I think it’s fair to say that many of us would like to get off of this political roller coaster. It feels like we’ve been living in a TV show like Grey’s Anatomy ever since 2014 and 10 seasons deep, the writers are running out of ideas. While we can certainly understand advocating for a political ceasefire and a return to normalcy, this is without a doubt the absolute worst way to do it.
TikToker @goblinoftalents was the first to flag the horrible decision. The creator, who runs a queer and disabled travel blog and makes “radical queer stickers,” shared an email the company had mass-sent. A long-time user of the online company Sticker Mule’s printing services, Kaitlynn was gob-smacked when an email titled “Trump 2024” was sitting in her inbox.
The full text reads:
Hi Kaitlynn,
Donald Trump was shot.
I don’t care what your political views are but the hate for Trump and his supporters has gone too far.
People are terrified to admit they support Trump. I’ve been scared myself.
Americans shouldn’t live in fear.
I support Trump. Many at Sticker Mule do.
Many at Sticker Mule also support Biden.
The political hate needs to stop.
Hopefully this email helps.
Btw, this week, get 1 shirt for $4 (normally $19)
I suggest buying one that shows you support Trump.
The whole thing is just ridiculous. Individual breaks for each line for emphasis? Really? Even worse is that tacked on heads-up for a discount. The TikToker was rightfully outraged, as a queer artist, and it’s clear that Kaitlynn would have personal reasons not to ally with the MAGA crowd, but it’s the company’s breech of trust that really rankled her. “They emailed everyone who has ever trusted their company… and said this,” she noted.
It’s a shocking use of personal information, and what’s worse, the idea came straight from co-founder Anthony Constantino. He didn’t personally sign off on the emails, but his signature did appear across several cross posts. “The craziest thing about this email is that they did not need to send this email at all (they’re a sticker company),” one TikToker said.
If getting an annoying self-aggrandizing email from a sticker company wasn’t bad and/or weird enough, Constantino didn’t stop there. He posted the message on X and across Instagram. Users on all platforms were quick to denounce the company.
“We didn’t care when all that political violence was against those other people, but NOW it’s too far. Political hate needs to stop. Also buy our shirt,” one wrote on the Instagram post. The company was fast to reply on X, but much like the poorly contrived email, the responses were juvenile.
The fun quickly got old, and as the hate continued to pour in, the responses dried up. Not all users were against the co-founder’s message. But even when they did believe in what was being said, the abuse of company resources to broadcast its political affiliations was a step too far. Even more were frustrated about how Constantino went about it.
The push for MAGA and Trump supporters to be seen as loving seems to be a current talking point. Amber Rose, a former girlfriend of Kanye West, recently spoke at the RNC about her own experience of acceptance from the MAGA movement. Donald Trump is a convicted felon and a known rapist who endorses violent rhetoric against minorities. Vice presidential nominee JD Vance is openly racist, and Trump’s appointed judges have endangered women’s lives and obstructed their autonomy.
Yet the MAGA followers claim that the party “doesn’t care” about race, gender, or sexual orientation, apparently “is all love.” We do feel for those few Trump enthusiasts who praised the company in the comments, but it’s hard to feel all that bad for them. After all, it’s not like they’re the minorities, gays, immigrants, women, Palestinians, or trans kids that Trump rallies against every other day.
Published: Jul 16, 2024 08:22 pm