State Farm Inoculates Itself From Anti-Vaxxer Rob Schneider

[witchcurlgirl]

If you're going to trust anyone to have an authoritative scientific stance on vaccines, the guy who starred in a film as a fish tank cleaner-turned-successful-male-prostitute is definitely it. State Farm feels differently— they pulled their commercial starring comedian Rob Schneider after his anti-vaccination stance inspired mass social media outcry.

Schneider had revived his character "Richmeister" for a series of SNL-themed adsthat State Farm began running last month. Soon afterward, the company was faced with enormous Facebook and Twitter backlash over their decision to employ someone with a viewpoint so detrimental to public health.

State Farm's director of Public Affairs, Phil Supple, told PR Week that the "ad has unintentionally been used as a platform for discussion unrelated to the products and services we provide. With that, we are working to remove the ad from our rotation at this time."

State Farm Inoculates Itself From Anti-Vaxxer Rob Schneider

[tulip]

I had no idea he was an anti-vaxxer. Good riddance. We really don't need Rob Schneider to be in anything anyway, do we?

[fgg]

i don't understand why these people can't just keep their mouths shut. i'm sure rob was loving the money and then he went and yapped and screwed it all up. when was the last time he got work other than this?

[gas_chick]

It was kind of sad to see old Rob doing the old copy bit.

[SoCalMarie]

Who cares what he thinks? Who's actually listening/taking medical-related advice from Rob Schneider (or any celebrity for that matter)?
He's entitled to his opinion... as we all are.

I understand the controversy over the vax/no-vax views, but I'm just dumbfounded that people got so "up in arms" about Rob Schneider stating his view(s) on the subject, that people actually complained to State Farm, and got him fired from the campaign/job.
It's not like he said something about it in the commercial...

The company even stated - it's (his views) unrelated to the services they provide. So basically, people are pissed at Rob Schneider for expressing his views, so don't give him any work? And if he does get work, people will complain/cancel the service if he's in their ad? Regardless of if they're satisfied with the service (and unrelated to his views on a subject)?

Maybe it's just me, but I don't understand why people would go through all that trouble in this type of situation.

It's just kinda sad, he probably needed those residual checks...

[tulip]

Who cares what he thinks? Who's actually listening/taking medical-related advice from Rob Schneider (or any celebrity for that matter)?
He's entitled to his opinion... as we all are.

I understand the controversy over the vax/no-vax views, but I'm just dumbfounded that people got so "up in arms" about Rob Schneider stating his view(s) on the subject, that people actually complained to State Farm, and got him fired from the campaign/job.
It's not like he said something about it in the commercial...

The company even stated - it's (his views) unrelated to the services they provide. So basically, people are pissed at Rob Schneider for expressing his views, so don't give him any work? And if he does get work, people will complain/cancel the service if he's in their ad? Regardless of if they're satisfied with the service (and unrelated to his views on a subject)?

Maybe it's just me, but I don't understand why people would go through all that trouble in this type of situation.

It's just kinda sad, he probably needed those residual checks...

Companies do care what you think when your other message is overshadowing what you were hired by them to do. If you're hired for advertising, they are hiring an image and if what you are saying personally is conflicting with that, then they don't want any part of it. Especially if people complain. I'm surprised they complained so much about this. It must have been quite an uproar.

I had no idea he was anti-vax. I didn't like him before. Never been a fan. I just have this visceral reaction to the whole vaccination thing since Jenny McCarthy shot off her mouth about it and autism. But, not enough to cancel my plans with State Farm just because they hired him. That seems like it's taking things waaaay far.

[KrisNine]

I was told off (sort of) recently by a mommy anti-vaxxer. She told me that she had a feeling that I would be the sorry one in the future. That my daughter may still end up being on the autism spectrum because things like Asperger's don't show up until kids are closer to 6 or 7, since Aspergers are intelligent and high functioning. Or, that my kid may end up with some sort of undiagnosed (as of yet) trauma/illness/poisoning from the things I injected into her little immune system.

I told her I'd rather have a child with Asperger's than a child that dies or becomes seriously ill from a disease I could have prevented.

[czb]

^^^ or you could have told her that maybe *she* would manifest trauma/illness/poisoning from being vaxxed. maybe it just hasn't been diagnosed yet.

[Beeyotch]

I would've given you a standing ovation for that if I'd been there. Or at least a "word."

[czb]

ha!

i can say i would do that, my old self would have. but now my life is different. the obnoxious things i want to say to people will affect my kids. i don't want my kids to be ostracized from a party or a playdate because the parent made a dumbass comment to me and i called them on it. *hangs head in shame*

[SoCalMarie]

Companies do care what you think when your other message is overshadowing what you were hired by them to do. If you're hired for advertising, they are hiring an image and if what you are saying personally is conflicting with that, then they don't want any part of it. Especially if people complain. I'm surprised they complained so much about this. It must have been quite an uproar.

I had no idea he was anti-vax. I didn't like him before. Never been a fan. I just have this visceral reaction to the whole vaccination thing since Jenny McCarthy shot off her mouth about it and autism. But, not enough to cancel my plans with State Farm just because they hired him. That seems like it's taking things waaaay far.

Yes, I understand why he was fired/that the company cares about their image, that's Econ 101.

The point of my post/what surprised me about this situation (like you pointed out as well) is that people complained about it so much, to a point to where the company felt it needed to take action (fire him).

Again, who's actually listening to Rob Schneider for medical/parenting opinions/advice anyway? That's what I don't understand about all of this. As if his view effects their auto insurance rate or something...

I understand the vax/anti fax debate. I am pro-vax. And no actor or public figure (Jenny McCarthy, Rob Schneider, etc) will ever have an effect on my view on the matter. Nor do I care to complain to my auto insurance company about the actor they use in their commercials because his personal view conflicts with my personal view. But, hey, that's just me.
I'd rather just spend that time chatting about nonsense here, with you guys

Maybe if his children went to school with my (fictional) children, then I might have a problem with it, because it would be cause for a health concern that would effect me/my fictional children.
And if that was the case, if there was an issue - I would talk to him and/or the school about it, not go out of my way to complain to his employer.

I'm just surprised that people care that much about Rob Schneider's opinion(s)... That they got that offended when they saw him in a commercial for a service unrelated to the subject of his view(s).


That's all.

[Just Kill Me]

The thing that pisses me off about anti-vaxxer and the autism spectrum bullshit is that when there is an adverse reaction it is not autism or autism spectrum, when there is an adverse reaction it is seriously disabling to the point that there is a need for serious around the clock until the end of time medical care.

[tulip]

I was told off (sort of) recently by a mommy anti-vaxxer. She told me that she had a feeling that I would be the sorry one in the future. That my daughter may still end up being on the autism spectrum because things like Asperger's don't show up until kids are closer to 6 or 7, since Aspergers are intelligent and high functioning. Or, that my kid may end up with some sort of undiagnosed (as of yet) trauma/illness/poisoning from the things I injected into her little immune system.

I told her I'd rather have a child with Asperger's than a child that dies or becomes seriously ill from a disease I could have prevented.

Good for you! The rise in diseases that were formerly eradicated and are now coming back is scary. They are serious and life-threatening.

The point of my post/what surprised me about this situation (like you pointed out as well) is that people complained about it so much, to a point to where the company felt it needed to take action (fire him).

I misunderstood what you said. I thought you were wondering why State Farm cared.

[Kathie_Moffett]

I don't think anybody cares that much about Rob Schneider. I DO think that a lot of parents nowadays care that much about the health and welfare of their children. Kids needlessly dying of preventable diseases is pretty much a no-brainer when it comes to getting pissed and getting vocal about it. Rob can fuck right off with his ignorance and celebrity arrogance.

[Yellowjacket]

No one ever confused Rob with a scientist.