IHOP Says Tucker Doesn't Go with Its Values as It Keeps Taking Money from Saudi Arabia
Several companies are pulling their advertising from Fox News’ “Tucker Carlson Tonight” after comments about illegal immigration from the show’s namesake host sparked controversy last week.
Among those boycotting is the breakfast chain restaurant IHOP. Unfortunately for IHOP, its ties to a brutal Middle Eastern state may cause the move to backfire.
The company revealed its reasons to Business Insider, saying executives “continually evaluate advertising to ensure it aligns with our values.” Carlson’s comments about illegals apparently violated the pancake joint’s moral code, and as a result, all advertising was pulled.
Upon closer inspection, those values quickly begin to fall apart.
For the uninitiated, IHOP sounds like a catchy name. It actually stands for International House of Pancakes. And that name isn’t just for show, either.
The company truly does operate restaurants all across the globe, from Central America to the Middle East. One of the countries “lucky” enough to have IHOP doing business in it is Saudi Arabia, according to the IHOP website.
This is the same Saudi Arabia that still holds grotesque public beheadings, sometimes even for non-violent offenses.
IHOP’s parent company, Dine Brands, operates 35 locations in Saudi Arabia, according to an investor presentation released earlier this year. Although this likely includes several Applebee’s (another establishment owned by Dine Brands) as well as IHOPs, it still doesn’t bode well for IHOP’s liberal narrative.
It seems crimes against humanity really help work up an appetite for pancakes.
It’s unclear what part of the company’s values allow it to operate in a country where women are treated as significantly less than second-class citizens. Women are often beaten, treated like property, and only recently won the right to drive a car. Homosexuals have it even worse — the punishment for their lifestyle is death.
One probable reason for the boycott isn’t values, but publicity.
IHOP is no stranger to cries for attention. It recently faked a name change to “IHOB” as part of a burger-centric promotion. It’s not out of the realm of possibility that the advertising announcement was simply the breakfast joint’s way of angling for customers in a heated political climate.
If a restaurant needs to rely on that crutch, it’s usually best to avoid it altogether.
A true American breakfast eatery, Waffle House, doesn’t need to lean on publicity stunts.
As Adweek points out, the iconic yellow restaurant attracted hordes of devoted followers thanks to a familiar and friendly atmosphere that welcomes anyone wanting a good, hot breakfast.
In other words, don’t expect to find Waffle House staging a boycott over politics anytime soon.
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