Garth Brooks is right for welcoming all people and all beers | Plazas

David Plazas, Nashville Tennessean
·2 min read
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I prefer Michelob Ultra over Bud Light.

Both these beers are Anheuser-Busch products, but I like the former because of the taste, the calories and it doesn’t completely wreck me like a meatier beer with a higher alcohol content.

The latter has been in the news for months for executives’ decision to gift a can to transgender TikTok influencer Dylan Mulvaney who promoted the beer, creating a massive backlash because of her gender identity.

So offended were critics over this act of business “woke-ism” (a term nobody can universally define), that part-time Nashville resident Kid Rock felt compelled to destroy a bunch of cans with his assault rifle in a video he posted on social media.

Bud Light sales tanked and many Nashville honky-tonk owners from Kid Rock to John Rich are refusing to sell the beer.

But now, country superstar Garth Brooks, who soon is opening his Friends in Low Places honky-tonk a couple of blocks from Kid Rock’s and Rich’s establishments is going in another direction.

Garth Brooks performs during his Stadium Tour concert at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., on April 15, 2022.
Garth Brooks performs during his Stadium Tour concert at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., on April 15, 2022.

'All are welcome' means giving customers freedom to choose

The Tennessean reported that Brooks said in a Facebook live stream: “Everybody’s got their opinions. But inclusiveness is always going to be me. I think diversity is the answer to the problems that are here and the answer to the problems that are coming. So I love diversity. All-inclusive, so all are welcome. I understand that might not be other people’s opinions, but that’s OK, man.”

Rather than resort to violence and intimidation, he is opening his doors to a whole swath of people who may or may not buy Bud Light. Customers have the freedom to make a market decision about what beer they drink while listening to music they enjoy.

Brooks’ approach is a healthy, mature way to deal with a tough issue, and it's the mark of a business owner who wants to appeal to a variety of tastes and backgrounds. That’s good marketing. Not just during Pride Month but all year round.

On Tuesday night, I walked down Broadway with colleagues, going from Tootsie’s to Acme Feed and Seed. We passed by Brooks’ establishment.

Over the years, I have patronized several of these places including Kid Rock’s Big Ass Honky Tonk Rock N’ Roll Steakhouse, and I’ll plan to go to Friends in Low Places when it opens.

I probably won’t order a Bud Light, but I’m glad to have the choice to do so.

Email David Plazas, who is the director of opinion and engagement for the USA TODAY Network Tennessee, at dplazas@tennessean.com.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Garth Brooks is right for welcoming all people and all beers