Ben & Jerry Arrested

Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield (of Ben & Jerry’s fame) have been arrested – something which the owners are proud of.

While Ben & Jerry have less impact on their company since it was sold to Unilever 16 years ago, the Politics of the founders is still foundational to much of their marketing. Recent flavour campaigns include ‘Save Our Swirled’ for climate change and ‘I Dough, I Dough’ in support of equal marriage in the US, reflecting the founders’ liberal political views.

Just two days ago, the founders were in a political protest outside the US capitol with 300 other protestors. They were campaigning with Democracy Awakening, pushing for a vote to allow President Obama’s nomination for Supreme Court to be pushed through. PPE applicants should consider the success or detraction which protests have caused in US history, particularly in relation to motivating congress or pushing through Law.

Ben & Jerry did not appear distressed by their arrest, with Ben quoted as saying “the history of our country is that nothing happens until people start putting their bodies on the line and risk getting arrested”. HSPS applicants might be interested in Ben’s limited edition run of Bernie’s Yearning; an ice cream in support of presidential candidate Bernie Sanders which was a mint ice cream topped with a large circular disk meant to represent the 1% consisting of the wealthiest members of society. The message Ben was presenting? That to get to the ice cream, the 1% disc had to be broken up and spread among the 99% of ice cream.