Questions, but no answers
Free Speech is Free Speech.
Controversy is Controversy.
Apple really didn't have a leg to stand on by asking the web site to stop displaying the Made With Macintosh stamp. Those things are freely available and many sites use them...big whoop.
We all must admit that founding father LaVey and his church aren't "mainstream" by any stretch of the imagination.
Apple is about being outside the mainstream. Being different. Thinking different.
They're not in the business of being thought of in any way, no matter how small, that could be "construed" as being "connected" with an organization that worships Satan.
That's the key word here: "construed"
All theological discussion aside, let's look at it from a business perspective.
I tend to believe that Apple did, indeed, recieve "complaints" - the religious right is a force to be reckoned with, and faster than e-mail, all the Bible Belters would spread the word fast among their flock the erroneous message that "Apple supports Satan...don't buy their products."
If you laugh at that, take a look at the "hell" (hahaha) that such companies as Procter and Gamble, Liz Claiborne, and even McDonald's went through.
This rumor started over 20 years ago:
"The president of Procter & Gamble announced on a popular talk show that he donates a portion of the company's profits to the Church of Satan."
Then, this one appeared:
"The President of Procter & gamble appeared on the Phil Donahue Show on March 1, 1994. He announced that due to the openness of our society, he was coming out of the closet about his association with the church of Satan."
And, once again for grins, in July 1999:
The dog and pony were trotted into the ring once again, this time with the claim amended to the admission having taken place on 1 March 1998 on the Sally Jesse Raphael Show.
As for Liz Claiborne and McDonalds?
In 1990, designer Liz Claiborne was dogged by the widely-believed rumor that during a recent appearance on Oprah she admitted 40% of the profits from her clothing company went to support the Church of Satan.
McDonalds:
In 1977 the rumor mill had it that Ray Kroc of McDonalds had made the startling admission that his company tithed the Church of Satan.
EVEN THOUGH there was NOTHING to this bit of gossip, it was believed. And acted upon. Not only did customers boycott the golden arches, kids even quit their McDonald's-sponsored Little League teams over this slander.
The above examples are not only difficult to stop once started, it costs each respective company MAJOR BUCKS in attempts to fight the allegations...not in court, but in full page ads and other media outlets.
Because there are a lot of idiots out there that believe all sorts of crap. And always will be.
So, all that being said, if I were at Apple Corporate, and learned of a few e-mails and phone calls suggesting that Apple was into "devil worshipping" and God knows what (hardy har har) I would do just what the legal department did. Because Legal *knows* what's at stake if any such rumor started about its company, and who wants to deal with THAT bullcrap?!
It was a business decision. Nothing more. Hell, for all I know there are some satanists that work for Apple, and we all know that Steve Jobs is from another planet anyway.
My 13 cents.
Scott
