Rep. Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas, learned how beer monopolies work this week when, in an attempt to join the growing chorus of conservatives vowing to boycott Bud Light over the beer brand's partnership with transgender influencer and activist Dylan Mulvaney, he posted a video showing the contents of his refrigerator — only to reveal that is was packed with another beer owned by Bud's parent company, Anheuser-Busch.
"Just saw Bud Light's stupid ad campaign," Crenshaw said in the video, which was posted to the congressman's Instagram feed on Monday. "So, guess what we're going to do? We're going to throw out every single Bud Light we've got in the fridge."
At that point, Crenshaw opened up his refrigerator. However, there were no cans of Bud Light inside.
"Alright," he said. "Well, I guess that was easy."
Not so fast: As Instagram commenters quickly pointed out, Crenshaw's refrigerator was stocked with Karbach, a brand that Anheuser-Busch acquired in November 2016.
"Cringe-Shaw….when you realize Karbach is owned by the same company as Anheuser-Busch," one commenter wrote.
"Way to do your research snowflake," a second user added. "You just owned yourself."
Another commenter agreed: The congressman had committed "a tremendous self-own."
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Crenshaw's clip followed a viral video posted last week by Kid Rock. As Salon Food reported, the footage began with the musician referring to himself as a grandpa who was "feeling a little frisky today." He then opened fire on various Bud Light cases that had been stacked on a folding table in a field. Eventually, Kid Rock turned back to the camera to direct expletives at both Anheuser-Busch and Bud Light, as well as flip off the audience.
Like other conservatives— including Townhall columnist Derek Hunter, who called Bud Light "the groomer of beers" on Twitter — Kid Rock and Crenshaw vowed to boycott the beer following its campaign with Mulvaney, whose partnership with the brand consisted of a few Instagram posts.
However, those posts were enough for right-wing public figures to use them as a springboard to amplify anti-trans rhetoric during a time when transgender individuals are facing increased threats of violence and laws that may prevent or even criminalize their ability to seek gender-affirming medical care. It's increasingly clear that the "culture war" about which conservatives continue to wring their hands is largely one-sided. Moreover, it continues to wage as a way for Republicans to emphasize their talking points ahead of the 2024 presidential election.
As one commenter pointed out in Crenshaw's post, "Negative publicity is better than sliding into obscurity." And as these boycotts show, failing may actually be a part of the conservative strategy.
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