Why are people boycotting Boots? Are you?

[Deadbeatex]

For full disclosure I haven't seen the advert yet, but I'll probably end up searching for it if I don't come across it naturally during viewing in the next few days.

I've seen the #boycottboots and have worked out it's to do with their new Christmas ad. What's the issue? Are you boycotting Boots or do you think people are overreacting?

Randomly choosing the poll options simply because as stated I've not seen the ad so I don't currently have an opinion either way

YABU I'm boycotting
YANBU it's an overreaction

Men in Drag are not a protected characteristic.

OK. I have actually watched it on YouTube now.
Santa is the epitome of the magic of Christmas, yet he is portrayed as lazy.
It wasn't Christmassy.
Where are the families, children and excitement?
It's a Dud even without the race baiter and the Drag Queens.
Boots could do with a proper look at who their customers are, and what they want.
This ad is like the idea of Kamala's America, and we saw how that was received.

Exactly, in the context it was just commenting on the contrast of earlier in the day.

Just watched it, it obviously taking the piss a bit. When Mrs Christmas catches the parcel and says "that'll do nicely for them" or something like that. She emphasises "them".

It's been made deliberately to stir up controversy and people getting into a flap are just easy prey. Just move on, it was amusing.

I don't get the fuss either way. It was just an advert, pretty forgettable on the whole. It only grabbed my attention because of all the fuss being made.

I wouldn't have seen it had it not been for all this.

So I'd say they've actually done a very good job.

Boots returns policy for online purchases is not to refund, they ask you to use royal mail and then state they did not receive it although tracking said it's arrived, just a way on avoiding refunds, they then claim that they don't accept royal mail parcels, so in my case they have my goods and my money. Never again, and customer service is foul, just look at their shocking feedback on Trustpilot

Don't people have lots of time on their hands.

Apparently it’s nothing to do with a black woman being in it.All adverts in the UK have black people in them.I haven’t seen it I hate adverts they ruin programs especially films.I read though that it’s because it’s very “WOKE”and not very traditional.I don’t actually care and don’t really shop in Boots anyway.

I think that's a valid post that contributes a valuable perspective that is in contrast to those getting their knickers in a twist claiming that the ad is nefarious propaganda. Many people are not seeing what others see and want everyone else to see.

Read. My. Post

Given that he only cums once a year a doubt his sexuality matters.

Why did she the word 'terribly'? Doesn't that imply a negative?

Terribly is a synonym for unpleasantly.

Are the royal family unpleasantly white?

He does the context make her comment any more acceptable? The comment did not need to be made at all. That's the point. The reason so many people complained about it was because they were offended by the remark. They heard the context. Just because some people didn't find it offensive doesn't mean those who did should just keep quiet. Perhaps if she had taken any responsibility for the upset she caused, that would have been a step forward. She didn't. She didn't apologise or acknowledge that her comments may have upset people. She just said "I didn't mean to upset anyone". But she did so she needed to own it. Her response was disappointing.
That aside, I think she's a fabulous actress and don't have any issue with the advert which I think is funny and clever.

It can also be used to mean "extremely".
Not just meaning "unpleasantly."
It was a fact.
From the contrast of the wedding earlier on, to the balcony, it was terribly (meant as in extremely) white.
That's how I interpreted it.

You think it was used positively?

Not sure you read or understood my post properly - I said it can be used one of two ways.

Don't patronise me.

She was making a direct comparison between the diversity at the Abby and the lack of diversity on the balcony.

In that context, the word was used negatively.

adverb: terribly

1. 1.
2. very; extremely.
3. "I'm terribly sorry"

I see it as used the 2nd way .
As you said, yourself, a direct comparison to the diversity, it was extremely white compared to the wedding earlier on the day.
An observation.
Nothing to do with positively or negatively.

Yes, she knew exactly what was doing and the faux innocence after 'oh no after the Abbey I was merely comparing I didn't mean to upset anyone'. Most people aren't upset just don't like this smirky stuff dressed up as 'observations'.

Finally some common sense from @axolotlfloof (love the username by the way!).

@MirandaJH Drag has nothing to do with homophobia. It's not linked to bring gay or trans. Drag artists can be from any orientation or gender presentation. I have a mate who loves to dress up as a lady, he calls himself a lesbian but is as straight as a yardstick. It's an art form not a community or identity group. Race is a protected characteristic, drag is not, so it's totally different . Of course I'm not saying any one should be attacking drag queens or transpersons, just that it's not a "phobia. "

Aren't pantomime Leading ladies usually Drag/in Drag and an accepted part of the traditional British Christmas?

Or is this not woke?

This was discussed upthread. Pantomime dames are no way comparable to the over sexualised misogyny that is drag.

I guess it’s ok to say ‘the British royal family are all terribly white’, the same as the ‘Nigerian royal family are all terribly black’.

I take it’s ok to say things like that?

It is because of what she said at the Coronation, calling the royal balcony "terribly white". This was a racist comment. What if a white commentator had called the attendees at, say, the coronation of the king of Swaziland "terribly black'? They would be called out and vilified as racist for sure. She could have said better what we were all thinking, i.e. "It's a shame that Meghan couldn't be here to represent people of colour" or "From my point of view, I wish that there were more people of colour up there". I won't be boycotting them, because they are the only local pharmacy that is open on a Saturday when I need to gett my prescription, but I pay the NHS, not Boots. I don't really bother with them for other stuff anyway.