Morality In Media’s now three week-old boycott of Groupon, the online coupon company, is growing. Seven organizations with substantial membership have joined the boycott in the last week. More than 15,000 of Morality In Media’s own supporters have now contacted Groupon to cancel their memberships.  

Groupon’s support of porn producers Kink and Playboy caused MIM to initiate the boycott. “Why Groupon would find Kink to be an attractive business associate is puzzling,” said MIM’s executive director Dawn Hawkins, “because Kink brags that its productions include, ‘Girls … pulled in and out of cages, their tongues clamped, their bodies pinned, and their arms and legs strapped.’”  

Kink also claims to employ “contraptions used in countries such as China for torture” as well as “machines, water, metal, wood, electrodes, hooks, needles, and urination, all for the sexual persecution of women and ‘sexy, young teens.’”  

Groupon defends Kink, saying, “We thoroughly vet the businesses we feature…Fortunately, this business has proven to be a responsible member of their community.”  

“Playboy is no better than Kink,” Hawkins said. “It started the porn exploitation explosion.”  

Joining the boycott in the last week are Citizens for Community Values, Girls Against Porn & Human Trafficking, American Family Association of Kansas and Missouri, Louisiana Family Forum Action, Illinois Family Institute, Women for Decency, and Arizona Family Council.  

Groupon may be attempting to conceal its associations with sexually exploitative businesses, in response to the boycott. Advertisements related to Kink and Playboy have now been wiped from the company’s site though expired coupons for other businesses are still on the site. You can still see them HERE.  

“Until Groupon announces that it will no more support sexually exploitive businesses, the boycott will grow,” said Hawkins.  

A special “Boycott Groupon Project” page has been set up HERE.  There boycott supporters may also email all top Groupon executives, and call on them to reject partnership with businesses that glamorize the exploitation and abuse of women.  

About Morality in Media

Founded in 1962, Morality in Media, Inc. is the leading organization focused on opposing pornography and indecency through public education and the application of the law. www.PornHarms.com.

On Wednesday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit (3rd Circuit) vacated a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Order which found that CBS violated the broadcast indecency law in its airing of the 2004 Super Bowl Halftime Show, a move that Morality in Media (MIM) calls unfortunate.

“The 3rd Circuit might be on solid ground had the halftime show breast-baring incident involving Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson been a complete accident in an otherwise unobjectionable show. But as the FCC Order shows, the 2004 Halftime Show was sexually charged from beginning to end, and the exposure of Ms. Jackson’s breast was anything but a complete accident,” said Robert Peters, MIM General Counsel & President Emeritus.

“This wasn’t a burlesque show intended for ‘consenting adults.’ This was the most watched TV program of the year, aired during prime time hours and watched by millions of children.  This wasn’t a case of CBS not knowing that its programming might violate community standards.   This was case of CBS not caring about community standards. The FCC is to be commended for its determination that the 2004 Super Bowl Halftime Show violated the broadcast indecency law,” said Peters.

About Morality in Media:  Founded in 1962, Morality in Media, Inc. is the leading organization focused on opposing pornography and indecency through public education and the application of the law. MIM is leading The War on Illegal Pornography, a coalition of more than 100 national and state groups whose goal is to stop the distribution of illegal pornography. For more information visit www.PornHarms.com, www.WarOnIllegalPornography.com, and Morality in Media.