An open letter from the director of the CSPI to Beyonce,
Beyonce you have a unique position in the cultural life of this country
and are an inspiring role model for millions of young people.
Your image is one of success, health, talent, fitness, and glamour. But
by lending your name and image to PepsiCo, you are associating those
positive attributes with a product that is quite literally sickening
Americans
I imagine that it must be hard for anyone to turn away $50 million. But
this endorsement deal strikes me as particularly inappropriate,
considering your popularity with America's young people and the extent
to which Pepsi and other sugary drinks promote disease.
The New York Times attributed to you a statement that this endorsement
agreement allows you “to work with a lifestyle brand with no compromise
and without sacrificing [your] creativy.” It seems to me that this deal
is actually an enormous comprise. In fact, I would characterize this as
an even bigger compromise than your accepting $2 million to perform at
the 2009 New Year’s Eve bash thrown by Hannibal Gaddafi, the famously
violent son of the now-deceased Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi.
You realized that arrangement was in error and wisely donated those
proceeds to charity,
I respectfully urge you to reconsider your arrangement with PepsiCo. If
you move ahead with your promotional activities, you may wish to
consider donating your proceeds to a hospital, diabetes organization or
another reputable charity involved in the prevention or treatment of
soda-related diseases.
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