Year in Review: April-June
The Bud Light Fiasco, King Charles' Coronation, the "Wagner Rebellion," and more!
APRIL
The Big Story
BUD LIGHT, the once reigning king (not queen!) of beers, ticked off half the nation by promoting some new cans with transgender TikToker DYLAN MULVANEY and the slogan “Cheers to 365 Days of Being a Woman.”
Following the new campaign, an organic nationwide boycott punished the brand, with many people posting on social media videos of them burning Bud Light gear or shooting up cases of the beer. Perhaps the most notable clip came from KID ROCK, who filmed himself shooting up multiple cases of Bud Light while saying, “[Eff] Bud Light and [Eff] Anheuser-Busch.”
As for how Anheuser-Busch responded to the controversy, CEO Brendan Whitworth issued a statement that simply stated the company is “focused on building and protecting our remarkable history and heritage” — no mention of the backlash or support for Mulvaney.
Weeks later, Mulvaney addressed the outrage, explaining that taking a back seat to the noise seemed to be the best solution. Mulvaney also said that the company never reached out, which felt like “abandonment.”
Even with that lackluster statement and Mulvaney addressing the controversy, some were still shocked to see the continual decline in sales of the beer.
BY THE NUMBERS: Through the rest of spring and early summer, sales would continue to drop, falling 28% in June. Bud also lost its spot as the top-selling beer in the US among retailers for a couple of months, with Mexican lager Modelo Especial taking its spot.
Worth Remembering:
Paramount announces a “Yellowstone” spinoff starring MATTHEW MCCOUNAUGHEY, amid ongoing questions about the show's future as KEVIN COSTNER delays production.
JENNIFER LOPEZ announces her line of low-calorie wines, called Delola Spritz.
Parts of America observe a total solar eclipse for the first time since 2017.
TIGER WOODS withdraws from the Masters tournament after making the cut for a record-tying 23rd consecutive entry, citing weather concerns and injuries.
Actress and filmmaker LENA DUNHAM celebrates five years of sobriety after beating a pill addiction.
“The Super Mario Bros. Movie” earns $377 MILLION in global ticket sales over its opening weekend, marking the biggest opening haul for an animated feature ever. It took the title from “Frozen II,” which earned $358 MILLION over the same period.
A pair of Air Jordan 13s worn by MICHAEL JORDAN himself in the 1998 NBA Finals sells for $2.2 MILLION at auction.
JAMIE FOXX’s family first reports that the actor is recovering from an unidentified medical emergency. While he later publicly hinted he had been to “hell and back” after getting treatment at a Chicago facility specializing in strokes and brain injuries, he has not definitively said what happened.
The waitlist opens for FYRE FESTIVAL 2, an event that convicted felon and promoter BILLY MCFARLAND later says he’s hyping but will not manage operationally.
The first test flight of SPACEX’s Starship – the most powerful rocket ever built – ended about four minutes after liftoff in a massive explosion after reaching altitudes more than 24 miles above the ground, which the company called in a statement a “rapid unscheduled disassembly.”
POST MALONE earns his eighth diamond-certified hit, making him the Recording Industry Association of America’s most diamond-certified artist.
After months of clawing for alternative solutions, homegoods retailer BED BATH & BEYOND files Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The company behind Overstock.com would eventually buy BBY’s intellectual property and rebrand under that name, after shelling out $21.5 MILLION for the rights.
Fox News abruptly fires TUCKER CARLSON from his popular primetime show but never gives a definitive reason for the termination. Carlson later began streaming interviews and features on X and launched his own media company in December.
A high school senior from Louisiana earns $9 MILLION in combined scholarship offers from more than 125 colleges and universities, setting a new national record. He later announces he’ll study computer science at Cornell.
“The Late Late Show with James Corden” airs its final episode.
RIP: Paul Cattermole, 46; Len Goodman, 78; Jerry Springer, 79; Michael Lerner, 81
HITCHED: Lukas Gage & Chris Appleton; Sofia Richie & Elliot Grainge; Kevin Sussamn & Addie Hall; Everett Weston & Courtney Cavanagh; Bonnie Somerville & Dave McClain; Britt Robertson & Paul Floyd
BABY NEWS: Kaley Cuoco & Tom Pelphrey - Matilda (girl); Hilary Swank & Philip Schneider - twins (boy & girl); Emmy Rossum & Sam Esmail - baby boy
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