Caitlin Williamson – Special to the Southern News
Chairman of Barilla has his pick of multiple styles of his family’s wildly famous pasta company, but clearly prefers only one kind of pasta: straight. Guido Barilla comes in harsh with a strong statement referring to a reporter’s question whether the company would ever feature gay families for advertisements with their product. The chairman explained he believes in more of a traditional family setting, where “the woman’s role is crucial.” He tries to justify his statement during his interview on Radio24 by claiming his and the company’s belief is, “Not for lack of respect towards homosexuals… but because I don’t agree with them, and think we want to talk to traditional families.” If you thought this man with just the right way of saying things was finished, you were wrong. He topped off his interview with saying, “If gays like our pasta and our advertising, they will eat our pasta. If they don’t like that; they will eat someone else’s pasta then.”
Barilla Pasta was founded in 1877 in Ponte Taro, Italy by Pietro Barilla. The company remains owned and ran by the now fourth generation of Pietro Barilla, by brothers Guido Barilla, Luca Barilla, and Paolo Barilla. The man of the outrageously uncomfortable hour, Guido Barilla, is the current chairman of the company who represents what the company’s opinion is in the media. With such strongly opinionated statements in the media, naturally Barilla is now seeing the backlash of the interview.
Typing into the Google search bar “Barilla Pasta Company,” every link on the first page is either a review of what the chairman said live on air, or rally’s showing Gay Right Activists doing exactly what Guido requested; boycotting Barilla pasta. The public reaction was appalled by the outrageous statement made on Wednesday, and they are not staying quiet about their Barilla-boycotting opinions. Aurelio Mancuso, head of Italy’s Equality Italia Group, made a statement with Bruce Golding, New York Post, saying “We accept the invitation from the Barilla owner to not eat his pasta.”
One must step back and try to see both sides of the story. Just as any person who was offended by the comment made by Barilla has the right to have a certain opinion about it; Guido Barilla is allowed to have a specific view on marriages. However, we are currently living in 2013. The world has changed, and the views and minds of the people in our society have changed with it. Every person is allowed to have his or her own view on literally any topic that there is, but whoever is currently managing the Barilla boys should tighten the leash on their public speaking for awhile. An ignorant comment like that will not only affect their famiy’s business currently and temporarily, but can taint the century old name brand permanently if the people decide.
Guido Barilla has officially come out with an apology video after the public’s reaction was more than aggressively angry towards the multi-millionaire’s statement. In the video clip, he addresses the situation, apologizes for offending any persons who were negatively affected by his words. Guido even offered to meet with any person’s who were offended by his words, and gay right activist groups that pledged to boycott the pasta company’s products. A smart and respectful move on Guido Barilla’s part to publically apologize to everyone, but the damage may be done. Multiple gay activist groups continue to rally against the company, with photos and statements of them emptying their kitchen cabinets of any Barilla products.
Lesson learned from the Barilla boys; if you don’t like what’s on the plate, then simply and politely don’t eat it.
