Gatorade just in time!

When I learned today that Pepsi had pulled the Amp app from iTunes, I didn’t believe it at first. They had been so obstinate all week, why the turn around? I had to go check for myself. Indeed, it’s gone. And just in time, too. I have a marathon this weekend and I didn’t really want to wear my fuel belt just in case the replacement drink on the course was Gatorade. I wanted to get drinks from the aid station. Thank you, Pepsi. I can leave my fuel belt at home.

Boycott Pepsi

I heard a disturbing piece of news this week, and I am not talking about Balloon Boy. Pepsi has a new energy drink called Amp. As part of their sales effort, they have created an iPhone app called “Amp Up Before You Score”. The “Amp” app was developed for PepsiCo to help men be duplicitous with women in order to manipulate them into having sex. The “score” in the title does not refer to basketball. The app includes a feature to keep track of sexual conquests and to brag about them to others. In their “apology”, Pepsi acted like a politician saying “Sorry if you were offended” and the app has not been pulled. I can just imagine that kind of apology in the principal’s office at school after an incident of name calling. “Sorry if you were offended.” I don’t think the principal would let that fly. And what does this say about the target audience of this app? Nothing positive, that’s for sure.

I am boycotting Pepsi (including their subsidiaries such as Tropicana and Quaker Oats). I don’t know if my little blog will make any difference, but I know I can’t make any difference at all if I sit here at my kitchen table mad about Pepsi’s degradation of women and I say nothing. Please boycott Pepsi, too.