Girl Scouts of Oregon pulls ads from Rush Limbaugh

Kari Chisholm FacebookTwitterWebsite

If you're looking for a reason to stock up on Girl Scout cookies, well, here's yet another. On Wednesday, the Girl Scouts of Oregon and SW Washington announced that they've pulled their advertising from Rush Limbaugh's program.

The Columbian's Tom Vogt has the story:

A spokeswoman said the Girl Scouts of Oregon and Southwest Washington have canceled their cookie commercials on two Portland-based stations that carry Limbaugh and several other talk-radio personalities. ...

But the cookie campaign wasn’t targeting Rush’s audience, said Sarah Miller, director of communication for Girl Scouts of Oregon and Southwest Washington. ...

We got a very good deal on a number of spots,” she said. “We were advertising through radio clusters. There are seven stations owned by Clear Channel in the Portland market. We want to reach as wide an audience as possible.

“We were unaware they would run on opinion-based programming: many others, not just Rush,” she said. “On Monday, we began receiving feedback from listeners. After learning that was the case, we moved quickly to remove our commercials from any station running opinion-based content.

That comes on the heels of the January boycott of the Girl Scouts by a group upset that transgendered youth were being allowed to participate in their programs. And in February, Indiana State Rep. Bob Morris refused to honor the Girl Scouts, saying that they celebrated "feminists, lesbians, and communists" and complaining that Michelle Obama is the honorary president of the Girl Scouts (just like every First Lady since 1917.)

Personally, I'm partial to Thin Mints and Samoas. You?

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    I'm a total maniac for thin mints.

    It's good to see the Girl Scouts taking a stand on a local level against disrespect and hatred for women. The local station, is it KEX? or KXL? (I never listen to those things.) It's teachable moment for young girls to see what the rabid right thinks about their gender. Rush Limbaugh and his ilk are analogous to the dirty old man who stands on the street corner making sexually intimidating remarks to young girls as they walk by. These guys have no conscience, and they love to think they can dominate young women. Only thing to be done is to confront and expose them for what they are and take away their street corner.

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    I am thinking about filing a class action against the Girl Scouts. I have eaten cases of Thin Mints over the past few years and I am still not thin. False advertising of the worst sort.

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    As a former Girl Scout Leader and Cookie Mom, I am proud of the Girls Scouts of OR and SW WA for making this decision to stand up to a bully like Rush. Such a decision speaks volumes to the girls they are dedicated to serve and educate about their own ability to stand up for what's right, for themselves and others.

    Rush and others of his ilk should pay attention to what the Girl Scouts stand for, as shown by the Girl Scout Law:

    "I will do my best to be honest and fair, friendly and helpful, considerate and caring, courageous and strong, and responsible for what I say and do, and to respect myself and others, respect authority, use resources wisely, make the world a better place, and be a sister to every Girl Scout."

    Clearly, Rush could take a lesson here, but sadly I'm sure he won't.

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    The question is: why the heck were the girl scouts advertising on Rush Limbaugh?

    I'm waiting to hear that dead air is demanding itself removed from El Blimpo's show...

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      They weren't. They had a Clear Channel network buy. And their ads were going anywhere there was time to fill.

      Interestingly, that apparently included Rush. Interesting, because Rush used to be a highly-sought-after time slot but is mow apparently getting remaindered filler ads.

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    Am I wrong here? What in the world were the Girl Scouts doing advertising on Rush Limbaugh to begin with? We are talking Rush, the biggest misogynist on the air. "Feminazi" has been his moniker for women for two decades. Hell, he's used it so much it has even been put in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary.

    Perhaps the Girl Scouts were not aware their hard earned cookie money was being spent on ads which support Rush's particular brand of rancid entertainment. Perhaps they simply thought their sweet little ads would be aired on the sweeter, kinder wing nut jerks who pollute our airwaves and, by extension, people's minds.

    Perhaps. But, so what?

    They should have known what shows their ads ran on, and they should have known that a girl scout ad on Rush's show not only gives tacit approval for Rush's anti-women swill, but also helps keep the swill coming. You can cheer on the Girl Scouts if you like, I am shocked they ever allowed an ad to be placed on Limbaugh's show to begin with.

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      What in the world were the Girl Scouts doing advertising on Rush Limbaugh to begin with?

      They weren't. They had a Clear Channel network buy. And their ads were going anywhere there was time to fill.

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    Girl Scouts are awesome. Girl Scout cookies are disgusting.

    Two things: 1) Girl scouts are buying radio advertisements to advertise their fundraising cookies? 2) They are spending this money on conservative talk???

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      They are spending this money on conservative talk???

      They weren't. They had a Clear Channel network buy. And their ads were going anywhere there was time to fill.

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    If only Boy Scouts took the same attitude towards tolerance that the Girl Scouts do.

    When I was a kid in the 1960s, the Cub Scout Promise included promising "To Be Square, and Obey the Law of the Pack." The geometric requirement seems to have disappeared, but encouraging pack mentality is still there. Possibly this explains features of our political culture.

    Clear Channel has a monopoly-tendency position in Portland local media. They control virtually all of the billboards, for instance. In 2001, all of the Clear Channel radio stations ran company ads urging people to go shopping as a way to resist terrorism after the 9/11 attacks. This was particularly funny in a sick irony sort of way on the alt rock station KNRK (sound out the last three letters). Seven radio stations is about 20% of the metro area market, in terms of stations my radio can actually pick up.

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