that prior to explanations and justifications for each company, we’ve listed the official company name, its stock trading symbol, the industry in which the company operates, and the company’s annual gross revenue and market cap (if available), with all figures represented in millions.]
#45: M&Ms
Owned by Mars, Inc SYM: None Confectionary and Pet Food Rev: $37,000 MC: N/A
Note that we did not list the privately-held Mars, Inc as a suggestion to avoid entirely, but if you are able to avoid all their brands, that would be even better. The problem is that their other brands include Milky Way, Snickers, Skittles, and Twix, and it’s likely that many of our readers would find canceling those brands to be nearly impossible.
Last month it was announced that the animated marketing characters prominent in M&Ms’ ads will be reinvented as more “fresh and modern,” which is another way of saying “woke.” The racy green character with her sultry voice is ditching her go-go boots for sneakers. The orange character will have an anxiety disorder “to better reflect young people.” And all characters will cease to be labeled with a prefix such as Mr. or Mrs. to suppress the idea that they have genders. When wokeness starts to infect our candies, we know we have a problem.
As mentioned, Mars’ other brands have wisely avoided embracing wokeness, so even if sales of just M&Ms decline, a message will have been sent. As for alternatives to M&Ms, and all candies, we always have smaller and more regional candy producers such as See’s Candies and Ghirardelli’s. As for Hershey products – which includes Jolly Ranchers, Almond Joy, and Peppermint Patties – beware. Last week Hershey began firing employees who haven’t received the COVID vaccines, despite the recent SCOTUS ruling. Maybe it’s time to try satisfying that sweet tooth with something new.
#46: Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo & Company SYM: WFC Banks Rev: $80,303 MC: $164,746
Wells Fargo isn’t just woke, they are militaristically so. Last year, WFC shut down the bank account of America First activist Lauren Witzke, which left her stranded out of state without any access to her money. In 2020 after their CEO simply pointed out that there was a “limited pool of black talent” from which to choose, they caved to the woke mob with that same CEO apologizing for “unconscious bias” and then committed to discriminate by promising more “diversity” in the future. Additionally, WFC seldom misses an opportunity to virtue signal, and we can consider their commercial featuring a lesbian couple speaking sign language as ‘Exhibit A.’
Most regional businesses, including banks, are much less likely to be woke and/or political because they need every customer they can get, so opt for one of these if possible. Examples of regional banks include Truist, Key Bank, TD Bank, and First Citizens. Additionally, we have online banking options such as NBKC which tend to stay quiet on politics. Just be sure to stay away from Bank of America and JP Morgan Chase which made our list previously at #3 and #4 respectively. And, spoiler alert, Citigroup may very well find itself on this list in the near future.
#47: REI Co-op
Recreational Equipment, Inc SYM: N/A Outdoor Recreation Services Rev: $3,120 MC: N/A
How’s this for woke? In 2020, REI announced its commitment to “fight for racial equity” in the midst of the BLM riots. A year later, they updated and expanded their position, and then doubled-down in October with their promise to become “anti-racist,” which is code for “pro-racist.” REI also bows to the LGBTQ mob, with their motto “Outside with Pride” while offering discounts on certain LGBTQ products. Also, REI is anti-gun rights, as evidenced by their posture with Vista Outdoors.
We have plenty of alternatives to REI because there’s plenty of competition in this lane. Instead of REI, shop with LL Bean, Bass Pro Shops, Cabela’s, North Face, or other more regional businesses. Just be sure to stay away from Dick’s Sporting Goods who made our list at #34.
#48: Lyft
Lyft, Inc SYM: LYFT Vehicle for hire Rev: $364,000 MC: $14,640
In 2017, those of us who used Lyft became aware of their emerging wokeness when they announced a $1 million contribution to the ACLU: which should stand for Anti Civil Liberties Union instead of American Civil Liberties Union. The ACLU is one of the wokest and most pro-authoritarian organizations in the country. Lyft was fully onboard with the BLM insanity of 2020, and went so far as to announce, “We stand with the family of Jacob Blake,” the accused rapist whose justified shooting at the hands of police ignited the riots in Kenosha. And, not surprisingly, Lyft fully supports the transgender ridiculousness, with their embrace of the nonsensical “International Pronouns Day.”
As part of Big Tech, Lyft is another company on our list which is very difficult to replace with a non-woke option. There is Uber, of course, but don’t be surprised if you see their name on our list in the coming weeks. One option is to use traditional taxis, whose drivers have been significantly damaged financially with the advent of Uber and Lyft.
Another option, one for which The Blue State Conservative can personally attest, is the approach of cutting Lyft/Uber entirely out of the picture by transacting directly with a service provider. If you travel regularly – for instance, rides to the airport for business travel – talk with your drivers and see if you can’t strike a deal directly with one of them. Get their phone number and then arrange travel and payments away from Lyft/Uber. By eliminating the middle man, it usually means less cost for you, and more money into the pocket of the driver.
#49: Air BnB
Air BnB, Inc SYM: ABNB Online Marketplace Lodging Rev: $378,000 MC: $107,670
Typical of most Big Tech giants, ABNB “stood in solidarity” with Black Lives Matter in 2020, and gave contributions to their cause. Additionally, at one point they automatically sent customers visiting the ABNB website to the BLM homepage. ABNB speaks the language of “anti-racism,” which, as previously mentioned, is profoundly racist itself. They’ve established alliances with various LGBTQ groups. And ABNB is one of 107 companies that attacked the Georgia Voter Law last year, which was itself an attack on voter integrity.
There are alternatives to Air BnB, including Vrbo, Booking.com, Agoda Homes, and Homestay. Some of these companies have engaged in some leftwing virtue-signaling themselves, but their levels of wokeness, if any, are far less than that of Air BnB.
#50: Pokemon
The Pokemon Co., SYM: N/A Management Pokemon Franchise Rev: $1,100 MC: N/A
Why would ‘pocket monsters,’ which is where the Pokemon name comes from, inject themselves into political and cultural issues? It’s anyone’s guess, but that is what they have done; repeatedly. The Pokemon Company, which is owned by Nintendo, donated $100,000 to both Black Lives Matter and the NAACP in 2020 and has issued statements of support since then. They have proudly proclaimed a popular character is gay… naturally. And when the woke mob went after Pokemon for an episode that included the use of guns, they quickly reversed course and removed it. Pokemon is indeed woke.
Alternatives to Pokemon? In order to offer substitutes for Pokemon, we at The Blue State Conservative would need to understand why someone over the age of ten would be interested in it in the first place. And we don’t. Assuming that one has an affection for Pokemon for entertainment purposes, we would suggest watching a non-woke TV show. Or better yet, read a book.
#51: Anastasia Beverly Hills Beauty Products
Anastasia Beverly Hills SYM: N/A Beauty Products Rev: $100 MC: N/A
One might think that what appears to be a relatively small company (one with merely $100 million in annual revenue and which specializes in products for women’s eyebrows) would have neither the time nor resources to jump into the social justice warrior role, but that is exactly what they have done; and not in a small way. In 2020, ABH pledged a whopping $1 million to various racial justice organizations, including the Marxists at Black Lives Matter. For those of you in Rio Linda (in the immortal words of Rush Limbaugh), that means they pledged at least 1% of their annual revenue to the cause, which is no small commitment.
We at The Blue State Conservative are not qualified to offer opinions on women’s beauty products… trust us on this one. Particularly when it comes to women’s eyebrows, which, frankly, we barely even notice when considering a woman’s appearance. However, we are relatively certain there are other options out there when it comes to stuff for your eyebrows, whatever that stuff may be. Please go to DuckDuckGo and do some searching. We’re confident you’ll find alternatives.
#52: Accenture
Accenture Plc SYM: ACN IT Consulting Rev: $44,327 MC: $179,164
This Ireland-based, Fortune 500 company was once part of the accounting firm Arthur Andersen, and now specializes in consulting and cyber-security, with Symantec as one of its service offerings. In 2020, like so many of the other large IT companies, Accenture fully backed Black Lives Matter. Accenture also received a perfect score from the HRC’s LGBTQ metric, which gives us an indication of where they are with that silliness. And when it comes to political donations in the US, Accenture contributes overwhelmingly to the coffers of Democrats.
For alternatives to Accenture, depending on your needs, you can consider McKinsey, Boston Consulting, and Bain. Each of these companies may have their own issues with wokeness but are far less infected than Accenture.
By The BSC Team
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Featured photo by Brian McGowan on Unsplash
This story syndicated with permission from The Blue State Conservative