It's a highly charged political atmosphere these days in the media and the online world is no exception. The "Stop Online Piracy Act" (SOPA) was introduced by West Texas Republican Congressman Lamar Smith back in October.
Click here for a primer from CNET.com on SOPA and the broad-reaching effect it would have on almost every part of the current online environment.
Go Daddy CEO Warren Adelman came out in support of SOPA, a move that motivated a GoDaddyboycott.org website and triggered the movement of over 21 thousand domain names out of Go Daddy before Christmas. Click here for that story.
While the current total of around 40 thousand domains departing is not even a blip on the 40 million or so domains registered on Go Daddy, there is one stat that does make a difference. Part of the key to the company is the continuing registration of new domains and that may be the most affected.
This Thursday, December 29, has been named "Dump Go Daddy Day" by those fronting the movement. Click here for an article from Betanews.com that sums up some of the issues facing the company in terms of dealing with this growing backlash.
Go Daddy has several different press releases out now, the first one is the original strong support for SOPA and the most recent states: "We’ve listened to our customers. Go Daddy is no longer supporting the SOPA legislation."
Needless to say, all of this bad media could not come at a worse time for Go Daddy, a company about to embark on two very different high-profile national TV and media projects. The first is the airing of two more "cutting edge" commercials during the Super Bowl.
The picture above was released on Twitter by Bob Parsons, the former president of the company and now its Executive Chairman. That is Parsons grinning with Danica Patrick, Jillian Michaels and the new mystery Go Daddy girl during the Super Bowl ad shoot. The picture was removed from Twitter only minutes later.
The idea is to get Super Bowl viewers to see the ads and then move directly onto the Internet and visit the Go Daddy website. Ultimately, the business plan is to have those viewers return when they need to register a domain name. It's a simple equation.
The second big project is entering Patrick in the Daytona 500. It might be nice that she left IndyCar and is running full time in the Nationwide Series, but the story of January and February is the ability of a female racer to enter and possibly win the biggest NASCAR race of the year.
To many people Patrick is the face of Go Daddy and the TV exposure from her tongue-in-cheek sexist commercials is no doubt going to draw a new audience to NASCAR this season. At Daytona, Patrick will have Greg Zipadelli as her crew chief and Stewart-Haas Racing providing her car and crew.
The type of issue Go Daddy is facing with SOPA can snowball, as one such issue recently did for Netflix. An error in judgement and the subsequent poor handling of the effects of that error in the media can lead to very real results.
Here are some additional media sources on this topic:
SOPA Supporters Facing Boycotts from CBS News
Has Go Daddy's Elephant Killing CEO Finally Gone Too Far? from Gawker Media
Go Daddy CEO "We're Not Cynical Folks" from Mashable.com
Go Daddy's Reversal A Win For Customer Pressure from PC World
Go Daddy is going to be creating a new relationship with the NASCAR fan base once Patrick hits the track for Sprint Cup Series testing in just over two weeks. How Patrick manages her personal brand in the middle of this latest online controversy should be fun to watch.
We welcome your comments on this topic. To add your opinion, just click on the comments button below. Thanks for taking the time to stop by The Daly Planet.
26 comments:
This will indeed be interesting because SOPA is turning out to be a rare issue where the political parties are split on it. For example, here in southern California, very conservative Congressman Darrell Issa opposes it as written while quite liberal Congressman Joe Baca strongly supports it. In general, the GOP would usually support such legislation while Democrats would oppose it.
Because of this split, it will be interesting to see if the politically aware portion of the NASCAR fan base finds another reason to either embrace or rebel against Danica and GoDaddy.
I would just like to add that I hope everybody here will read up on SOPA from multiple, independent sources. I don't want to get political here on TDP, so I'll just say I think it is a very important issue that is not getting a lot of time on the major media outlets.
I read through the various attached links and it looks a lot like another case of "big brother is watching" although I will have to read more about this to fully understand it.
I don't object to Danica on political grounds, but I don't like GoDaddy's commercials/ marketing methods. What that means for me is that I change the channel whenever they come on.
I'm sure that DP will spin things in a manner favorable to her "brand". She's good at that.
I'm sure that DP will spin things in a manner favorable to her "brand". She's good at that.
Absolutely correct. She is good at that. Just like Jr. Neither can spin their respective records, but they are great at changing the subject so their records do not matter.
West Coast Diane said:
I am probably one of the few on this site that is supportive of Danica's racing career, formerly in Indy, now in NASCAR.
It is difficult for me because of her sponsor. I, like Gina, do not watch the commercials. Even a glimpse makes me cringe as does Mr. Parsons. Also I will not buy any of her merchandise for my grandaughters, or myself. Since the oldest is only 3 1/2 I have not introduced her to racing yet other than NASCAR branded clothes/toys when she was a baby. Since my husband races and has race cars she is aware of racing from that aspect.
As long as Danica has Go Daddy as a sponsor I will not even make her aware of Danica. Most likely will not even introduce her to NASCAR until she is much older, if then, for a variety of issues.
Bob kinda reminds me of a cleaned up Larry Flynt. However, the GoDaddy commercials are no worse than Hooters. Just because GoDaddy is Danica's Clyde Torkel's Chicken Pit doesnt deter me from hoping she does well. Course if she WERE to win something at Daytona, it would be because it was fixed, right. Go Danica!
Course if she WERE to win something at Daytona, it would be because it was fixed, right. Go Danica!
Only if Joonyer were pushing!
I'm not a fan of either SOPA or GoDaddy. I don't like big Brother meddling where hey don't belong and I don't like the GoDaddy kind of advertising. I would prefer actual information in a commercial rather than a teasing suggestive one that you don't want young children exposed to.
I think Danica should succeed or fail on her racing ability without the hype and marketing she works so hard on. She could be a role model for the younger demographic but you can't promote her to the proper age group due to her actions and the actions of her sponsor.
As others have posted, I will not go into the poltics too much, but SOPA is in trouble and to my way of thinking that is a good thing.
That being said, there is in each and every walk of life the pitfall of being "too clever by half", and that is, I believe the situation Mr.Parsons has placed Go Daddy in. It makes me feel somewhat sorry for Warren Adleman who has now taken over from him as CEO of the company.
Almost, but not quite. It is too slick. Too convenient and too clever by half. Follow the bread crumbs:
SOPA is pending in committee; Go Daddy lobbyist, Christine Jones, cozies up to the Chairman of the committee and publicly promises to support the bill if an amendement is added exempting them.
The amendment is adopted, and all hell breaks loose with Internet whale (pun intended) Jeremy Whales of Wikipedia and others pledging to can their Go Daddy accounts.
With a raging hole ripping open below the bottom line Parsons bails and hands Adleman the reins.
Adleman publicly reverses course in hopes of staunching the hemoraging. Wikipedia and others make approving squeaks. But does Adleman really mean it? Really?
The exemption amendment, after all, is still there. It is in the bill. If SOPA passes Go Daddy will be worth ... well ... a whole lot more than it is now, lets say, and it will gain enormous power.
However, if it does not pass the bad blood already stirred within the money players within the internet community will, in the words of Pink Floyd, "slow and turn to stone".
And Danica? Inconsequential. The only pretty faces that matter here are those of Ben & The Dead Presidents.
I wouldn't support Go Daddy, just as I cannot support Hooters. Anything that diminishes women and puts them into a place of objectification is something that I cannot come to grips with. Bob Parsons is nothing more than a dirty old man who uses women to make his bones, so to speak. There are ways to advertise your company without using women in a sexual manner, but Go Daddy chooses to go via the sexy women path.
Danica subscribes to this, as evidenced by both her electronic and print media campaigns. The latest one has her sitting naked, covered only by one of those scan squares one uses with a smart phone. Why can't she advertise her sponsor and keep her clothes on? I guess she only wants to attract the adolescent male demographic.
As for SOPA, it's a very dangerous piece of legislation, and Go Daddy was stupid for supporting it. I guess Go Daddy thought that the only people who pay attention to such things are men who are illiterate and wouldn't bother checking things out. HaHa on them. They got caught with their pants/panties down and will now be paying for their stupidity.
I have a friend who is looking to setup a website and I am helping (heaven help her since it is NOT my forte). For the reasons stated by diane, osbornk and Darcie, I won't be considering GoDaddy as the provider.
When Danica first came to my attention at Indy, I was excited to see a female doing so well. However the sponsor and her own actions have been a major turnoff since then so I don't "follow" her any longer. She'll continue to get a lot of attention whether I like her or not, so as AR points out, the only thing that matters are the dead presidents.
I want to see the GoDaddy commercials burned to its core
Enough blabber. WHO IS THE NEW GIRL???
Anyway, I'm tired of the GoDaddy commercials. They leave you hanging like you're going to get something "naughty" when you watch the "unrated" versions online. They are just as lame as the regular commercials.
Excellent post by AncientRacer about the SOPA legistation. It smacks of the same tactics AARP used to support Obamacare. Trade their support for the huge increase in the number of people who would buy their insurance from AARP.
If you look closely at some of these deals by "non traditional" or companies out of the mainstream there seems to be a common thread,either favored treatment in legislation, or substantial tax breaks.
I can't stand go daddy commercials, so stupid.
But the fact that Danica brings big sponsor money with her is why Stewart and jr are putting her in a car. NASCAR is all about money and money only. Has become to expensive to run without big money. Just look at what it takes just to pay the drivers.
Look at all the drivers without a ride. Because of no sponsor
Personally I hope go daddy goes broke because of their sleazy commercials.
LS
I love when the government tries to stop piracy, cus you know we aint got diseases to cure or kids to feed and clothe
ah well, Hope your Christmas was good JD!
anon 11:52/1:52, nothing better to do?
Ohh please people! Get over the whole objectifying women thing. That's a phenomena that wouldn't exist but for some crazy screaming about it in the first place.
If i had marketable assets like that then I'd use them to my advantage. That's called smart business. We live in a way too PC world. Pretty women can't be racers because she might just look good in a bikini and God forbid she flaunt it. Nope. She should be homely.
Obviously this marketing campaign works for them so its clear that their market isn't those of you who object to it. Remember, while supposedly family friendly (which if it were wouldn't promote a boys have at it mentality), Nascar's target demo is 18 to 35 year old males. So we women fans get to deal with what comes with that. And we shouldn't complain either. Without it there would be no NASCAR.
I like the way Anonymous 5:26 turned a basically non-political discussion into a blatantly political one.
So Patti, I guess you're saying that a woman can only be successful by using her sexuality and physical assets? As long as men run companies that force undereducated women to believe the only way to make good money is to wear as little clothing as possible, women will work as Hooters girls, strip club dancers and Playboy/Hustler/Penthouse models. Entities like Go Daddy keep the stereotype of fantasy women alive, a fantasy that no real woman wants to aspire to. Knowing how popular Danica seems to be, isn't it telling that the only company that puts the most money into her pocket, and the only company that supports her race car is one that treats women like sex objects? Doesn't anyone wonder why she doesn't attract any other sponsor, considering her supposed super popularity?
If Go Daddy goes under or takes a major hit financially, they'll jerk their sponsorship in a New York minute leaving NASCAR's celebrity spokesmodel sponsorless and without a ride.
Considering how effective the internet had been of late in organizing various uprisings and revolutions, I wouldn't discount those calling to boycott go Daddy.
Verification word: tread
It seems most folks don't care for Go Daddy's sleazy commercials. No one forced Danica to sign with Go Daddy, they just wrote her the biggest check. That speaks volumes about Danica's character. She's no different than a stripper. Why shouldn't she use her best asset? It certainly isn't her driving ability folks are paying to see.
Go Daddy isn't the first and certainly won't be the last questionable sponsor involved in NASCAR. I credit Rusty Wallace for starting the latest trend of bringing sleazy sponsors into the sport.
I detest the GoDaddy commls for reasons that others have stated. And even tho DP will be driving for both my guys, I can't root for her because of it. I HATE that she has really made it harder (imo) for other women to break into our sport because they aren't sexpots. It makes my blood boil!! And I'm a female in my 50's, so I know no one is catering to me-demograph/wise. It hurts my heart that I can't root for her, because I think she's a sellout...:( And I REALLY wanted to say something else.
GoDaddy was dumb to publicly support SOPA ... They should've held off until Darrell Issa's OPEN bill came out & then supported OPEN ... SOPA is extremely dangerous to the point were JD wouldn't be able to use the pix he posts (unless he has specific permission from the copyright owners) ...
Danica's NOT the first female driver to "use" her female attributes to promote her career ... She won't be the last ... How's it any different from Carl's shirtless on magazine covers?? It's NOT ... People need to get over it ...
J.D.,
Many of your readers are objecting to GoDaddy because of their objectification of women. In the same vein we hear that Danica would never have gotten a [NASCAR] ride if she looked like Roseann Barr or Rhea Perlman.
Think about it, though. Whether you like to admit or not, we're hard-wired to be attracted to conventional Caucasian beauty. There have been numerous studies that show infants of all races when given a choice between head shots will turn to look at the one which is more conventionally beautiful.
What's more, when was the last time you saw a MALE NASCAR driver who looked like Danny DeVito or Tom Arnold?
I am now shopping to move my 8 domains to a new registrar. I've been meaning to do it ever since that pig Bob Parsons bragged about shooting an elephant.
WCK
I would like nothing more than to see her get a legitimate win (not from being in front when a race ic called for rain, or a fuel mileage race or whatever) at Daytona or the other first few races just for the "shaddup" factor, haha!
Sand box mode on!
I am a GoDaddy customer having 2 domains registered that I use for topic-specific email addresses. When I first understood what SOPA was about and heard of GoDaddy's support, I was planning to move them when the renewal date in mid January comes up. Then I saw their press release indicating that they had cancelled their support, so I am going to stay with them.
No one should be shocked that Danica used her sexuality to get ahead. Its a time honored tradition. She would never have gotten the attention of middle aged , midlife crisis Bobby Rahal without the exposed photo shoot she did. Since it got her the opportunity she wanted, she's stuck with what works.
I would not support a company that's run by a low life like Parsons, who needs to shoot a magnificent animal just to feel like he is a man.
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