The Tuesday Morning Rant

Selective outrage. We've seen it countless times. Difficult to predict, but very clear when it happens.

Often times results in "Whataboutism"

Whataboutism often serves to reduce the perceived plausibility or seriousness of the original accusation or question by suggesting that the person advancing it is hypocritical or that the responder’s misbehavior is not unique or unprecedented.

A great recent example comes from the golf world. Well known equipment and apparel manufacturer Callaway found them selves in hot water over an ad produces by a partner company of theirs called Good Good Golf. The backlash was strong. The outrage seems -- selective.

Good Good Golf has taken the brunt of the immediate criticism and consequences. Callaway - for now at least - not so much.

Not familiar with Good Good Golf? Allow Grok to summarize:

Founded in 2020 by Garrett Clark, Stephen Castaneda, and Matt Scharff (later joined by others including Micah Morris and Tom Broders). Channel created July 2020; first video September 2020. Based in Frisco, Texas (founders originally from the Kansas City area).

Concept: friends playing golf challenges, trick shots, and casual matches. Aimed at younger viewers rather than traditional golf TV.

Matt Kendrick (previously involved with YouTube fishing channel Googan Squad) became CEO and pushed the business side — apparel, merch, events, and brand deals.

Grew rapidly: main channel passed 1 million subscribers by the time of the Callaway deal and later exceeded 2 million. Expanded into hats/apparel (strong seller at Dick’s and Golf Galaxy), live events, a women’s-focused channel, and later a $45 million funding round (2025).

No let's get to the current situation

The ad itself is said to be based on a movie called Obsession. From Wikipedia:

Obsession is a 2025/2026 supernatural horror movie written, directed, and edited by Curry Barker, a 26-year-old filmmaker who started with YouTube/TikTok shorts and a prior low-budget film (Milk & Serial). It premiered at TIFF in September 2025, then opened theatrically in the U.S. on May 15, 2026 (Focus Features / Blumhouse involvement). Shot for about $750,000–$1 million, it became a surprise hit, grossing hundreds of millions worldwide.

Bear (Michael Johnston), a shy music-store employee, has a long crush on his friend/coworker Nikki (Inde Navarrette) but can’t tell her. He uses a supernatural novelty item called the “One Wish Willow” to wish that she will fall in love with him. The wish works — but she becomes violently, unnaturally obsessed. It’s a modern “monkey’s paw / be careful what you wish for” story that starts like awkward romance and turns into horror.

The ad created a firestorm. It was said to promote violence against women. The tie-in to the movie was lost on most. From Grok (citing multiple sources):

CEO Matt Kendrick and Garrett Clark said the driver spot was meant as a parody of Obsession — Clark being “obsessed” with the new Callaway driver the way the movie’s characters get possessed by obsession, so anyone who touched the club would trigger that. In Clark’s later apology video he called the concept “super dumb” and “the worst ad known to man” once he saw the finished product. The connection was loose: the movie is about romantic/supernatural obsession turning dangerous, not a guy shoving someone over a golf club. Critics of the ad said the execution didn’t read as parody of that film.

It really was a bad ad. But was the backlash warranted?

Here's where some "whataboutism" abounds.

Snickers

Michelob

And who can forget Terry Tate?

Good Good Golf has been "cancelled".

Callaway terminated it's partnership with them. The partnership began in 2023

They lost a PGA Tour event title sponsorship

Dick's Sporting Goods and their subsidiary Golf Galaxy pulled their products - which had been selling quite well

Meanwhile, Callaway seems much less harmed. Probably because they issued this CYA memo with the proper woke homage to "diversity and inclusion"

From Nick Adams on X

1. Callaway approved this ad from Good Good

2. The full 60 second ad clearly shows that it's a skit mimicking the film Obsession, not an endorsement for violence

Would I have run the ad? No, it's a bad ad.

Do they deserve to have their company destroyed? Absolutely not.

I agree with him completely. This is selective outrage in 2 ways - the previous ads weren't met with that kind of reaction, and Callaway isn't facing anywhere near that kind of heat.

Although time will tell about the long term consequences to Callaway. Perhaps "get woke, go broke" will apply. I was a big fan of Callaway products before this situation. I spent a lot of money on Callaway irons earlier this year. I use their golf balls and have several hats and shirts of theirs. The irons are too expensive for me to get rid of. But I won't be wearing their apparel any longer. And I will be switching to a different golf ball manufacturer as well.

I don't think I'm alone in this regard.

posted by Doof at 11:00 AM

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