Never before have the people in charge of American businesses and institutions seemed less worthy of the positions they hold. They are obviously not brilliant, but they are functional enough to have ascended corporate or institutional ladders. So what gives? Why do they speak to ordinary Americans with such thinly veiled contempt?
In a 30-second introduction broadcast on ESPN prior to the Allstate Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, Louisiana, on Thursday, Allstate President, Chairman, and CEO Tom Wilson delivered such platitudinous and tone-deaf comments regarding the previous day’s terror attack that the entire spectacle sounded too elitist to be real.
A number of prominent conservatives on the social media platform X denounced Allstate’s “disgusting” message and even called for a boycott of the insurance giant.
In the wee hours of Wednesday morning, 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar drove a rented white truck into a crowd of New Year’s revelers on New Orleans’s famed Bourbon Street. A black ISIS flag flew from the back of the truck.
The Islamic terrorist slaughtered 14 people and injured dozens more.
Wilson, however, regarded the terror attack as a fitting occasion to lecture Americans about their moral failings.
“Wednesday, tragedy struck the New Orleans community. Our prayers are with the victims and their families,” Wilson said.
Note that the CEO could not even bring himself to use the words “terror attack.” Instead, “tragedy” struck, something akin to an accident or natural disaster.
Then, it got worse — much, much worse.
Did you watch the Sugar Bowl?
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“We also need to be stronger together,” Wilson added, sounding like a 2016 Hillary Clinton campaign ad.
In what way must we be “stronger together”?
Well, according to the CEO, we must do this “by overcoming an addiction to divisiveness and negativity.”
In other words, unite, have a positive attitude, and the Islamic terrorists will leave you alone? Was that really the message Allstate meant to convey?
Finally, when you thought it could get no worse, Wilson delivered his concluding platitudes.
“Join Allstate working in local communities all across America, to amplify the positive, increase trust, and accept people’s imperfections and differences. Together, we win,” he said.
Turned on the Notre Dame – Georgia game for it to start with this ridiculous propaganda from @Allstate on yesterday’s terrorist attack:
“We need to overcome an addiction to divisiveness and negativity… & accept people’s imperfections and differences”??!!!
You’re JOKING. pic.twitter.com/Xiwdek3BoP
— Isabel Brown (@theisabelb) January 2, 2025
Truth be told, Wilson and his staff might have a future with the Babylon Bee.
After all, an entire team of satire writers could not have crafted a message more hilariously, jaw-droppingly platitudinous and tone-deaf.
X users, of course, found little humor in the sight and sound of a CEO ignoring terrorism while scolding Americans.
Republican Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas called the entire spectacle “crazy by Allstate.”
This is crazy by Allstate.
Maybe — and hear me out here — we should all agree that terrorism will not be tolerated in the United States. https://t.co/U69vWjPqvv
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) January 3, 2025
Meanwhile, conservative commentator Charlie Kirk noted the message’s elitist tone.
“A jihadist killed and maimed dozens of innocent Americans in a hate-fueled rampage, and the CEO of Allstate thinks Americans watching the Sugar Bowl need a lecture from him on overcoming ‘an addiction to divisiveness and negativity?’ Absolutely not!!” Kirk posted.
A jihadist killed and maimed dozens of innocent Americans in a hate-fueled rampage, and the CEO of Allstate thinks Americans watching the Sugar Bowl need a lecture from him on overcoming “an addiction to divisiveness and negativity?”
Absolutely not!! pic.twitter.com/CuyOYoz1mg
— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) January 2, 2025
Likewise, an X user named “DC” called the message “disgusting,” “out of touch” and an insufferable “lecture.”
This is disgusting @Allstate Another out of touch American CEO trying to lecture us #CancelAllState https://t.co/vJfgY7k2o5
— DC (@DonnaSoCal) January 3, 2025
Other X users, including prominent conservative journalists, made similar comments, adding that Allstate now deserves a conservative boycott akin to the one that crippled Bud Light in 2023.
Prediction: @Allstate has a serious mess on their hands over this Sugar Bowl message. Tone deaf on an epic scale. They may get Bud Light’d. Look out: pic.twitter.com/DbON0pywib
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) January 3, 2025
Allstate belongs in the trash bin of history with Bud Light. https://t.co/HmrT7i2aJU
— Lara Logan (@laralogan) January 3, 2025
Time to cancel @Allstate. Do you really want an insurance company that talks about murder and terrorism this way? https://t.co/GYy1W0eahB
— Sean Davis (@seanmdav) January 2, 2025
I canceled Allstate months ago bc they don’t pay on claims
But if i was, I’d cancel it, I’m not about to hear their CEO preach to me how we should be tolerant after Americans were mowed down in a terrorist attack in New Orleans
Cancel Allstate. I did
— @Chicago1Ray 🇺🇸 (@Chicago1Ray) January 3, 2025
In short, the X users had it right: Wilson does not lack functional intelligence, so extreme tone-deafness constitutes the only plausible explanation for his message.
Of course, Americans have grown weary of moral lectures from virtue-signaling elites. Thus, whether or not it receives the full Bud Light treatment, Allstate should expect to suffer for this.
And they have no one to blame but Wilson and those who encouraged or even helped craft his insulting message.
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