Arkansas Governor Sanders’ Bud Light koozies cause uproar

Little Rock, Arkansas – On Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ social media, there is a discussion about “real women” and who they are and are not.

Her “Real Women of Politics” koozie promotion video, which was posted on Sunday night, is seen as a joke by some, an insult by others, and a product by others that they are buying to support Sanders’ reelection.

Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders advertised a parody of a vintage Bud Light commercial online using phrases like “Real women don’t have to fake it” and “We like our beer cold, not woke”.

She is in response to a sponsored endorsement that Bud Light had with Dylan Mulvaney, a transgender influencer. Mulvaney was given a unique can bearing her image and the words “Cheers to 365 days.” Mulvaney had a 365-day “girlhood” celebration earlier in March.

Online debate has raged about it for the entire month. According to political analyst Michael Cook, elected leaders have used ads similar to Sanders’ before.

“We call it newsjacking where something that is in the news, if you can somehow piggyback off it and try to take your own spin, your own angle on it, that can then make you part of the conversation,” Cook said.

It’s a mechanism that the governor’s father, former governor Mike Huckabee, employed when he was in office with his “tax me more fund” for those who wanted additional funding for state programs. Cook claims that both serve the same objective.

“It’s just a way for her to make some noise, try to get on the national news,” Cook stated.

Others feel it isn’t as innocent. During the ad, singers can be heard saying, “Some companies can’t tell the difference between what’s real and fake anymore. Real people know the difference” and “Real women don’t have to fake it.”

The owner of Park West Pharmacy, Dr. Gwendolyn Herzig, is openly transsexual and supports the minority community.

“It’s not an SNL skit,” Dr. Herzig said. “I feel like this is probably a direct slap in the face for the LGBT community and the trans community, specifically trans women.”

Herzig attacks the product, four koozies featuring the female governors of Alabama, Iowa, South Dakota, and Sarah Sanders, in addition to the subject matter.

Each is being offered on Governor Sanders’ website for reelection for $15 plus $7 shipping. Your occupation and employer are requested while making a purchase, along with the remark “Campaign finance law requires us to collect your employment information.”

Dr. Herzig stated that she would want to see the funds used for tornado relief or another state-related project.

“Women come in all shapes and sizes, but I feel like this is just what her view type is,” Herzig added.

Herzig is eager to erase the film from her memory, but Cook predicts that others won’t be far behind.

“We’ll forget about this one in a week or so, and we’ll move on, but there will be other opportunities she is going to look for to try and get on national news to try and play to the Republican base,” Cook said.

According to Cook, this goes beyond the scope of national news and also attracts the attention of smaller creators like TikTok and Snapchat. According to Cook, name recognition is very important when running for a national post.