A group of militant moms are miffed that JC Penney selected Ellen DeGeneres as its celebrity spokesperson to shore up the company's sagging image.
"Funny that JC Penney thinks hiring an open homosexual spokesperson will help their business when most of their customers are traditional families," a group called One Million Moms posted on its website.
As part of the right wing American Family Association, the group urged members to petition the department store chain to fire Ellen from her new post.
The company's head honcho, however, is unlikely to heed its demand. "Ellen DeGeneres is one of the most fun and vibrant people in entertainment today, with great warmth and a down-to-earth attitude," said President Michael Francis. "The millions who watch her on television and follow her through social media relate to her and trust what she has to say."
The slam against the slim blonde pitted opposing sides against each other in America's ongoing culture war. The blogosphere went wild, with opinions both defending and dissing the so-called family values group's gripe against the most popular female celebrity goofball since Lucille Ball.
"If you're pissed that Ellen is doing a song-and-dance for the retailer, then go buy your ill-fitting sweatpants elsewhere," mocked Max Berlinger of OUT.com
A gay rights advocacy group has started an online campaign to re-assure the retail giant it made the right decision to hire the daffy dance machine. The group is asking Ellen supporters to retweet "Will you #StandUpForEllen? Support @TheEllenShow & thank @jcpenney for making the right choice glaad.org/ellen #LGBT" and sign a petition favoring her retention.
Even some members of the anti-Ellen group's Facebook page disagree with the group's decision to ditch the talk diva. "She is generous with her blessings and is modest in her dress and behavior," wrote one follower. "She does not hide who she truly is. If these are traits to be judged poorly by, I am done."
With more than 3.5 million viewers tuning into her show each week, Ellen influences a lot of women who may want to show their support for their TV pal by purposely shopping at JC Penney.
This latest skirmish in the culture wars comes at the same time Penney's mall neighbor, Sears, got saucy with an ad featuring a topless picture of the Kardashian sisters to sell their new line of jeans. Meanwhile, "Sex and the City" co-star Cynthia Nixon caused a media sensation when she said being gay was a choice for her. She later clarified she was technically a bisexual and did not have a choice about that.
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