Budweiser vs. the Arabs Who Laughed on 9/11
Netlore Archive: On September 11, 2001 a Budweiser employee pulls his product off the shelves of a convenience store in which he has seen Arabs celebrating the terrorist attacks
Description: Email rumor
Status: False
Circulating since: Sept. 2001
Email example contributed by Jackie Stevens, Oct. 4, 2001:
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Subject: How Budweiser handles those who laughed at those who died on 11 Sept 2001 Thought you'd like to know what happened in a town north of Bakersfield California. Let others in our nation and people around the world will know about those who laughed when they found out about the tragic events in New York, PA and the Pentagon. September 11th, a Budweiser employee was making a delivery to a convenience store in a town called McFarland. He knew of the tragedy that had occurred in New York. He entered the business to find two Arabs whooping and hollering and really cheering it up. It was obvious they were elated with what had happened earlier. The Budweiser employee went to his truck, called his boss and told him of the very upsetting event. He didn't feel he could be in that store with those horrible people. His boss told him, "Do you think you could go in there long enough to pull every Budweiser product and item our beverage company sells there? We'll never deliver to them again." The employee walked in, proceeded to pull every single product his beverage company provided and left with an incredible grin on his face. He told them never to bother and call for a delivery again. Budweiser happens to be the beer of choice for that community. Just letting you all know how Kern County, California handles this situation!! Pass this along. America needs to know that we're all working together. Please note: this is not an indictment against all Arabs; only to those who revel in terrorist acts -- yet live and prosper in the very country they despise. |
Comments: This is one of many "celebrating Arabs" stories circulating in the aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attacks (see "Boycott Dunkin' Donuts" for another). None of these tales, which typically claim that workers who appear to be of Arab descent were observed rejoicing over the attacks in places of business around the U.S., have yet been found true. Though there were documented reports of Muslims celebrating in other parts of the world, it seems rather implausible that terrorist sympathizers in the United States would risk reprobation (or worse) by rejoicing over the attacks in public.
As regards this particular narrative, both Anheuser-Busch, the manufacturer of Budweiser beer, and Dennis Muleady, marketing director of Advanced Beverage, the Budweiser distributor in the McFarland, California area, have denied the veracity of the story. It never happened.
Update: The following tag was appended to versions of the message circulating after December 2001:
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And now the rest of the story: It seems that the Bud driver and the Pepsi man are neighbors. Bud called Pepsi and told him. Pepsi called his boss who told him to pull all Pepsi products as well!! That would include Frito Lay, etc. Furthermore, word spread and all vendors followed suit! |
Sources and further reading:
Attack Hoaxes Make Rounds on the Web
Bakersfield Californian, 28 September 2001Scares, Hoaxes and False Alarms
Bergen Record, 14 September 2001Boycott Dunkin' Donuts!
From the Netlore Archive
Related:
9/11 Rumors & Hoaxes
Coverage of rumors associated with the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon
Last updated: 09/14/06
