Jon Stewart slams corporations taking advantage of Pride

"Let's just let corporations live their truth, as the profit-seeking, Patrick Batemen psychopaths they are."
By Sam Haysom  on 
A man sits behind a talk show desk. In the top-left is a Burger King advertisement for Pride.
Watch Next

It's Pride month, and that means corporations across the world are out in force to stress their commitment to Pride month.

"Pride month is of course that time of year when corporations get together and financially exploit the decades-long struggle of gay people for acceptance and equality," said Jon Stewart during his Daily Show monologue on Monday. "'Hey, remember when you were fired from that bank job after you were outed? Well Burger King does, with a burger that has two bottom buns!' Yeah, that's not a funny make-em-up.

"Scarred by conversion therapy? Skittles is releasing a colourless version of Skittles! Apparently not wanting to confuse gay people with competing rainbows."

Both of those are actual real examples from recent years, and Stewart has plenty more where that came from, moving from Pride to the ways in which corporations tried emphasise their commitments to diversity during the Black Lives Matter protests.

"Let's stop pretending that a corporation can even be woke, or unwoke, or patriotic, or unpatriotic," Stewart concludes. "Let's just let corporations live their truth, as the profit-seeking, Patrick Batemen psychopaths they are."

Mashable Image
Sam Haysom

Sam Haysom is the Deputy UK Editor for Mashable. He covers entertainment and online culture, and writes horror fiction in his spare time.


Latest Videos





Tate Modern's Electric Dreams celebrates digital art before the internet
A collage shows a group of people in an immersive 'Electric Dreams' room (left) and a composite of Palestinian-American artist Samia Halaby as she draws (right)

Watch Nicola Coughlan and Ncuti Gatwa in 'Doctor Who' Christmas special trailer
A man and the woman sit on the floor, staring up.

"A complicated Christmas puzzle": Richard Curtis on adapting his stories for film
'That Christmas' writer RIchard Curtis

Paul Mescal takes method acting way too far in 'SNL' promo
A man in a hoodie sits at a table, looking serious.


The biggest stories of the day delivered to your inbox.
This newsletter may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. Subscribing to a newsletter indicates your consent to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe from the newsletters at any time.
Thanks for signing up. See you at your inbox!