After a long diary hiatus (probably since 2010 or so) we had an entertaining experience last week that I thought was worth sharing.
For some background here, the starfighter family enjoys a simple life in a quaint and welcoming suburb of Milwaukee with our two teenage children. Mrs starfighter made the leap into business about 2 and a half years ago opening a small gift shop on our Main Street after Covid had put many of the storefronts empty and people were coming out again. Her shop focuses on unique local and US sourced items typically made by small independent businesses. This is not a highly lucrative endeavor at this point but a labor of love and has endeared itself to the community.
Mrs Starfighter is a BIG Taylor Swift fan and likes to curate swift themed items and also has small parties at the shop to celebrate events like the opening of the Eras movie. Out of the blue she was approached by a local morning news crew looking to do a spot at her shop leading up to the Super Bowl based on her Swift party reputation. She of course welcomed this invite to get some free advertising and maybe bring in some new customers. Her spot on the our little morning news show was great and I was very proud. As the anchor was showing off her items, one of the favorites were her celebrity prayer candles she sells. Notably her Jordan Love, Taylor Swift, and Kelce candles. This is when things get interesting…
The next day her shops Facebook page starts receiving some strange comments. Someone had seen her on the news and was SO OFFENDED! The candles as it turns out, are offensive to all 1 billion Catholics on earth, who knew? A couple other comments dropped in then echoing this.
While being surprised, my wife approached it diplomatically stating that she would review these items and how people feel about them.
I grew up in a catholic home doing all 1-12 grades in catholic schools and even was an altar boy for a few years in church. I haven’t been to mass offer as an adult but in no way felt these were offensive. My wife asked other Catholics how they felt. Sure enough, not one saw an issue. It didn’t quite stop there however. You see, my wife’s little shop had come onto the radar of a small obscure right wing catholic group I had never heard of, TFP (traditional family values property). Then the nonsense started, people from Idaho, Florida, and Mississippi who have never been in our state, let alone my wife’s shop started leaving one star reviews on google and rude comments calling her blasphemous and one went as far and wide as asking “why are you promting abortion when you are 15 years too old to have children?” Btw my wife is still of child bearing age…The online harassment continue continued for a day or two.
Next thing you know this group was calling for a protest. Sure enough, last Saturday a group of 7 or 8 showed up with some signs and banners to protest her store for an hour or so.
It was even covered by our local Fox News affiliate!
Here is the uplifting part of the story. Saturday wound up being her shops busiest sales day ever. Many friends, neighbors and people in our community came out in support and it really buoyed my wife’s spirits. She even donated a portion of the days sales to charity working to help homeless in the city. Several new customers who had never heard of the shop even came out after learning of the fake controversy. One woman from a town 15 miles away even came after hearing about this from her daughter living in Minnesota.
One thing has come out of this that I do find offensive. None of my wife’s catholic customers had ever even thought to be offended by these candles and my wife has responded to her harassers pointing this out. Their response? “They aren’t REAL Catholics, they are CINOs! Catholics in name only” Hmm, where do we hear similar rhetoric these days? These folks have further slurred my wife in ways we all know Jesus would not have found acceptable. I don’t really think the candles bother them, they just strike me as bullies who need targets like people need air.
On a closing note, it’s worth mentioning that after the protest my wife had been approached by other news outlets for comment including, ugh, Fox News… She has wisely declined as we wait for the next shiny object to garner the attention of the culture warriors. Who would have thought that all it takes nowadays is a couple candles? When I discussed this with another catholic the other day he hit the nail on the head, Some people get out of bed offended. This episode has really encouraged me about people in general and given me hope in this era of right wing noise and bullying.
Update: I just attached a screenshot of a letter my wife received from NY. Lovely….