Dylan Mulvaney, Bud Light’s new controversial brand ambassador, appeared on Rosie O’Donnell’s podcast Onward with Rosie O’Donnell, where they discussed the severe backlash he’s been getting lately. Mulvaney insisted that people are criticizing him because, as a newly trans person, he is “an easy target,” and they “don’t understand” him.
Mulvaney has angered a lot of people while documenting his “365 days of girlhood,” during which he has constantly made a caricature out of women while acting like a hyper teenage girl.
Day 1 of “Things I Never Do As A Real Girl” …
skip through a meadow in heels and fall down screaming because of a damn dragonfly #dylanmulvaney #DylanMulvaneyIsAMan #WheresMyRealWomenAt??#ThereAreOnlyTwoGenders pic.twitter.com/PVZX5oKJDv— Sammy Jo – Cooks 4U👩🍳 (@sammyjoms66) April 6, 2023
Nike is the latest mega corporation to make Dylan Mulvaney, a biological man, their female brand ambassador.
These companies are spitting in the faces of women every single day.
Stop giving them your money.
pic.twitter.com/KOEt09uv2e— Michael Seifert (@realmichaelseif) April 5, 2023
People have become so angry, in fact, that a major boycott has begun against Bud Light for their decision to make Dylan Mulvaney their newest brand ambassador.
Dylan Mulvaney has become the new brand ambassador for Bud Light. 🍺
The beer brand even made a special edition Dylan Mulvaney Can 🥤celebrating his 365 days of girlhood.
(This is not April Fools, it’s actually real)
🍺🍻🍺😒🍻🍺🍻 #dylanmulvaney #trans #transgender pic.twitter.com/xuu87WxrvZ
— Oli London (@OliLondonTV) April 1, 2023
Bud Light’s marketing decision quickly proved to be disastrous as many previous consumers announced a boycott against the beer company.
Country music star Travis Tritt announced he would be deleting Anheuser-Busch products from his tour hospitality rider, and music legend Kid Rock protested the company’s partnership by using cases of Bud Light for target practice.
Other artists who are deleting Anheuser-Busch products from their hospitality rider might not say so in public for fear of being ridiculed and cancelled. I have no such fear. https://t.co/YgjO9P03tR
— Travis Tritt (@Travistritt) April 6, 2023
Kid Rock has a message for Bud Light.
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) April 4, 2023
Anheuser-Busch has certainly felt the effects of the nationwide boycott, reportedly having lost over $3 billion in market cap value in recent days.
According to the New York Post, the beer colossus Anheuser-Busch saw its value plummet more than $5 billion since the company announced its branding partnership with controversial transgender social media influencer Dylan Mulvaney.
Since March 31, shares of Bud Light’s parent company have fallen by nearly 4% — knocking down the company’s market capitalization from $132.38 billion to $127.13 billion on Wednesday.
Anheuser-Busch stock fizzled more than 1.5% on Wednesday.
Anheuser-Busch has tried to stand by its decision to partner with Mulvaney, saying, “Anheuser-Busch works with hundreds of influencers across our brands as one of many ways to authentically connect with audiences across various demographics and passion points.
“From time to time, we produce unique commemorative cans for fans and brand influencers like Dylan Mulvaney. This commemorative can was a gift to celebrate a personal milestone and is not for sale to the general public.”
Mulvaney addressed the controversy on O’Donnell’s podcast, suggesting that, as a newly trans person, he is an easy target for critics. However, he also insisted that he has “tried to be the most uncontroversial person this past year.”
“I think going after a trans woman that’s been doing this for like 20 years is a lot more difficult,” Mulvaney said. “I think maybe they think that there’s some sort of chance with me… But what is their goal?”
“These people, they don’t understand me, and anything that I do or say then somehow gets taken out of context and is used against me, and it’s so sad because everything I try to put out is positive.
“It’s trying to connect with others that maybe don’t understand me. It’s to make people laugh or to make a kid feel seen.”