complaint to Air America
Apr. 2nd, 2004 05:44 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ffloApril 2, 2004
Air America Radio
3 Park Ave
New York, NY 10016
Dear Air America:
I think youse guys are great. I’m thrilled to have your lefty voices out there, both on the select few radio stations and, better yet, on the internet. With any luck, the audience will grow and grow. I’m especially rooting for the expansion of your programming to more broadcast outlets, and will do my best to lobby local stations in my area, presuming I remain a supporter of your efforts.
Today, however, I’m writing with a complaint. Yeah, yeah--—everybody’s a critic--—but I have a serious objection to your decision to accept advertising from a fast weight-loss, anti-fat client. I can’t remember the name of the questionable (at best) weight loss product I heard advertised on Air America yesterday, but it doesn’t much matter; I’m sure you know which one I’m talking about. My happy progressive-listener experience of your programming was disrupted by exposure to that nonsense, and I was unexpectedly jarred into the same cynical anger that overcomes me listening to tripe like Limbaugh.
Yes, I understand, you must accept advertising to be able to be on the air. Fine! But would you, do you, accept advertising from other companies profiting from harming people? Do you somehow not agree with me that the weight loss industry is, for the most part, a disreputable lot, making its millions from false promises to people who’ve succumbed to the dominant culture’s unconscionable body size narrowmindedness and discrimination? “Get thin now!”—--or, even moreso, “Get thin quick!”---is one of the most shameful of corporate America’s consumer temptations: You can have it all, but only if you are not fat, so give me your money (but don’t be upset when it doesn’t work—just give me more money for another variation on the theme).
If I’m wrong, and you’re really completely fine with furthering that message, please don’t write me back to spell it out. I’ll already be broken-hearted, hearing those ads continuing to mar what is otherwise the best experience I’ve had at my computer in recent memory. But if (oh please) you agree, please refuse any further advertising of that particular evil sort.
Your once (and future?) fan,
Lisa “Buffalo” Nichols
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Air America Radio
3 Park Ave
New York, NY 10016
Dear Air America:
I think youse guys are great. I’m thrilled to have your lefty voices out there, both on the select few radio stations and, better yet, on the internet. With any luck, the audience will grow and grow. I’m especially rooting for the expansion of your programming to more broadcast outlets, and will do my best to lobby local stations in my area, presuming I remain a supporter of your efforts.
Today, however, I’m writing with a complaint. Yeah, yeah--—everybody’s a critic--—but I have a serious objection to your decision to accept advertising from a fast weight-loss, anti-fat client. I can’t remember the name of the questionable (at best) weight loss product I heard advertised on Air America yesterday, but it doesn’t much matter; I’m sure you know which one I’m talking about. My happy progressive-listener experience of your programming was disrupted by exposure to that nonsense, and I was unexpectedly jarred into the same cynical anger that overcomes me listening to tripe like Limbaugh.
Yes, I understand, you must accept advertising to be able to be on the air. Fine! But would you, do you, accept advertising from other companies profiting from harming people? Do you somehow not agree with me that the weight loss industry is, for the most part, a disreputable lot, making its millions from false promises to people who’ve succumbed to the dominant culture’s unconscionable body size narrowmindedness and discrimination? “Get thin now!”—--or, even moreso, “Get thin quick!”---is one of the most shameful of corporate America’s consumer temptations: You can have it all, but only if you are not fat, so give me your money (but don’t be upset when it doesn’t work—just give me more money for another variation on the theme).
If I’m wrong, and you’re really completely fine with furthering that message, please don’t write me back to spell it out. I’ll already be broken-hearted, hearing those ads continuing to mar what is otherwise the best experience I’ve had at my computer in recent memory. But if (oh please) you agree, please refuse any further advertising of that particular evil sort.
Your once (and future?) fan,
Lisa “Buffalo” Nichols
Ann Arbor, Michigan
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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Date: Apr. 2nd, 2004 05:06 pm (UTC)If so...um...hi!
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Date: Apr. 2nd, 2004 07:40 pm (UTC)There was another dyke named Lisa Nichols back in Baltimore, too. Makes me wish I had a more unusual name---like, oh, I dunno . . . . . WEDNES or somethin'!
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Date: Apr. 2nd, 2004 07:50 pm (UTC)My H is a fella named Hollingsworth (hence the great need for a nickname). He's swell, with a penchant for fat chicks...yay for me!
Glad to have cleared that up. I loved your letter as well.
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Date: Apr. 5th, 2004 08:34 am (UTC)Testify, Sistah!
Date: Apr. 3rd, 2004 09:25 am (UTC)