Believe in something, even if it means sacrificing everything. #JustDoIt pic.twitter.com/SRWkMIDdaO
— Colin Kaepernick (@Kaepernick7) September 3, 2018
On Labor Day, Colin Kaepernick revealed his long-gestating ad campaign with Nike. We’ve already written about the campaign itself. Now let’s talk about the hilarious overreaction. In a feat of grandstanding fit for Mike Pence, some people have been destroying their own Nike apparel to send a message to Nike. That’ll learn ’em.
Our Soundman just cut the Nike swoosh off his socks. Former marine. Get ready @Nike multiply that by the millions. pic.twitter.com/h8kj6RXe7j
— John Rich🇺🇸 (@johnrich) September 3, 2018
First the @NFL forces me to choose between my favorite sport and my country. I chose country. Then @Nike forces me to choose between my favorite shoes and my country. Since when did the American Flag and the National Anthem become offensive? pic.twitter.com/4CVQdTHUH4
— Sean Clancy (@sclancy79) September 3, 2018
https://twitter.com/boudreau_dr/status/1036716694666964992
Hey #Nike . I don't wear politics or anything related to #ColinKaepernick I no longer buy 5 to 6 pairs per year of Air Monarch Black size 9 anymore either. Just do it? I did. I set my bunions free. #RemovetheSwoosh pic.twitter.com/68UuGMmIaD
— Black Hole Sun (@Twentyoz_) September 3, 2018
https://twitter.com/LydiaRodarte/status/1036753367970795522
On the one hand, people have every right to get mad at a company for hiring someone they dislike. On the other hand, destroying your own property to protest said company is hilariously hamfisted. It’s so absurd we’d like to believe every image of a destroyed Nike product is being shared as a prank, but then again, this isn’t the first time the MAGA crowd has purportedly smashed their own bought-and-paid-for consumer goods in protest.
On Twitter, the people joking about the protest quickly outnumbered the people actually protesting (or pretending to protest).
I just wrote “NIKE” on twenty dollar bills and burned them to own the libs.
— Tony Posnanski (@tonyposnanski) September 4, 2018
Some even trolled the protestors by suggesting other things to boycott:
wow they just announced that Collin Kaepernick is now sponsored by penicillin
— Godzilla Shammgodzilla (@FanSince09) September 4, 2018
wow can’t believe colin kaepernick just became the official spokesperson of brake lines
— america's lounge singer (@KrangTNelson) September 4, 2018
https://twitter.com/IanKarmel/status/1036810582140313601
Conservatives are going to destroy all their Nike underwear next by eating exclusively at Papa John’s https://t.co/H2RE19em7o
— Jules (@Julian_Epp) September 3, 2018
The protests inspired at least one “wait for it” parody video:
I'm finally cutting out the Nike logos out of my Nike pillow case! pic.twitter.com/cP9Un6PVzH
— Rafael Shimunov (@rafaelshimunov) September 4, 2018
Some people noted the pointlessness of destroying goods that were already bought:
Breaking: Nike responds to MAGA backlash pic.twitter.com/8NQj0Y9Hkt
— Sarah Cooper (@sarahcpr) September 4, 2018
them: Gonna burn/throw away my Nike gear because they are unpatriotic
Nike: pic.twitter.com/k1kroZ02cG
— Mario (@mtehuitz) September 4, 2018
https://twitter.com/fakemikemulloy/status/1036834720305184769
https://twitter.com/steak_ham/status/1036758468152188928
Racists: I’m never buying Nike again
Nike: https://t.co/YGD23VWVFA
— Anthony Moore (@AllThatandMoore) September 3, 2018
And this guy pointed out the added benefit a boycott would bring to Nike’s image:
https://twitter.com/camjwolf/status/1036785714757881856
Further driving home that point, others joked about Nike losing the oh-so-fashionable “old and/or white supremacist” demographic:
oh wow not sure how Nike's going to survive if they lose the 70 year old white man market
— maura quint (@behindyourback) September 3, 2018
[extremely Fox News grandparent voice] well I certainly will not be buying any more Air Jorbans
— america's lounge singer (@KrangTNelson) September 4, 2018
— Boomer Porn (@boomerprn) September 4, 2018
When you can’t find a cross pic.twitter.com/efrqlN09fH
— Jess Dweck (@TheDweck) September 4, 2018
https://twitter.com/daveanthony/status/1036825883556769792
Others pointed out the obvious wastefulness of burning clothes when there are homeless veterans in these streets.
https://twitter.com/realMatMolina/status/1036804228398936064
https://twitter.com/jackieaina/status/1036770166724427776
People were really losing their minds:
https://twitter.com/DavidSRudin/status/1036815232369418241
Wearing 2/3 of a sock to own the libs https://t.co/kkiDyreRUh
— Big Supernaturals (@UweBollocks) September 3, 2018
https://twitter.com/gtiso/status/1036821399027908609
Self-immolating in full Nike activewear to own the libs
— pixelatedboat aka “mr tweets” (@pixelatedboat) September 4, 2018
Protesting Nike by buying a Nike water bottle, filling it with my own piss, drinking out of it
— pixelatedboat aka “mr tweets” (@pixelatedboat) September 3, 2018
Cutting the swoosh off the mesh basketball shorts I wear commando to the strip club to respect the flag
— Vince Mancini (@VinceMancini) September 3, 2018
Me, looking to see if anybody burns some Jordans rather the Nike’s they got on the clearance rack pic.twitter.com/5ZKHvpqJOP
— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) September 4, 2018
https://twitter.com/kennykeil/status/1036832665918263296
THIS IS THE GREATEST, STUPIDEST THING. If there is ANY upside to the ugliness of the wave of open white supremacy we are experiencing right now it is THE HILARIOUS COMEDY OF SHEER DUMBITUDE https://t.co/uoY8kzzbRq
— Paul F. Tompkins (@PFTompkins) September 4, 2018
And some took it a step further:
Going one step further and no longer worshiping Nike as my goddess of victory. Will ONLY recognize Victoria, her Roman counterpart. #MAGA pic.twitter.com/dC5vi4NyE6
— Patton Oswalt (@pattonoswalt) September 4, 2018
People even created new versions of the ad that perhaps go too far and sacrifice too much…
— COOKIES HOOPS 🍪🏀 (@CookiesHoops) September 4, 2018
Wow Nike. Not a good look pic.twitter.com/MZrOXdukxV
— Jules (@Julian_Epp) September 4, 2018