Ford dealership ad tells atheists to 'shut up' - Dealer Apologizes after ad has run for 90 days

[Synnical]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2037882/Car-dealership-advert-tells-atheists-to-'shut-up'.html

Car dealership advert tells atheists to 'shut up'
By Matthew Moore
Last Updated: 3:51PM BST 27/05/2008
An advert calling for non-Christians to "sit down and shut up" is being used to sell Ford cars in the United States.

The radio commercial – which attacks people who call for the secularisation of American institutions – has been aired to promote an independent Ford dealership in California.

. . .

The advert, which makes no mention of the quality or price of the dealership’s cars, has been broadcast on local radio stations in the south of the state since February.

Listeners who contacted Ford to complain were told that the dealership was independent and privately owned, and is responsible for its own advertising. There is no suggestion that Ford approved the content of the advert.

Anna Lemma, a blogger and former Air Force officer who was one of the first to raise concerns about the advert, described it as "quite possibly the most offensive advertisement for an automobile dealership that I have ever heard".

"I really don't care about what his opinion of us godless folks is, but the most offensive part of the ad is the 'shut up and sit down' part," she said.

Full Transcript of the ad:

Did you know that there are people in this country who want prayer out of schools, "Under God" out of the Pledge, and "In God We Trust" to be taken off our money?

But did you know that 86 per cent of Americans say they believe in God? Since we all know that 86 out of every 100 of us are Christians, who believe in God, we at Kieffe & Sons Ford wonder why we don't tell the other 14 per cent to sit down and shut up.

I guess I just offended 14 per cent of the people who are listening to this message. Well, if that is the case then I say that's tough, this is America folks, it's called free speech.

None of us at Kieffe & Sons Ford is afraid to speak out. Kieffe & Sons Ford on Sierra Highway in Mojave and Rosamond, if we don't see you today, by the grace of God, we'll be here tomorrow."

http://www.bakersfield.com/102/story/456451.html

Car dealer regrets ads urging non-Christians to 'sit down and shut up'

By JOHN COX, Californian staff writer
e-mail: [email protected] | Wednesday, May 28 2008 11:21 AM

A radio ad that tells non-Christians to “sit down and shut up” has prompted a flood of phone calls to the Kern County car dealer who paid for the ads and now regrets airing them.

Rick Kieffe, owner of Kieffe and Sons Ford in Mojave and Rosamond, insisted Wednesday that he does not remember approving the ad, which he said was written by his longtime advertising writer and producer in Oklahoma.

“It’s just something that went by us,” said Kieffe, who does not attend church but considers himself “a Christian spirit.” “We’re obviously sorry that it offends a given segment who identifies themselves as atheist.”

Airing on local AM and FM radio in eastern Kern County and the Antelope Valley, the ad has gained a lot of attention on the Internet, where blog posts go on and on about its pro-Christian, anti-atheist message.

Kieffe said he has received “an incredible amount” of calls from people as far away as Australia and England, most but not all of them from “very articulate, nice people.”

Blog Entry from self proclaimed ad writer And yes, it's one long paragraph with misspellings, run-on sentences, poor grammar and whiny comments.

http://jwhorne2.blogspot.com/

Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Kieffe and Sons ford radio ad

For those of you out there in never never land or la la land or maybe underground and under the radar who are so called non believers, I am the man who wrote and recorded the Kieffe and sons spot. In fact I write and produce all of the Kieffe and Sons ford spots. I have had the pleasure of serving the advertising for the dealership for many years. I am a believer and I am pretty sure that most everyone at Kieffe and Sons ford are also believers. I wrote and produced the spot that so many of you "unbelievers" find offensive. Frankly I don't give a flip whether you are an athiest or just plain doubter. I wrote and recorded the truth. There is a great silent majority of Americans that are believers. The difference between them and you is this. Believers do not have to justify their existence. The only ones in this country that respond to an honest ad are the ones who seem to despise honesty. The truth is this. This country was founded on the belief in God. All you have to do is read the constitution and see for yourself. Now does that mean that everyone here must believe? NO absolutely not. The great thing about the constitution is that it allows for each American citizen to believe as the wish and speak and do what they want so long as it is within the law. I support that. I support everyones right to think and do and live as they wish. I do not condem any American that disagrees with me. You all can stand up and shout, burn flags, gather on a corner and cuss the government, males can marry males, females can marry females you can all buy one of those imports and send the money to Japan if you want, but you do not have the right to force your philosophy on to others. I think that it is time for you to understand this very simple little fact. You are in the minority and as loud as you yell and protest, you will always be in the minority. If you don't like the radio spot then don't listen to it, but if you were careful enough to listen to the entire spot you would have heard me say that to the good people at Kieffe and Sons ford "everyone one is welcome at the dealership whether you are a believer or not, you are still welcome. You would also have heard me say that you may get God taken out of the class room and the pledge and even off our money, but you will not get God out of this dealership. We do business according to the rules of the good book.. if you are offended by that, then you are offended by the truth. So each of you who find some offense to the radio ad and you want to be up in arms over it, you have the right to think what you wish but you do not have the right to take my copyrighted material and destort it for your personal gain. If you are offended, well like I said in the commercial.. thats tough.

-Cindy in Fort Lauderdale

Edit to add You Tube link w/audio:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=sOVAZolE4iY

Christian Bigotry at a Ford Dealership? Includes these comments from the poster:

Well today (Wednesday 5-28) I talked at length again to Rick Kieffe, who called himself "The other end of the horse's mouth." lol

He's a real nice guy. He wanted me to tell you all that the ad is a part of a series of ads they do every quarter, and it's always tongue in cheek. The whole town where these ads air on the radio knows all about their ads. They're always over the top. So Rick is surprised at how fast word of this spread, and how sorely so many folks are taking this.

I asked if he had it to do all over again, would he run those ads? Would he install a disclaimer? He said he wouldn't run the ads at all. He said he didn't mean to upset or insult anyone, he's sorry that this made so many folks upset. He said that car dealers put a lot of advertising out and it always boring, the same old thing. So Kieffe and Sons Ford decided about 15 years ago to do advertising differently, to really try to draw peoples' attention. Apparently he had no idea that this particular ad would do that in spades.

He also said that he's received a whole lot of phone calls in the last 24 hours, and a great many of them are short, heated, and even vulgar. Some folks have called him and really let him have it over the phone, hard.

At the same time, he said he's also received a lot of friendly calls like mine.
He said he never expected people outside of that little town to even care about what's in advertising that goes out to a small radio station, only to that little area. I reminded him that we now live in a global community, and that Atheists and other non-Christians are using the internet like America uses cars. Probably too much...lol
In only two conversations with Rick Kieffe, he sounds like a real nice guy. With that being said, he did offer up a potential argument from the side of Christian fundamentalism. The ad started out as a complaint about the Pledge of Allegiance being legally challenged by "one kid in a classroom," which was a vague reference to Michael Newdow's child. He asked me if it sounded fair, and I asked if he knew that invoking religion in a radio ad will eventually make some people upset. No matter what you end up saying. He replied that he was now aware of that.

So the ad was meant to be over the top just to grab our attention, not as an official statement of the attitude of Kieffe and Sons Ford, but in the end, that's their attitude anyway. Rick even said that he's not a fundamentalist Christian by any means, but then repeated the Pledge argument against our side.

So what to think? Some religious bigotry comes draped in friendly smiles with secular intentions. Maybe if we just use this as an exercise. A way for us to respond carefully in a situation that calls for tact and care. They're very aware of their mistake, and they look at it as a mistake, but they do actually agree with the sentiment in the ad.

It's like we love milk, even though it sometimes comes out our noses when we laugh too hard. So milk is okay afterall. lol
I dunno...the exit was the problem.

Text of the ad: "But did you know that 86% of Americans say they believe in God? Now since we all know that 86 out of every 100 of us are Christians, who believe in God, we at Kieffe & Sons Ford wonder why we don't tell the other 14% to sit down and shut up. I guess maybe I just offended 14% of the people who are listening to this message. Well, if that is the case then I say that's tough, this is America folks, it's called free speech, and none of us at Kieffe & Sons Ford are afraid to speak out. Kieffe & Sons Ford on Sierra Highway in Mojave and Rosamond, if we don't see you today, by the grace of God, we'll be here tomorrow."

Joe's comment: In the immortal words of Alex in the movie A Clockwork Orange, "Quick! Get me something to be sick in!"

By the way, yes I'm aware I misspelled Kieffe in this video. It's "Kieffe" and not "Keiffe" and it's also not "Keiffer." lol I'd fix the video, but you understand now, right? Of course you do. :o)
Their website: http://www.kieffeandsons.com/

[trotsky]

1. I wish I could say this was unbelievable.

But of course it's not.

But what's even crazier is that some are insane enough to think that "fundamentalist atheists" are the primary threat to religious tolerance.

[TZ]

3. There was a picture of one of their cars in the Lounge

It was scrawled with such wisdom as "evolution is fairy tales for adults" "God Bless America" and "The fossils say there is no Evolution". I called it an idiotmobile.

[moggie]

5. I don't think that's one of their cars

If it's the picture I'm thinking of, I've seen it before, and I think the poster just picked it to illustrate "car plus Christian nut".

[Warpy]

2. Somebody better tell him that in California

a good part of that 86% of "believers" are NOT CHRISTIAN. They can be Shinto, Jewish, Muslim, Jain, Hindu, Sikh, or any one of dozens of Amerindian religions.

It seems that fool for Jebus just pissed off a whole lot more potential car buyers than the 14% he considers atheists.

I hope their sales go down accordingly.

Ford does have control, by the way. Although the dealership is privately owned, Ford can pull the contract.

[onager]

4. This tool just re-wrote a piece of internet glurge!

:rofl:

Oh, this is too funny. I'm assuming the car dealership paid this asshat for writing the ad. Gotta be the easiest money he ever made.

How do I know this? Because some of my email acquaintances just blindly forward stuff to me...especially friends back in Fundie Heaven where I grew up.

And I get a variant of this POS about every week, usually entitled "Agree Or Delete," "Pass It On," etc.

Does THIS sound familiar? Lifted directly from glurge, and the link goes to a discussion/debunking of it:

It is said that 86% of Americans believe in God. Therefore, it is very hard to understand why there is such a mess about having the Ten Commandments on display or "In God We Trust" on our money and having God in the Pledge of Allegiance. Why don't we just tell the other 14% to Sit Down and SHUT UP!!!

http://www.edwardtbabinski.us/history/america.html

And as most of you know, that 86% figure is out of date:

"The proportion of the population that can be classified as Christian has declined from 86% in 1990 to 77% in 2001." ARIS Study.

"...the number of Protestants soon will slip below 50 percent of the nation's population." National Opinion Research Center's General Social Survey, 2004.

76.5% (159 million) of Americans identify themselves as Christian. This is a major slide from 86.2% in 1990. Identification with Christianity has suffered a loss of 9.7 percentage points in 11 years -- about 0.9 percentage points per year.

This decline is identical to that observed in Canada between 1981 and 2001. If this trend has continued, then: at the present time (2007-MAY), only 71% of American adults consider themselves Christians.

The percentage will dip below 70% in 2008. By about the year 2042, non-Christians will outnumber the Christians in the U.S.

http://www.religioustolerance.org/chr_prac2.htm

[Synnical]

33. NIce catch, Onager!

:yourock:

-Cindy

[HamdenRice]

6. That's his calculated prerogative, isn't it?

I suppose you could do the marketing calculation like this: I piss off 14% of the population in order to gain greater brand identification with some portion of the 86% of the population that is non-atheist.

As an atheist, this doesn't bother me at all.

Then again, one of my local butcher shops, which specializes in pork and pork sausage, makes the same calculation with respect to Kosher and Halal shoppers. So does the local Santeria Botanic with respect to potential Christian fundie shoppers who are afraid of 'devil worship.'

That's the marketplace and capitalist calculation. Getting your knickers twisted in a snit over this is silly.

[YankeyMCC]

7. And of course

you don't mean to antagonize anyone :eyes:

[HamdenRice]

8. No, I just mean to make a rational statement

I'm not bothered by Kosher or Halal butchers, even though I love pork chops.

That's the market place.

If you don't want to buy a car from a guy who doesn't like atheists, don't do so. If you don't want to buy a pound of lox from a guy who doesn't like to service pork eaters, don't go to Russ & Daughters on Houston Street.

[YankeyMCC]

10. There is more to a free and fair market place than

the place you put your cash down.

It also requires a free and fair exchange of information and ideas. As you say if we disaprove we should not spend our monoey there but we have the right and responsibility too to let people know that we will not spend our money there and Why.

That is not 'getting our knickers in a twist' that is exercising our rights and conducting ourselves appropriately in a free and fair market.

But more to the point, you know people are upset by it and while there is of course nothing wrong with making a rational statement there is such a thing as demonstrating your humanity and understanding of the feelings of people and making some effort at understanding, not everyone will or should react just as you will.

Go buy a clue somewhere will you.

[HamdenRice]

11. How many people on this forum are in the market to buy a Ford in Kern County, California?

If so, then your point is valid. Good to share market information.

Otherwise, if you are not trying to decide which Ford car dealership in Kern County California to purchase an automobile from, then this is not sharing of information as to how to spend one's marketplace dollars, and seems like an exercise in manufactured outrage.

I think, given what's going on in the world today, there are better uses to which to put our outrage. That's all my point was about.

[YankeyMCC]

12. Then why are you spending time responding if there are more important things

Indeed there are more terrible and pressing issues in the world. That doesn't mean we can not talk about this.

And you make my point about your ignorance in dealing with people. If this is such a waste of time your only point in posting must be to chastise us. That doesn't sound like a goal of someone who claims to not want to antagonize people so often.

[HamdenRice]

13. Injecting rationality into hysteria is always a worthwhile pasttime! nt

[YankeyMCC]

15. Exactly, you enjoy the pastime of chastising people and have no clue about the

end results.

I guess you enjoy yourself though.

[HamdenRice]

16. What "end results"

What would they be? That certain people may come to the useful realization that they are getting worked up over nothing -- once the facts causing their hysteria are placed in the context of normal market behavior?

Are we atheists too sensitive to put our own thoughts to the test of rationality?

Really, what "end results." Are you talking about feelings being bruised by the truth?

Please explain -- I'm all ears.

[YankeyMCC]

17. No you're not 'all ears'

you're deliberately obstinate and obtuse. Take a look at the threads you participate in and the other threads in this forum and figure it out yourself.

[HamdenRice]

18. I think you are being the obstinate one here

First of all, you are projecting. I'm not being deliberately obstinate any more than anyone else. Just because you have chosen "sides" and disagree with me, and I haven't "switched sides" to your side, you project that I'm being "obstinate." No, I have listened to the "other side," and their lack of logic has left me unconvinced. I'm more convinced by the poisition of the atheist Harvard University Humanism Chaplain's position, than by any of the illogical vitriol taking the opposing position in those threads.

Now, can you tell me what the "end result" of comparing an anti-atheist car dealership to a Halal butcher is?

Really, give it a try. I actually do want to know what you are hinting at. Why not come out and say what's on your mind?

[YankeyMCC]

19. I have said what was on my mind and I have also wasted enough time on you nt

[HamdenRice]

20. Q.E.D.! nt

[YankeyMCC]

21. .

[moggie]

24. There's a difference between this ad and your butcher

Have Russ and Daughters put out a ranting ad insulting pork eaters and telling them to shut up about pork? I suspect not.

What's egregious about the ad is the juxtaposition of "sit down and shut up" with (paraphrasing slightly) "if we offended you, tough, it's called free speech". The implication is clear: minorities should have less rights (in this case, the right of free speech, which only holders of the majority viewpoint should have). That's not a liberal position, and I think it's reasonable to protest against it. I'd be just as unhappy if they had been calling for Muslims or Jews to "sit down and shut up".

[Goblinmonger]

25. here's what I don't understand

you spend a great deal of your energies going after me and others in R/T because of our "attacks" on theists. But you are willing to just give this guy a pass. You can't see how that double standard might be disturbing or confusing to some.

[TZ]

27. thats because

nothing he posts has to do with logic or reason. Its all about being perverse and provocative. I wonder how much of his BS he really believes.

[HamdenRice]

28. More mindreading!

And I thought you don't believe in the supernatural!

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[HamdenRice]

29. This guy is trying to sell Ford cars in California

I am not in the market for a car in California. He is engaging in typical market behavior -- defining his market segment.

When he says "shut up and sit down" it has absolutely no effect on me.

He is not on a forum that I participate in actually trying to make certain people "shut up" because they are religious or are atheist in a way that does not "toe the line" of self-appointed dungeon masters.

Can you see the difference?

[TZ]

30. keep defending fundie/RW tactics.

I'm sure it will make you oodles of friends here!

[Goblinmonger]

31. What if the advertisement

were from an atheist dealer telling theists to shut up and sit down. Many here would wager that you would come on this forum and shake your virtual head while using him as an example of a fundamentalist atheist.

[John Gauger]

26. That's absurd.

A butcher who sells pork is not intentionally attempting to offend nor outright antagonizing adherents to Kosher or Halal. He's just selling pork. I think it's unfair to compare such a butcher to Kieffer and Sons, who are openly antagonizing non-Christians.

Further, I don't think its out of line to "get your knickers twisted in a snit" over religious discrimination.

[Rob H.]

9. This is NOT an apology, imo

“We’re obviously sorry that it offends a given segment who identifies themselves as atheist.”

Saying you're sorry that what you said offended a group of people is not the same as being sorry you said it! Like I've pointed out before, it's like saying,"I'm sorry you got offended when I called you an idiot."

[onager]

14. Wonder if the Boeckmann family secretly bankrolled the ad?

The Boeckmann family claim to own the world's largest Ford dealership, Galpin Ford in the San Fernando Valley (suburban Los Angeles, for those of you who don't live there). Their dealership is not far from where I live, when I'm not in Egypt anyway.

The Boeckmanns are an ATM for many far-right groups. Family patriarch Bert Boeckmann is quite a political kingmaker in the San Fernando Valley and an old-time FOD (Friend Of Douchebag--the one in the White House).

All that whining about the San Fernando Valley seceding from Los Angeles and becoming a separate city? The Boeckmanns are a driving force behind that idea. They would like to run the San Fernando Valley as their own little fiefdom. (The proposition was defeated in 2002 but the organizers are still meeting--at Galpin Ford, natch.)

Of course, the Boeckmanns also spend their money on other worthy causes, as this Guardan-UK article notes...

Elvis cars acquire a curious star power of their own. Auctioneers Barrett-Jackson recently sold an Elvis Lincoln Continental Mark IV to Beau Boeckmann - son of Californian multi-millionaire Bert Boeckmann - for $68,000.

(The Boeckmanns, known as the 'first family of the San Fernando Valley', are substantial contributors to right-wing political causes such as the Christian Coalition and the Parents' Television Council. Beau is vice-president of his father's massive Galpin Motors dealership.)

The car's value was no doubt aided by the fact that automobile collector Nicolas Cage visited the auction rooms the day before the sale with his then girlfriend, Lisa Marie Presley. 'Look, darling,' he said, 'you may actually have ridden in this one.'

:puke:


http://observer.guardian.co.uk/magazine/story/0,,772044,00.html

[old mark]

22. Another good reason not to buy a Ford product,

...other than they are shitty cars.

I really love this-insulting, demeaning, inflamatory, runs for 90 days, then says, well, I'm sorry.

Fuck him.
Sad thing is, sales probably increased.
mark

[Seanmhair]

23. Email to them

You ran the 'ad' for 90 days and then you see fit to apologise?? Sincerely???.....Yeah....Right....

You likely achieved your goal of increased sales. There are numerous christian wingnuts all over your state (and country). Thank (insert invisible friend here) we don't live there! We find your self-serving hypocrisy to be most intolerant , even vulgar.

Perhaps you should review the more positive values of your 'faith'?...You know...those that promote tolerance and acceptance??

[Synnical]

32. Ford Motor Company responded to my complaint about the ad

Dear CF,

Thank you for contacting the Ford Motor Company Customer Relationship Center regarding Kieffe and Sons Ford's radio advertisement.

Ford Motor Company is concerned with the satisfaction of all Ford and Lincoln-Mercury owners and potential customers. We regret the circumstances that have prompted you to contact us.

This specific issue has been addressed by Ford Motor Company personnel with appropriate representatives at Kieffe and Sons Ford in Mojave, California. Our investigation has determined that the advertising was placed in error. Corrective actions have been taken to prevent this from happening again.

Thank you for taking the time to bring this to our attention.

If you have any other inquiries, please feel free to contact us and we will be happy to address them for you.

Sincerely,
Julie
Customer Relationship Center
Ford Motor Company

My EM to them Kissed:

Ford Motor Company must condemn the radio ads from Kieffe & Sons Ford which demand that atheists "shut up and sit down". I am an atheist, and the ads will preclude me from EVER buying a Ford again.

I also EM'd the dealership, no response.

-Cindy in Fort Lauderdale

[sarcasmo]

34. [email protected] The email address of this Bigot.

Feel free to let him know how you feel.