Some Subway franchise owners are fed up with U.S. women’s soccer star Megan Rapinoe and her apparent aversion to American patriotism.
What’s a brief history here?
Rapinoe, whom Subway hired in April for an advertisement, can be seen in the TV spot kicking a ball that knocks a burrito out of a man’s hand before she tells him to eat a Subway sandwich instead.
Rapinoe most recently made headlines for kneeling during the national anthem while kicking off the Tokyo Games.
In response to what many are calling Rapinoe’s woke activism, consumers are calling for a boycott of the popular quick-service sandwich restaurant if they refuse to remove Rapinoe as a brand spokesperson.
What are the details?
According to a Fox Business report, the response to the company naming Rapinoe as brand pitchwoman has been “mixed.”
“Last last month on a discussion forum hosted by the North American Association of Subway Franchisees, a Wisconsin store owner posted a picture of a hand-scrawled note from an irate customer taped to the front door of his shop,” the report noted. The note, the outlet reported, read “Boycott Subway until Subway fires the anti-American … Megan Rapinoe, the creep who kneels for our beloved National Anthem!”
The unnamed franchisee agreed, “The ad should be pulled and done with. It gets tiring apologizing.”
NAASF representatives last week told members that the group had heard a variety of complaints over the Rapinoe ads and had taken them to company’s Chief Executive John Chidsey.
A letter obtained by the New York Post revealed that the group’s executive director, Illya Berecz, told franchisees, “Your NAASF Board has already communicated with [Subway] leadership the concerns voiced by NAASF membership.”
“I had a bunch of franchisees calling me on this today,” Berecz told franchisees. “They are trying to get the ads pulled.”
According to a Monday report from the Daily Mail, Rapinoe’s “woke politics” and political activism are sending away customers in droves.
Mashed reported that much of the criticism against Rapinoe representing Subway “stems from the soccer player’s stance on police violence and bringing awareness of brutality and racism in the U.S.”
“Your ad using Megan Rapinoe makes me think twice about even visiting Subway,” one social media user insisted, according to the outlet. “She is a very negative representation of our nation, and I don’t want to support her.”
Another customer, the outlet noted, said that they and the rest of their family will “avoid” Subway as long as Rapinoe is a brand ambassador.
Former Acting Director of the United States National Intelligence Richard Grenell shared a video featuring proud American Olympian Tamyra Mensah-Stock and tweeted, “cc: @SUBWAY Dump the ungrateful @mPinoeand hire this patriot.”
Author Nick Adams added, “RT if you won’t eat @SUBWAY until they FIRE America hating Megan Rapinoe!”
Author Brigitte Gabriel agreed, adding, “Until Subway DUMPS Megan Rapinoe, patriots won’t eat there!”
