Buy any energy drink but rockstar.
My favorite drink until last week was Rockstar energy drink. I had a serious habit and was drinking 1-2, sometimes more per day.
Recently I have been more proactive in finding out about the companies I buy things from. Lets face it, in a world with electoral votes and $$ = successful campaigns, our elected officials are chosen for us. The only true democratic choice we have is where we spend our money. Many people have become more conscious about this with the rise in organics and fair trade products. The success of trader joes is another example as well as people boycotting companies like Coca-Cola, Walmart, and many Chinese made products due to them being anti-worker anti-union etc. Being that I spent so much on the RockStar beverage I was motivated to find out more about the corporation. What I discovered was shocking, and made me feel quite guilty.
The creator and CEO of Rockster is Russell Weiner.
Russell Weiner is the son of Doctor Michael Weiner aka talk show host “Michael Savage.” His mother is CFO of the company. All three are herbalists. Michael is the 3rd most popular conservative talk show host. To get you a better picture of what sort of tool Michael “Savage” Weiner is let me share with you some of his more offensive quotes:
On the November 27 edition of his nationally syndicated radio show, Michael Savage declared that in order to “save the United States,” lawmakers should institute “an outright ban on Muslim immigration” into the country. Savage also recommended making “the construction of mosques illegal in America, and the speaking of English only in the streets of the United States the law.” -http://mediamatters.org/items/200611290005
My thoughts: What an interesting idea and great way to create more terrorists. Way to go Doctor Weiner.
Some more from http://users.nlamerica.com/tharden/savage.html
Savage has described single career women in their 40’s and 50’s as, “burnt out liberal hack women”, and “human wreckage in high heels.” Michael Savage has referred to the handicapped as the, “Wheelchair mafia.”
Well how does this all tie into rockstar? Sure the owners dad is a nut job…. but why avoid the product all together? Well Father and Son have a special society they started called “Paul Revere Society.” A nationalist, racist, and homophobic organization. They want more religion in government, english as an official language, any “leftist” ideals removed from our countries minds.
Rockstar’s cans have an American flag on them and say “made in the USA” This is probably a jab at the market leader, Red Bull, which was one of many products caught up in the “ban French products hysteria of 2003.” Even though it is an Austrian product a well produced urban myth placed its origins in France.
So where do we go from here… some other options:
Monster - Owned by Hansen Drink Co. A manufacturer of many organic juices and other brands of energy drinks! You can find many of their products at Trader Joes.
Red Bull - Austrian Company based on a Thai beverage. Controls 50% of the US market for energy drinks.
Full Throttle is a Coca Cola product and many including myself try to avoid their products due to: In July 2003, trade unions around the world launched a boycott of Coca-Cola products in solidarity with Colombia’s Sinaltrianal food and drink workers union after the local Coca-Cola bottling company used intimidation by an illegal paramilitary group to block unionization efforts. (From the Green party website http://www.greenparty.org/coke.html)
Vote with your wallet and your feet!
on June 4th, 2007 at 4:19 pm
Nice post.
You’ll also be interested to know that Rockstar and the Paul Revere Society share an office in Mill Valley, Cal., and that the society last year lost its 501(c)(3) status. The IRS pulled it, but is not saying why.
Bill.
on June 4th, 2007 at 4:45 pm
Brett- you just kind of devastated my world, but at the same time, I guess it’s a good thing. I had developed a serious habit of Rockstar’s delicious Zero-Carb flavor, even going so far as to buy a whole case of the shit. It’s pretty expensive. Although I have to do a little research of my own, what you’ve dug up is reason enough for me to question any further support of this company on my behalf. I firmly believe in putting my money where my political beliefs are, and vice-versa…. so thank you (for saving me money, and for alerting me to the douche-baggery of the people behind this company).
on June 4th, 2007 at 8:34 pm
Wow. One more reason I’m glad that I don’t drink that crap. But I’m gonna’ forward this to my lesbian, RockStar drinking sister/in-law.
on June 5th, 2007 at 7:55 am
Hmm… Well, I am quite the gay girl, but I don’t typically drink RockStar. I like Amp better… or Red Bull. Yay. Intriguing blog, though… very.
on August 19th, 2007 at 4:34 am
You just crushed my soul and shattered my heart into a million pieces. I have yet to find a suitable replacement for my beloved Rockstar 21’s.
on December 13th, 2007 at 7:10 pm
I’m going to visit my local grocery stores and talk to the managers about Rockstar. They must know that one of their products is made by a family of hate-mongers.