Olive Garden pulling ads from Letterman over Palin joke (owner donates to Republicans)

[Mrs. Overall]

Following a week of back and forth between CBS late night comic David Letterman and Sarah Palin over a crude joke he told about the Alaska Republican governor’s daughter, the Olive Garden restaurant says it is cancelling (sic) all of its scheduled ads on Letterman’s “Late Show” for the rest of the year.

In an email to a Letterman critic obtained by POLITICO, a spokeswoman for the Italian restaurant chain wrote that “there will be no more Olive Garden ads scheduled for ‘The Late Show’ with David Letterman in this year's broadcast schedule,” citing the talk show host’s “inappropriate comments.”

“We apologize that Mr. Letterman’s mistake, which was not consistent with our standards and values, left you with a bad impression of Olive Garden,” wrote Sherri Bruen, the company’s guest relations manager.


Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/politico/20090618/pl_politico/2...

On Edit: CONTACT INFO: https://www.darden.com/abt_contact.asp

Darden Restaurants, Inc.
Darden Restaurants Inc., headquartered in Orlando, Fla., is the world's largest casual dining company with almost $6.7 billion in annual sales and approximately 170,000 employees. The company owns and operates more than 1,700 restaurants including Red Lobster, Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, The Capital Grille, Bahama Breeze and Seasons 52.

Darden Restaurants, Inc. (Darden) is a casual dining restaurant company. The Company owns and operates the Red Lobster, Olive Garden, Bahama Breeze, Smokey Bones Barbeque & Grill, and Seasons 52 restaurant concepts located in the United States and Canada. During the fiscal year ended May 27, 2007 (fiscal 2007), Darden operated 1,397 restaurants in the United States and Canada. In the United States, it operated 1,362 restaurants in 49 states (the exception being Alaska), including 651 Red Lobster, 608 Olive Garden, 23 Bahama Breeze, 73 Smokey Bones Barbeque & Grill and seven Seasons 52 restaurants. In Canada, it operated 35 restaurants, including 29 Red Lobster and six Olive Garden restaurants.

Darden Restaurants
Organization Contributions Detail
Contribution(s) found: 49
Total: $151,708

Report
Image Recipient Profile Amount
Congressional Black Caucus PAC PAC Profile $10,000
Gordon H. Smith (R-Ore) Politician Profile $10,000
National Republican Congressional Cmte Party Committee Profile $10,000
Mel Martinez (R-Fla) Politician Profile $8,000
Norm Coleman (R-Minn) Politician Profile $6,500
Bill Nelson (D-Fla) Politician Profile $5,000
Elizabeth Dole (R-NC) Politician Profile $5,000
John Boehner (R-Ohio) Politician Profile $5,000
John Cornyn (R-Texas) Politician Profile $5,000
Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md) Politician Profile $5,000
Tom Feeney (R-Fla) Politician Profile $5,000
Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla) Politician Profile $4,999
James E. Clyburn (D-SC) Politician Profile $4,500
John E. Sununu (R-NH) Politician Profile $4,000
Pat Roberts (R-Kan) Politician Profile $4,000
Ric Keller (R-Fla) Politician Profile $4,000
Adam H. Putnam (R-Fla) Politician Profile $3,000
Mitch McConnell (R-Ky) Politician Profile $3,000
Allen Boyd (D-Fla) Politician Profile $2,709
Charles B. Rangel (D-NY) Politician Profile $2,500
Connie Mack (R-Fla) Politician Profile $2,500
Henry Brown (R-SC) Politician Profile $2,500
Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) Politician Profile $2,500
Mark Warner (D-Va) Politician Profile $2,500
Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga) Politician Profile $2,500
Howard P. "Buck" McKeon (R-Calif) Politician Profile $2,000
Jack Kingston (R-Ga) Politician Profile $2,000
Robert F. Bennett (R-Utah) Politician Profile $2,000
Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga) Politician Profile $2,000
Adam Smith (D-Wash) Politician Profile $1,000
Cliff Stearns (R-Fla) Politician Profile $1,000
Corrine Brown (D-Fla) Politician Profile $1,000
Edward R. Tinsley (R-NM) Politician Profile $1,000
Eric Cantor (R-Va) Politician Profile $1,000
Eric Cantor (R-Va) Politician Profile $1,000
Jason Altmire (D-Pa) Politician Profile $1,000
Jim Matheson (D-Utah) Politician Profile $1,000
John E. Sununu (R-NH) Politician Profile $1,000
Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn) Politician Profile $1,000
Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) Politician Profile $1,000
Michael David Collins (D-Colo) Politician Profile $1,000
Mike Ross (D-Ark) Politician Profile $1,000
Norm Coleman (R-Minn) Politician Profile $1,000
Patrick J. Tiberi (R-Ohio) Politician Profile $1,000
Patrick J. Tiberi (R-Ohio) Politician Profile $1,000
Pete Sessions (R-Texas) Politician Profile $1,000
Ric Keller (R-Fla) Politician Profile $1,000
Richard Burr (R-NC) Politician Profile $1,000
Susan Collins (R-Maine) Politician Profile $1,000

[Arugula Latte]

1. Yet another reason not to eat their slop.

:bounce:

[bulloney]

92. It's the most overpriced food of any restaurant chain.

Pasta and tomato sauce are dirt cheap, relatively speaking. Yet their prices for their dishes are comparable to steaks at other restaurants.

[fascisthunter]

2. buh-bye Olive Garden... welcome to the Political Arena

where you don't belong

[Horse with no Name]

74. Yep. Going to miss those endless soup and salads

but if they want to play that game, the more the merrier!

[rcrush]

3. oh noes

This is serieses!

[sniffa]

4. Oh heavens no!

Where will people in NYC now find out where to go for Italian food?

[unpossibles]

16. HAHAHA

+1

I guess they'll have to find a Buca de Barfo

[niyad]

5. well, that is the last time I eat at the olive garden.

[MineralMan]

6. What happened was

that Jim Robinson threatened not to hold any more post-Freep gatherings at the Fresno Olive Garden. Faced with the loss of so much revenue, what else could they do? I mean...really...

[Symarip]

7. Assholes

I bet they fund the killing of NARWHALS (!!!1), too.

[no name no slogan]

8. DAMMIT. I was supposed to go the one in Times Square tomorrow for lunch

I guess that date's off :cry:

[grannie4peace]

9. i won't eat there--everyone tivo letterman

[Mari333]

10. UGH horrible nasty food

faux italian menu with some of the worst food I have ever experienced. havent gone for years, wont be going again for sure.

[lpbk2713]

11. Two different contribs to Norm Coleman

And none to Al Franken. That makes a good enough argument against them as far as I'm concerned.


They can keep their swill for all I care.

[unpossibles]

12. well, that explains why their food tastes like same old cheap crap they've tried to serve for years

friends don't let friends eat at Olive Garden.

[AngryAmish]

13. The only time I ever go there is when I'm in NYC

Otherwise, no go for me.

[bullwinkle428]

14. WHAT??!?!? An Olive Garden thread located somewhere other

than the Lounge?

This cannot be!

[jobycom]

15. Whaddya expect from a company whose breadsticks are phallic symbols?

Of course they are dicks.

[merh]

17. .

:spray:

DUzy nominee :rofl:

[Liberation Angel]

18. Time to Boycott Olive Garden and propose others do

We can play that game too

[rcrush]

40. Or maybe we can focus our energy and attention on something not so stupid

as Sarah Palin and a late night talk show?

[Mrs. Overall]

42. I see your point, but I do think issues like this have significance. The far right creates moral

and ethical faux outrage and this can ultimately cost progressives elections, especially in more rural areas.

I do think it matters in terms of the far right fanning the flames of our cultural war.

[rcrush]

47. They create this faux-rage over some joke

But then people eat it up. And it gets more attention cause we keep eating this spoonfed shit to us. If people just didn't give a shit about some tv host and some idiot governor who should be irrelevant maybe there would be less stupid on the tv news?

They want to keep this garbage going so you dont pay attention to the real news. Maybe they can somehow throw some Carrie Prejean into this mess.


Oh and THE OLIVE GARDEN? WTF Who cares what the Olive Garden does?

[RufusTFirefly]

79. +1

Thanks for the sanity check. I think it's needed around here.

[Liberation Angel]

54. boycotts effect policies

maybe other corporations won't be such idiots as to try to hurt Dave or others who make fun of republican hypocrites

[rcrush]

65. I doubt Dave or anyone at CBS is hurt by this.

They love the attention.

[GoesTo11]

49. Do you think they would lose more business if they boycott or not?

This was a business decision, not a values decision. Some people were whining so they figured they'd avoid controversy and keep their customers. But maybe they'll lose customers who don't like their boycotting. That would be ironic.

[Liberation Angel]

51. that is my point

I actually like the breadsticks and soup

but I will not go back there now

at least no time soon

and if enough others follow suit and are vocal about it then it will have an impact on kneejerk right wing corporations

[sarcasmo]

19. That place has gone down hill over the past few years, no need to eat that crap again.

[flvegan]

20. I hope Dave eviscerates them.

Not that I don't think Darden should have the right or the option to choose where to put their ad dollars, but this reasoning just sucks.

[LostinVA]

21. Where can Haruka and I now take Pacifist Patriot when she comes to NYC

in August?!

[Arugula Latte]

62. Just tell her: "I beg your pardon. I never promised you Olive Garden."

[LynneSin]

22. And yet this sinner would serve LOBSTER to the masses. Rot in HELL bastard!!

Leviticus 11:9-12

11:9 These shall ye eat of all that are in the waters: whatsoever hath fins and scales in the waters, in the seas, and in the rivers, them shall ye eat.
11:10 And all that have not fins and scales in the seas, and in the rivers, of all that move in the waters, and of any living thing which is in the waters, they shall be an abomination unto you:
11:11 They shall be even an abomination unto you; ye shall not eat of their flesh, but ye shall have their carcases in abomination.
11:12 Whatsoever hath no fins nor scales in the waters, that shall be an abomination unto you.

[Riley18]

23. Why do people like the one in New York so much? There are so many real

Italian restaurants there? We'll go to Carraba's whenever we feel like eating fake Italian food. When we want the real thing we use Grandmom's recipes:)
Would be good if everyone lets Olive Garden know how much business they will lose because of their decision. We need to be as vocal as the wingnuts.

[Arugula Latte]

59. Psst ... It's a joke.

A long time ago in the Lounge, someone asked for recommendations on where to eat in NYC. A DUer who shall remain nameless and who is no longer with us (but not because of the Olive Garden thread), recommended the Olive Garden in Times Square. Well, an epic flamewar developed, with the "Why in god's name would anyone eat at Olive Garden in NYC when there are thousands of fabulous restaurants there?" camp vs. the "Oh, you people are food snobs" camp.

That thread has become legendary. :)

[AlCzervik]

24. Oh no, now where will i find Tuna Parmigiana Rollatini?

[Arugula Latte]

83. You've inspired me to create some new dishes for Olive Garden to add to their menu:

Of course, no self-respecting Italian person would be caught dead eating them, but they SOUND Italian-ish, and that's good enough.

Tuna Casserolini
Corndogatoni
Fettuccine Velveeta
Tatertotagiano

[AlCzervik]

86. ooohhhhh! Linguine with Spam sauce!

[Arugula Latte]

87. Yes! but maybe it should be called "Linguine a la Spamatini" or something.

[AlCzervik]

88. "Linguine a la Spamatini" FUCK YEAH!

[bulloney]

93. Olive Garden management thinks if you add the letters i-n-i to the end of any word,

you've got a name for an Italian dish.

Poopolini
Crapolini
Barfarini

See what I mean?

Taco Bell's the same way with the letters i-t-a.

[Arugula Latte]

95. You've just saved their marketing/entree-naming division lots of work.

They've got three new names, applicable to anything they put on the menu. :)

[Cha]

25. Rec'd! Get this news out there like

the dropping of Embassy Hotel ads on Letterman's for the same reason.. was in GDP.

JamesA1102 (858 posts) Mon Jun-15-09 07:32 PM
Original message

"Embassy Suites knuckles under to Palin"

and has pulled their ads from all CBS.com websites.

Please contact them and let them know they've lost you as a customer for cow-towing to right wing extremists.

John Lee, VP Brand Marketing and Communications, [e-mail]

Dawn Ray, Public Relations, 901-374-5954, [e-mail]

And for all the people who don't think this is important, now they are going after Letterman, next it will be Jon Stewart, then Keith and Rachel. Don't let them silence the few progressive voices left in the media.

Please pass this on to as many friends and forums as possible.

Thank you.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x8472726

These companies think they're going to make it by kneeling to the fringe groups?

[Mrs. Overall]

27. What? Embassy Suites is dropping Letterman, too?

How in the hell can people like Limbaugh and Beck spew hate and prejudice on every show and retain their ads/sponsors? I just don't get it.

[Cha]

39. Yes, that's why we have to

fight back. I wrote an email to EmbassySuites when that was all going down a couple days ago..

Dear Sir,

I will not be staying in any of your hotels because you pulled your ads from CBS.

Sarah Palin paraded her kids around during the campaign and used them as props. She knows Dave was talking about the daughter who was on the cover of People magazine with her baby talking about abstinence or whatever.

Palin preached lies and incited hate at her rallies against then Senator Obama and she hasn't apologized yet.

Sincerely,
Cha*****
New York

[Lex]

26. We've known Olive Garden sucks for a long time.

nt

[CanonRay]

28. And that's why I never eat there.

or Outback Steakhouse, or Chick-fil-et either.

[Kalyke]

29. Who would want to eat at OG anyway?

They're to Italian what McDonalds is to a burger.

:puke:

[cbdo2007]

30. Good, I needed another reason to not go there besides their poor excuse for italian food.

Dumbasses...don't they realize that when they take a stand against something to try to not lose customers that at the same time they are insulting another customer base?

[Lone_Star_Dem]

31. Is this already posted in the Lounge, too?

If not someone should post it there. :evilgrin:

[Joanne98]

32. Darden has always been far right wing.

Ad boycott against Air America Radio
Darden Restaurants refused to advertise on the progressive Air America Radio. In October 2006, around 90 companies, including Darden Restaurants' Red Lobster, told ABC Radio Networks that they did not want their ads to play on radio stations that carried Air America Radio. <3> <4> <5>

Political contributions
Darden Restaurants gave $237,381 to federal candidates in the 2006 election through its political action committee - 23% to Democrats and 76% to Republicans. <6>

http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Darden_Restaurants

[Contrary1]

33. I suggest we contact Darden Restaurants

to let them know that we will no longer patronize their restaurants.

I probably eat at Red Lobster, Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, The Capital Grille, Bahama Breeze and/or Seasons 52 at least once a week. I'm sure everyone here does too. ;-)

"Darden's Core Purpose: To nourish and delight everyone we serve." They should edit to add "and buckle to right wing nut bags".

P.O. Box 593330
Orlando, FL 32859-3330
407-245-4000

[musette_sf]

34. you know what to do:

Olive Garden Comments page:

https://www.olivegarden.com/company/contact_us/Default.asp?

[glowing]

35. Anyone got a contact for them... time to e-mail bomb them on the losses they

will now feel in the pocket. Those 10 angry protestors outside the studio will not make up the diff.

[Rebel Scum]

36. Yet another reason not to eat there...

I haven't in years anyway. The food sucks.

[hatrack]

37. Makes sense . . . If you're stupid enough to believe Olive Garden is "Italian" . . .

. . . or "food", for that matter, you're likely stupid enough to believe that Palin is "presidential material".

[Joanne98]

38. CONTACT INFORMATION

https://www.darden.com/abt_contact.asp

[SoCalDem]

84. My email to Darden

You guys have been HAD...by Mrs. Moose & her PR lackeys.. No skin off MY nose, since we stopped eating at Olive Garden a decade ago, but your reaction to the "faux outrage" campaign being waged by a tax cheat in Kentucky and a bunch of brainless sycophants is almost funny. Do you really think a bunch of astroturfed angry emails mimicks the true reaction of the nation? That woman from Alaska gleefully trotted out her children, even though it would cause great embarrassment to the pregnant, unwed teen, and she never thought twice about it. A comedian makes an "unwise" joke, and HE'S the "bad guy".. She's not even on the radar for the "next" election, and she's upset and craving the limelight.. Your PR department just made a campaign donation to her. You LOSE!

[indepat]

41. Pleased to kick to greatest page and avoid all Darden eateries like the plague

:P

[grace0418]

43. Awesome, now I don't have to suffer through their terrible ads while I enjoy Letterman.

Smarmy-ass pieces of shit advertising shit food.

[WorseBeforeBetter]

44. Fuck Darden and all of its crappy chain restaurants.

Why people wait 1.5 hours for mediocre food is beyond me. That the company donates so heavily to Republicans makes it even worse. If that is even possible...

[Debi]

45. Yeah...THAT'S what left us w/a bad impression of Olive Garden

:puke:

[progressoid]

46. But what's their policy on breastfeeding in their restaurants?

:hide:

[greenbriar]

48. My email to them

I love Olive Garden, but unfortunately, I will no longer be eating at any Olive Garden resturaunts. Your poor decision to pull advertising from the Letterman show let me know just how your company operates. From now on, I will be satisfying my Italian cravings at Carrabas.

You made your decision and I have made mine, oh and all of my family and friends have made the same decision as well. I figure you have lost about 3,000 dollars a year from us. Hope your blind support for a lying politician was worth it.

[Ian David]

50. Fuck you, Olive Garden. n/t

[Catherine Vincent]

52. Well, thanks for letting me know

I'll be sure to stay away from that place.

[tridim]

53. Is Olive Garden still advertising on Conan? How about Leno's new show?

I hope we find out they are so we can all scream HYPOCRITES!

[CitizenPatriot]

55. we started watching Letterman just for SPITE

and found out we liked him a lot:-)

Oh, and we used to have work meetings at Olive Garden. NO MORE and I will tell everyone why.

take that from the Deep South

[Ian David]

56. Olive Garden has a Twitter account

http://twitter.com/OGCares

Here are some other Olive Garden Twitter accounts

@OGCares @olivegarden @MyOliveGarden @OG_Canton @olive_garden @The_OliveGarden

[jdadd]

57. Since my divorce

I have not been to red lobster or olive garden, the ex and her family loved those places...Me?....not so much!!:puke:

[Ian David]

58. The only major chain more fascist-leaning than Olive Garden is Santorum Steak House.

I mean, Outhouse Steak House.

I mean, Outback Steak House.

That's it.

[Ian David]

60. Handy link to reference this thread...

http://TinyUrl.com/FuckOliveGarden

[Grinchie]

61. I thought I saw Olive Garden in Bankruptcy a few months back...

It was nestled into a story about General Growth falling into the abyss due to Malls becoming uninhabited, and that Olive Garden, (or maybe another cloned GMO Processed Food Outlet) was having hard times with the downturn.

What better way than this to get publicity?

[robinlynne]

63. good. progressive dems boycott Olive Garden!

[diane in sf]

64. Don't eat there anyway, the food is gross and the place is full of screaming toddlers

[toadzilla]

66. I don't understand why anyone eats at any of those places.

there is certainly NO shortage of non corporately owned restaurants.

[blogslut]

67. Or not

Olive Garden disputes report that ads were pulled from Letterman

A spokesman for the Olive Garden disputed a report from Politico that the restaurant chain pulled its advertising from the David Letterman show due to jokes about Sarah Palin’s daughter.

“Information reported today by Andy Barr of Politico regarding Olive Garden’s advertising on the Late Show with David Letterman was erroneous. No authorized spokesperson for the company confirmed the information in his report,” said Olive Garden spokesman Rich Jeffers in an email to The Vote.

“The Olive Garden media schedule is planned months in advance. The schedule for the Late Show with David Letterman was completed earlier this month. We take all guest concerns seriously. And, as always, we will factor those concerns in as we plan our advertising schedule in the future,” he continued.

Jeffers has not yet responded to an email asking if Olive Garden advertisements will continue on the David Letterman show.

link: http://features.csmonitor.com/politics/2009/06/18/olive-garden-disputes-report-that-ads-were-pulled-from-letterman/

Lesson for today: The Politico is full of shit.

[Mrs. Overall]

71. I wonder if they have decided to backtrack because of negative response to their "outrage"

over the "inappropriate comment."

Or perhaps Politico is just full of shit.

[niyad]

72. did you notice that the report did not actually answer the charge? sidestepping with no

real information.

[blogslut]

75. The Orlando Sentinal adds this

Olive Garden won't be running advertisements on David Letterman anytime soon, but Orlando-based Darden Restaurants is disputing media reports saying the Italian chain has canceled ads over controversy stemming from an off-color joke about Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's teenage daughter.

People angry over Letterman's joke earlier this month have been pressuring advertisers such as Olive Garden to boycott the show.

Darden Restaurants spokesman Rich Jeffers said late Wednesday that Olive Garden had no more ads scheduled to run for the current season and had not made a decision on whether to advertise during the next season starting in September...

link: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/orl-olive-garden-letterman-061809,0,4670557.story

In other words, Olive Garden wasn't running ads during Letterman's show anyway.

More BS from the Politico.

[bikebloke]

68. There goes one vacation option.

I was thinking Cuba or Egypt or Olive Garden. Olive Garden would have been the adventure of a life time.

[Ian David]

69. Olive Garden disputes report that ads were pulled from Letterman

Olive Garden disputes report that ads were pulled from Letterman
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=5875799&mesg_id=5875799

We should still boycott Olive Garden either way, for being reich-wing douchebags AND for having nasty "food."

[Mrs. Overall]

70. Hmmm, did Politico just make up this quote from Olive Garden's spokesperson--

“We apologize that Mr. Letterman’s mistake, which was not consistent with our standards and values, left you with a bad impression of Olive Garden,” wrote Sherri Bruen, the company’s guest relations manager.

From the Yahoo news story.

[Ian David]

76. Olive Garden is disputing the details, but not the main fact, it appears. n/t

[RufusTFirefly]

80. Welcome to corporate-speak!

One more reason to avoid these human equivalent of CAFOs -- Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations



Go to your local Mom and Pop restaurant instead. Support your community, not some right-wing tasteless food emporium behemoth based in Orlando.

[Cha]

77. Thanks for that..I guess we'll have to wait

and see..I was just coming over to post what one DUer said was a better link to feedback at Olive Garden.

https://www.olivegarden.com/company/contact_us/Default.asp?

[populistdriven]

81. YES! boycott Olive Garden either way, for being reich-wing douchebags AND for having nasty "food."@

[AtomicKitten]

73. I'd like to know why the PUMAs are all up in this thang.

http://hillbuzz.org/2009/06/11/does-the-olive-garden-support-the-statutory-rape-of-14-year-olds/

[Maru Kitteh]

78. I've only been to an OG once, I was SO not impressed. $56 for two plates of bad spaghetti,

a terrible drink that I sent back, and one glass of thoroughly ordinary wine.

[texanwitch]

82. Maybe we should contact Olive Garden and tell them that we won't eat there if they pull the ads.

You don't have to really eat there.

Two can play this game.

[Joanne98]

85. Olive Garden denying it now. They still suck!

[rcrush]

89. All this 'controversy' needs is some Carrie Prejean

Maybe a little Susan Boyle? Maybe I just come to your house and spoonfeed you my own shit?

[TahitiNut]

90. It figures ... Dead Mobster is a nauseating restaurant.

I'll have no problem avoiding eating in their restaurants ever again. Fuck 'em.

[cherish44]

91. I have a gift certificate from there I need to spend

They already have the money so I might as well go there with some of my most gluttonous friends and just make them keep the salad and breadsticks coming til the last one hurls. Double win. They lose money and have to clean up vomit

[NoodleyAppendage]

94. Darden Restaurants ARE SH*T FOOD. Figures a Repuke would own those swill shops. n/t

J