NEW YORK – Retail giant Lowe’s has pulled advertising from Discovery Communications-owned TLC’s reality show All-American Muslim.
The conservative Florida Family Association in a statement said it has sent three email alerts, encouraging supporters to email advertisers on the show. “All-American Muslim is propaganda that riskily hides the Islamic agenda’s clear and present danger to American liberties and traditional values,” it said.
On its Web site, the Association posted an email from a Lowe’s representative saying: “While we continue to advertise on various cable networks, including TLC, there are certain programs that do not meet Lowe’s advertising guidelines, including the show you brought to our attention. Lowe’s will no longer be advertising on that program.”
On its Twitter feed, the home improvement retail company said Friday in response to a tweet: “We did not pull our ads based solely on the complaints or emails of any one group. It is never our intent to alienate anyone. Lowe’s values diversity of thought in everyone, including our employees and prospective customers.”
A Lowe’s spokeswoman later told The Hollywood Reporter: “We understand the program raised concerns, complaints or issues from multiple sides of the viewer spectrum, which we found after doing research of news articles and blogs covering the show. We based our decision to pull the advertising on this research and after hearing the concerns we received through emails, calls, through social media and in news reports.”
A TLC spokeswoman declined comment on the issue, but said: “There is strong advertising support for the show.”
Some still expressed outrage at Lowe’s decision. A person using the Twitter handle LawyerAsif, a tax lawyer in Washington, DC, wrote to Lowe’s that “your actions did alienate people and you knew it would. Will you next consider KKKs demands to pull ads from BET?”
Email: Georg.Szalai@thr.com
Twitter: @georgszalai
