Image Credit: PRN/PR Photos
After an online petition was launched urging a boycott of companies that advertised with NBC’s Celebrity Apprentice in order to protest Donald Trump’s recent political statements, Groupon announced yesterday that they would not place ads on the show’s website in the future so as to “[avoid] intentionally upsetting a segment of our customers.”
Groupon was careful to explain that it “had never been a sponsor of The Apprentice on TV or on the web,” according to a post on their blog. “We invest heavily in online advertising through networks that place ads on a rolling basis, meaning that we know one will appear on NBC.com, but not specifically which page. We know that some advertising appeared on the Apprentice home page a few weeks ago. Enough consumers have contacted us to warrant ensuring that we don’t place ads on the Apprentice homepage in the future. It’s the same reason we don’t run deals on guns or abortion… this isn’t a political statement, it’s avoiding intentionally upsetting a segment of our customers.”
Groupon’s spokesperson Julie Mossner tells EW, “We contacted the ad provider and requested that the Apprentice homepage be omitted from the list of places our ads appear. We are continuing to run ads planned for NBC.com.”
NBC officials and representatives for the Celebrity Apprentice did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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That is one ugly Oompa Loompa.
That’s the fact Jack!
Good. More boycotts to come!!
Yea! He’s entirled to express his opinion, but others are allowed to express their reactions to it.
Nicely put. Go Groupon. I already loved you but now even more so!
Trump is a clown but sheesh people. Lets just make anything aniti-Obama or democrat illegal and be done with it. Gotta love that tolerant left.
How quickly people forget.
Isn’t that what Bush tried to do. When you went against Bush, it was a scorched earth mentality.
Everyone was afraid to speak out because they would be crucified.
You’re not really thinking this through. Trump expressed his opinion. He has a right to. People expressed their opinions of Trump’s opinion – and there’s nothing wrong with that either. A private company chose to respond to those people’s opinions. Still nothing wrong. It’s not a matter of not being “allowed” to do something – it’s simply people displaying their free speech in response to Trump’s. It has nothing to do with intolerance. If I don’t like what someone has said, I don’t have to keep my mouth shut about it. People can think what they want, and Groupon can do what it wants in order to ensure that it retains more customers.
how tolerant of you to say
DUH lives up to his/her name.
Freedom of speech does not mean freedom from the consequences of speech. Trump can legally say whatever he wants. But others are then free to boycott his business or show their displeasure about what he says. That’s what this is.
Well here’s my question: at what point does “voicing your opinion” become outright slander?
Oompa, Loompa, Doopity Do
If you are wise, You should listen too
Oompa, Loompa, Doopity Dire,
To your Stylist, please say “Your Fired”
i think i’m more surprised that an online petition actually WORKED
I think this is a cowardice move by Groupon. If they are going to try not to upset any of their customers with where they place their ads, they might as well give up advertising. There will always be some segment of their customers that will be upset.
well obviously u cant please everyone but if enough people stand up and say enough why shouldnt they respond? one or two dissatisfied customers is one thing but a petitionfull is another..btw the cowerdly thing to do would have been to ignore the obvious racism….how many other pres were called on to release and extra birth certificate..and while trump walking around talking bout ow obama lied about this and that this fool know damn well he has lied to the american public….high draft number my ass
Donald Trump is a racist but I feel he is not on his own. He is being encouraged by the Republicans to do their dirty work for them. They will never accept him to run for President and he does not want to do so anyway because he has too many skeltons in his closet. this is a male who has had 3 FAILED marriages and neumerous children who is related by step this and step that.
He is expressing the feelings of the white Americans who thinks “the blacks” have a place in society and should stay there. After all white america contribute to neumerous charities run by whites to help “the blacks”
I cannot believe during the last episode of Apprentice he asked the contestants who would vote for him if he ran for President and unless they (the 3 blacks) have been locked up in Trumps Tower with no access to the outside world or they believe trump’s racism does not apply to them they should have told him a few choice words and walk off the show. If trump gets his way they will all being sitting at the back of the bus etc…
I have always heard it said “A WHITE MAN’S WORSE NIGHTMARE IS A BLACK MAN WITH BRAINS”
How come no one ever asked bush if he attended kindergarden???????
So..did Obama serve our country in any military capacity ? Or is he surrounded by low life people ..and backed by someone who was proud of wanting to blow up government buildings. Guys, before you go defending Obama..search out his friends and his past. Get real.
Leighaa, think about the last five Presidential elections, 1992 and forward. All five of the winners either did not serve or got into the National Guard to avoid the draft. All five of the losers, by contrast, served overseas in a war. Al Gore is the only Presidential loser in twenty years NOT to have a medal for heroism.
In short, serving in the military sounds good but does not translate into success at the ballot box.
What does Groupon sell? I want to know so that I don’t mistakenly buy any of their products or services.
I do not know if Donald Trump is racist or not. What I do know is that he has proven, yet again, that he is ignorant trying to use politics to get ratings for his, in my opinion, boring TV show.
He seems like a billionare version of Chalie Sheen…minus the pornstars & coke.
Donald Trump is an embarassment and a traitor and should be pulled off the air. I will NEVER watch his show again. He represents everything that is wrong with America.
No you hav it all wrong, are you offended because of his stance on Obama, admitting Obama’s a traitor to this country? Trump has many viewers he doesn’t need your opinion.
Damn why can nobody get it, Donald Trump is 100% allowed to his opinions, and in his words, “it’s nothing personal, just good business!”
You are a racist teabagger birther. How does Donald Trump taste in your mouth?
Come on, you don’t have anything better to do but complain? An online petition to boycott? lol OMG! Give me a break…don’t you have better things to worry about? The world could end tomorrow and this is the best you can come up with? Oh man, i’ll pray for you that you get your heads on straight!!!
nothing better to do? look who’s talking, you did post this complaint right? taking issue with trump, a blowhard,is the right thing to do. standing up to a white male racist and saying “no more and no thanks”!
rebecca.. Trump is “a white male racist?” Just because he doesn’t like Obama, you want to make it a race issue ? Are you too stupid to think of another reason to dislike Trump? At least put up a good argument on why people should question, or dislike him… such as trumps argument of Obama because Obama doesn’t think he should have to tell the American people about his private life.
Yes, Donald Trump is allowed to have his oppinion and we are allowed to ask sponsors to drop him. OK?
Bravo, Groupon!
Groupom is h alf a$$ed in their protests….my groupon yesterday was for trump hotel in ac. They are protesting him while still getting money from advertising for him.
I personally have decided not to watch or partake in anything Donald Trump is involved in anymore.