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August 12, 2020

The bullshit of Kroger PR over Andy
while vaguely wondering about Muscato

OK, a couple of weeks ago, I was making noise about boycotting Winco. Now, over #KrogerAndy and a line of bullshit PR from Kroger, I've already told Kroger that I won't be shopping there this weekend at least, not until I get more actual information, and from Tweets that don't have the thumbs-on-scales #StandWithAndy hashtag. (I've also told "Target Tori" that this is NOT the same as her situation, and that per Newsweek story commenters, I'm clearly not alone in that.)

I've also had wingnuts try to gaslight me, and very temporarily succeed in it, in raising a red herring that other employees besides managers aren't supposed to do anything about masks, per Kroger policy. Well, Danielle Muscato never said she approached any other employee, and in the Newsweek story, that's accepted fact.

I had another wingnut try to gaslight me over claims that Kroger employees weren't supposed to clean carts. Nope. Store policy starting in March said that stores would clean carts more frequently, and Kroger said nothing about hiring an outside company. The only other thing on company policy was that it did not "advocate" for particular employees to be DEDICATED to doing only this, or to doing cart cleaning in front of the store. I'm sure that other major stores all have similar policies. I blocked multiple gaslighters over this; one was a chickenshit and beat me to the block.

OK, I had included Kroger in several Tweets on this issue over the weekend. Yesterday, the PR verschnizzle, sent to me twice off different Tweet threads, in a two-Tweet thread. I've embedded one, and also, as needed, screengrabbed part 1 of one thread with part 2 of the second so that I have a screengrab of Kroger's comments, in order, in case it deletes them.

Here you are:
Followed by:
OK.

First, note that Kroger isn't disputing Muscato. (That doesn't mean they accept her account, but they're not publicly disputing it.)

Second, note the #StandWithAndy hashtag.

Third, I suspect this is canned PR for another reason, related to my "screengrab." The two-Tweet response I got twice is in response to two different Tweets of mine. Here's the other:
OK again.

Regular readers will note that I often post something to go up two or three days down the road, in part because if it's serious stuff, that allows time for percolation of thought as well as possible additional information.

Since first writing this, I went to Muscato's account, and let's just say the hypocrisy level is high on some respondents. They're all variants on "why don't YOU stay at home." And of course, they're generally alleged "law and order" wingnuts ... except when law and order applies to mask-wearing. And, reminder, it is THE LAW in Louisville, Kentucky, as the governor's executive order has the force of law. Period and end of story, to wingnuts trying to claim otherwise.

There's also the issue that, contra some wingnuts but per lawyers who know the law, that the ADA does NOT require a store to admit a person claiming a mask exemption. They can say "pickup or delivery," and make those enforceable first and second options. (And obviously, whether they have a legit exemption or not, a person driving to a store can do grocery pickup.)

As for stores actually booting people, and even employees, not cops or security, doing the work? Google has plenty of examples. And, again, one doesn't have to ask for "medical papers," which one can't ask for anyway. You simply say, "it's the law," and "we have pickup and delivery options." Period. According to Muscato, "Kroger Andy" did none of this, nor did he call the security guard.

That said, let's hear from Muscato:
Second, as I have already told wingnuts:
So, the lies and gaslighting are thick here.

That IBT story is what passes for "journalism" at much online media today. Collect a bunch of Tweets, and add about one-quarter as many explanatory interludes as I do on this blog post.

Even a member of the allegedly outside the box Gnu Media is in on trashing Muscato, and I called out Jordan Uhl:
And, yes, Jordan, I exactly meant that. Muscato may have some degree of blame. Not denying that. But, even if I take Muscato's words at 75 cents on the dollar, Muscato still has less blame than the store manager.

But, Jordan, you know who has the biggest share of blame?

The largest fucking grocery chain in the U.S. AND the world.

And you're pimping for it.

Let's put this another way, Jordan? Costco started its mask mandate THREE MONTHS before Kroger, when a LOT of retailers weren't taking it seriously, and when a lot of states still hadn't fully gotten into quasi-serious containment measures (many of which were kabuki theater). And, as far as I can tell, there was little to no PR motivation. In fact, some of its members hated it. spewing out the same bullshit we still hear today from COVIDIOTS. (Costco also, long before other retailers, limited maximum shoppers at any one time.)

Muscato is probably not getting a fair shake. From much of the "mainstream" media, from pseudo-leftists like Uhl or from Kroger.

Now, to riff on Uhl? It may be true that "Kroger Andy" is in an untenable position. But, then, that's Kroger that put him there, not Muscato.

(Now, whether or not Muscato should have directly approached the shopper is a different issue, I'll allow.)

Finally, the big picture, vs. not so much COVIDIOTS, but COVIDIOT enablers, whether conscious or unconscious, active or passive?

The goal of masks IS 100 percent compliance. Period. Expectations grounded in reality will note that compliance will likely be below 100 percent. But, expectations and goals are different things.

Here's another way to look at it, per this Tweet:
And, yes, it is "sad" in a sense when Wally, which allegedly delayed on having employees mask up early on for fear of alarming customers, is now a paragon of corporate responsibility. Want a better one? Costco. It and other national grocery chains, like Trader Joe, haven't messed around with giving people the boot when warranted.

Let's also remember that, claimed medical exemption or just wingnuttery over masks, this:

And no, wingnuts, as I have mentioned before, whether you have a legit medical exemption or just claiming to have one, the Americans with Disabilities Act does NOT say, let alone guarantee, ou have a right to enter a store. The store, on the other hand, has the right to REQUIRE you accept other options first, as in: Pick-up or delivery.
At the same time, while Muscato shouldn't be scared off by maskless people, and Muscato tries to use special hours when possible, Muscato has the option of delivery or pickup also.

So, a Wednesday afternoon post time allows for that percolation.

Sidebar: This skeptical leftist at the same time says that sex is biology, sometimes badly askew, and gender is culture, derived in part from biology but ultimately cultural.

If Danielle Muscato is claiming to be a woman, as I still use the word for sex and biology? No. Not in my book. I "pass" on the word transgender as a gender-skeptical (but not gender critical) feminist and general humanist. And, you're not a transsexual by your own admission. (One will notice the lack of pronouns, and only the regular use of the name "Muscato," above.)

Sadly, you're being slammed in part because of this.

That said, as with gender dysphoric youth? Mr. Muscato, how do you know you're not a "repressing" gay male?

Back to Kroger. If it has proof that what Muscato claimed happened, didn't, and that this is otherwise just an activist stunt, bring it on. Wednesday afternoon should be plenty of time to post unedited store video if it captured what happened, among other things.

It also should be enough time to release real news in general, and not a PR statement. That, as much as what actually happened, and what may be the full story if we ever hear from all parties, is what has pissed me off. I mean, those two tweets above are blatant PR. Phoning it in PR.

Kroger, you've got 48 hours from the time of me hitting the "publish" button.

Update, Aug. 15, via Twitter thread:
 

Yes, indeed.


And, that's true. If I'm hurting local Kroger at all, that's corporate capitalist Kabuki Kroger's fault.


Boycotts also work, to the degree they're designed to change behavior, by the target knowing it's happening. (Exxon is too behemoth to expect to change, but some boycotts start with moral value without expectations of forcing change.)


And, that's it.
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