Latest news with #Bogan
Time of India
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Ravi Mohan calls Kenishaa Francis a ‘companion' amid feud with estranged wife Aarti: All you need to know about the singer
Actor Ravi Mohan on May 15 hit out at his estranged wife Aarti in a long and emotional post in which he claimed that she had subjected her to abuse. In the same statement, the Bogan star admitted that Kenishaa Francis is more than just a friend and called her his 'lifeline'. He also said that she supported him when he had 'nothing but tears in his life'. His statements have left fans eager to know more about his rumoured girlfriend. Ravi Mohan divorce row: Who is Kenishaa Francis? Kenishaa, who is said to be in a relationship with Ravi Mohan amid his bitter feud with estranged wife Aarti, is a singer from Bengaluru who rose to fame when she participated in a reality show called The Stage. She then found a foothold in the Goan pub scene, impressing listeners with her singing skills. Kemishaa is best known to the Hindi audience for the video song Blue Naina. She can also perform in Tamil and English. Kenisnaa is also a trained dancer and actor. Moreover, she is a licensed spiritual healer and psychologist who wants to use her knowledge to spread awareness about mental health. Her artistic skills and dedication to mental health well being have played a role in helping her earn a strong fan following on social media. She currently has over 90,000 followers on Instagram About Ravi Mohan and Kenishaa's rumoured relationship Rumours of Ravi Mohan being in a relationship with Kenidshaa started around 2024 shortly after the star announced that he was parting ways with Aarti. According to Times of India, the singer said that she first met him during the launch of her song Idhai Yaar Solvaaro. The two, however, did not have much interaction till June 2024 when he reached out to her for emotional guidance. Ravi Mohan, on the other hand, asked fans to refrain from dragging her into his personal matters.
News.com.au
22-04-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Coca-Cola reignites age-old Aussie debate as Share A Coke return
A popular marketing campaign by one of the world's biggest soft drink companies has reignited an age-old debate about an Aussie phrase some consider offensive. Coca-Cola recently bought back its Share A Coke campaign, a popular initiative that sees personalised Coca-Cola, Diet Coke and Coke Zero Sugar cans and bottles hit shelves across the country. After initially launching in Australia back in 2011, its return features almost 200 names and nicknames, allowing Aussies to shop their own names from those available in-stores. The cult-drink brand has also included a few very Aussie phrases such as 'Boofhead', 'Sis' and 'Old Mate'. But one term adorned on select cans and bottles has raised a few eyebrows, prompting one person to take to Reddit with the question: 'Is this a slur or a badge of honour on this Coke Zero can?' The phrase in question was 'Bogan', a slang word often used to describe a person with a working class background. It can be traced back to the western suburbs of Melbourne in the 1980s and is also used as a replacement for the term 'larrikin'. But overwhelmingly it refers to a person whose speech, clothing, attitude and behaviour are considered unrefined or unsophisticated. After an image of Cole can with 'Bogan' written across it was shared to Reddit, Australians were quick to weigh in on whether it was a derragtory term or not. 'Everything is a slur of you want it to be,' one said. 'Surely we're not actually calling 'bogan' a slur now,' another agreed Another social media user added: 'Classist people do use it as a slur, but honestly, I'm in my 40s, and most bogans I've met in my life are self-proclaimed and proud of it. I will say that the one place I have seen it used negatively towards others is in Canberra.' Another argued: 'Bogan can go either way. I know people who will freely call themselves a Bogan, but I'd never call someone a Bogan, even if they said it was OK, I just wouldn't.' One commented: 'I'm currently drinking Boofhead … frequently get boomer too.' 'Most Aussies are slightly bogan or know someone who is lol. It's definitely an Aussie slang,' one said. Another added: 'I found two side-by-side that said Boomer and Boofhead. Took a photo and was gonna send it to my stepfather but yeah, thought he might figure it was a slur.' 'Bogan is part of Australia's cultural identity, why would it be a slur?' asked someone else. Henry Paternoster, a historian and academic, told 9 News in 2020 said the phrase has a lot of different meanings, stating it initially had to do with class. 'We don't really use the term working class anymore so when we talk about class we now use words like 'bogan',' he said. 'I think one of the really interesting things about this word is that 'bogan' can be used depending on whether you want to celebrate bogans or you want to denigrate them, it becomes this stereotype used to bash Australian or to elevate some aspect what you think Australian culture is.' A Coca-Cola spokesperson told 'the Share a Coke campaign is designed to be fun and inclusive'. 'We think 'Bogan' is a classic Aussie term usually used in good nature,' the rep added. 'In fact, from our research, we believe there are some Aussies that are very proud to be called Bogan.'
NBC News
20-03-2025
- Business
- NBC News
As retailers drop DEI, some Black customers drop them
By Janelle Griffith and Claretta Bellamy March 20, 2025 Protests from conservatives and a new president in the White House who describes diversity initiatives as ' illegal and immoral ' have cleared the runway for private companies to roll back or completely abandon diversity, equity and inclusion commitments. Companies, including Target, Walmart, McDonald's and Amazon, announced plans to scale back or cut DEI programs in their businesses, signaling to some Black customers that it's time to rethink where they spend their cash. NBC News spoke to nearly two dozen Black people across the country about why they are boycotting certain companies and the impact that changes to DEI initiatives have had on their spending habits. Walmart did not respond to requests for comment about the boycotts. Target declined to comment about the boycotts or the feelings expressed by people who spoke to NBC News. It referred NBC News to a fact sheet about its 'belonging' strategy. Amazon said the company is 'committed to creating a diverse and inclusive company that helps us build the best range of products and services for our broad customer base.' McDonald's declined to comment and referred NBC News to the company's commitment to inclusion. The protest isn't just about DEI, said Trevon Logan, a professor of economics at Ohio State University. The abandonment of corporate pledges five years after the protests sparked by George Floyd's murder in 2020 is also motivating boycotts. 'Many of the companies that are being targeted are not just companies that derive a significant share of their business from Black customers; they're also companies that employ a large number of Black people,' he said, 'who would be in environments where DEI policies could make their work environments safer, better and more productive.' Black Americans have a collective $1.3 trillion in annual purchasing power, according to some estimates. The total purchasing power of U.S. consumers is more than $17 trillion, said Vicki Bogan, a professor of public policy at Duke University. Both economists said that for the boycotts to have a marked impact, they will have to be sustained and reach beyond Black consumers. 'If there is buy-in from other communities, then I think there could be enough pressure to change the corporate behavior in a shorter amount of time,' Bogan said. While Black shoppers aren't the only people boycotting, Logan pointed to organizing 'stemming from Black religious institutions.' According to Bloomberg Second Measure data, a grassroots 'economic blackout' on Feb. 28 had no discernible effect on overall U.S. consumer spending or spending at major retailers. Even with limited impact, Bogan said, the one-day blackout was 'successful in raising awareness for this cause.' Nonetheless, many of the people who spoke to NBC News said they are committed to shopping locally, buying from Black-owned stores when possible and avoiding the box stores that are dropping DEI in the long term. Davone "Day" Madison, 51, Chicago Davone Madison often visited Target without a shopping list, letting the store's 'vibe' determine what she would buy. Now, she said, she plans on 'never going back' to Target or Walmart and hopes other Black people will boycott for at least one year, she said. 'These companies, if they are going to come back, they need to come back begging for us,' Madison said. 'They need to come back wanting us as consumers and respect our Black dollars.' Madison now gets most of her groceries at Costco and Living Fresh Market, a Black-owned grocery store. Kasera Brown, 33, Frisco, Texas Kasera Brown said she and her friends expected DEI rollbacks from Walmart after the election, but Target caught her off-guard. The store 'is my safe space,' she said, adding that she visits up to four times a week. 'I don't think I'll ever be able to trust them again,' Brown said. 'They've broken that trust, and I don't think that there's going to be a good way to apologize.' Dawn Hardy, 51, Charlotte, North Carolina Dawn Hardy, a literary publicist, said she felt betrayed by Target's plans, since in her eyes, it had been a champion of products by Black creators. Some of her clients' books have been featured in Target stores as part of Black History Month displays, said Hardy, who even bought stock in the company because she believed in its success. 'So for them to be one of the companies that is now backing out of DEI, I actually was really surprised and disappointed, and I was like, 'Oh, Target, I gave you guys all my money,'' she said. Instead of shopping weekly at Target, Hardy now shops small and hopes the impact of a large-scale boycott will prompt the company to reconsider its rollback. Denisha Miller, 39, Bronx, New York Denisha Miller is using the boycott as an opportunity to explore more of her hobbies in a way that also supports Black businesses. 'I love to do different dishes because I love to cook,' Miller said. 'That's one of my hobbies. So if I have to go to a Black-owned restaurant and see what the chef has on the menu, I'll do that. Or a Black bookstore. Anything that's Black-owned I'm really interested, because I want to support and I want to feel good that I gave back, too.' Jasmin Robinson, 33, Atlanta During what she describes as a 'bad month,' Jasmin Robinson said, she could spend upward of $1,000 at Amazon, Walmart and Target. But now, Robinson, an attorney, said she's supporting more Black-owned businesses and services from her clients and sees those big retailers as 'that ex that I'm just never getting back with.' 'When I think about our ancestors who boycotted the bus system for over a year, the extreme temperatures and things that they endured, it's like what, I'm complaining about shopping at Target? Absolutely not. I don't ever have to shop there again.' Tanzania Black, 33, Houston 'I had a friend initially, when it all started, who was just like, 'I don't really care,' and now, I have her saying, 'Who are we boycotting this month?'' Amanda Wright, 26, Brooklyn, New York Amanda Wright, the owner of El Punto Cubano, a food stall at DeKalb Market Hall in Brooklyn, said it has been easy to leave big retailers behind — even if the food hall is in the same building as a Target. She now buys products from Black-owned brands that she once purchased there, directly from the brands' websites. 'I've always shopped with Honey Pot Co. I've been shopping with them for over, like, four years now. That's one of my favorite Black-owned brands. The Lip Bar, as well. For cosmetics, I love their lipsticks.' KK Middleton, 45, Central Alabama Boycotting big-box stores and fast-food giants is nothing new for KK Middleton, the senior pastor of two churches in Alabama. Middleton has implored churchgoers and social media followers to boycott major retailers for at least half of 2025, and he hopes his message of mindful spending reaches those who don't believe there is any benefit in boycotting. To him and many others who spoke to NBC News for this article, the boycotts have the potential to be as influential as the Montgomery bus boycott — a key event in the Civil Rights Movement that began in Montgomery, Alabama, in December 1955 after Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white passenger on a segregated bus. Parks helped ignite a 381-day boycott of the city's public transit system and inspired other civil rights protests across the country. 'Yeah, it was awkward. It was uncomfortable,' Middleton said of the boycott. 'But then you realize at the end of the day,' it's possible to live without these stores. 'And a lot of times, we've just got to be reminded as individuals, this is a luxury. You don't have to go to these places. They have nothing unique that you can't get from somewhere else.' 'It doesn't make me feel good to give my money to people who don't give a damn about me.' Nakita Harvey, 37, Port Washington, New York Nakita Harvey's nearest Target store is less than a five-minute walk from her home, but she hasn't been there in months. 'The more I thought about it, I was like, 'You know what? Once people show you who they are, you should just believe them,'' said Harvey, a home health aide and mother of five, who is studying to become a teacher. 'And even if they put it back, it doesn't take away the fact that they were willing to just do away with that.' Harvey has sometimes spent more at smaller businesses for the same items she could buy for less at Target — and it doesn't bother her. 'I'm just not going to give them my money,' she said. 'It doesn't make me feel good to give my money to people who don't give a damn about me.' Sophia Ellis, 39, Fort Worth, Texas Sophia Ellis visited Target for her favorite products from Black-owned brands, including the Lip Bar, Ghetto Gastro and Tabitha Brown's seasonings. She also stocked up on merchandise during Pride Month. That has stopped. While a public apology from the store would possibly help, it may already be too late: 'We kind of figured out how to live without you,' she said. Beverly Mahone, 67, Durham, North Carolina Beverly Mahone, once a loyal Walmart shopper, said she hasn't supported the retailer in months. She has also ditched Whole Foods, a store she loved, which is owned by Amazon. 'They're saying, 'We don't care about you, but we'll take your money.' How does that sound?' she said. 'It's like, 'I don't really love you, but I'll marry you.' I mean, it's crazy.' In a statement to NBC News, Whole Foods Market said the company 'is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive company and continues to support programs that do so.' Mahone and her husband are empty nesters who now plan to get more use out of their Costco membership because Costco hasn't stopped its DEI policies. For Mahone, DEI is deeply personal. She believes it gave her access to job opportunities that she was qualified for but would have otherwise been denied. 'Without DEI,' she said, 'there are going to be a lot of qualified candidates who are just going to be overlooked. That's the sad thing.' Lamar Richards, 24, Ann Arbor, Michigan Lamar Richards has grown accustomed to traveling 45 minutes or so from his home in Ann Arbor to Detroit or to Toledo, Ohio, to buy hair products from Black-owned businesses that he would typically get from his neighborhood Target to care for his locs. 'One of the reasons that the Montgomery bus boycott worked is because we, as a people, became OK with being inconvenienced on behalf of what we knew was possible,' he said. 'And so I've accepted that.' Sydney Freeman Jr., 40, Moscow, Idaho 'My dad used to say, 'My money is just as green as everybody else's,'' Sydney Freeman said. 'We deserve the same types of services, and when a company says that they're going to service our community and then reneges on that, I think we need to hold them into account.' How long will he participate? 'Indefinitely,' Freeman said, without hesitation. Rachelle Biennestin, 30, Somerville, Massachusetts Rachelle Biennestin said it was 'sad' that some are downplaying the potential effectiveness of a mass boycott. 'People need to realize Target, in one day, makes [over] $250 million, which is a lot of money,' said Biennestin, who said she used to spend about $500 a month at Walmart and Target. To those who say the one-day boycott at the end of February wasn't effective, she said, 'You gotta start somewhere.' 'I feel like a week of boycotting, a month of boycotting, could really send a huge message to the company. I think more people need to do their research.' Asa Khalif, 40, Philadelphia Asa Khalif had become 'a very loyal shopper at Target' after it pledged to spend more than $2 billion on Black-owned businesses by 2025 along with featuring more Black-owned brands in its stores after the Floyd murder in 2020. Now, he said, that loyalty is gone. Khalif, a lifelong activist, recently visited his local Target, piled nearly $300 worth of clothes into a cart and told the cashier he wouldn't buy them. He said about five other Black and Latino shoppers who witnessed the protest left the store with him. Khalif added that to take the type of spending power Black people have and take them for granted, 'it's unacceptable.' Arthur Harrington, 23, Detroit 'Where you spend your money, it's an indication of where your values lie,' said Arthur Harrington, a student at Wayne State University School of Law in Detroit. Mylene Cornelius, 64, Valley Stream, New York About two weeks ago, Mylene Cornelius lost the lock she uses at the gym. But rather than go to Walmart, which would have been her go-to, she wandered around her neighborhood trying to find a replacement, she said. For a church event, she stocked up on items from a local Christian store instead of Amazon, even though it cost more. 'As a Black person, basically, I don't like them abandoning programs that were put in place to try and equalize the job market,' said Cornelius, a retired tax assessor who worked for New York City for 38 years. Devin Freeman, 23, Kernersville, North Carolina 'Money is authority, and if we can divest away from these companies, that's going to affect their stocks, as well as their shareholders, and then they're going to have to turn to why is it that they're not making the same revenues as previous quarters. Because people have rallied and have used their power,' he said. Pamela Purifoy, Durham, North Carolina Pamela Purifoy said she was shocked when she learned that Target had concluded its DEI goals. 'At first, I didn't believe it,' said Purifoy, who works in public relations and marketing. 'Target, to me, led the way with all of their progressiveness, with supporting Black businesses, women, diversity,' she said. 'You could really see their diversity efforts and everything that they did.' Her boycotting has had unintended benefits. 'I think I may have saved myself some money by not going there so much,' she said, laughing. Greear Webb, 24, Atlanta Greear Webb, a second-year law student, began boycotting Target, McDonald's, Walmart and Amazon during Black History Month, and he has been encouraging his peers and family members to join him, 'in the spirit of the Civil Rights movement.' 'It's undeniable that people of color in this country, and the most marginalized, need help in ways that people who are privileged do not,' he said. 'And so the point here is to uplift the most marginalized so that we can all succeed.' His pastor at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church near Atlanta, the Rev. Jamal Bryant, is among the faith and civil rights leaders who organized a national 40-day 'Target fast,' which began on the first day of Lent. Webb said he has felt frustrated by and disappointed in the companies that he said rolled over to Trump's decrees taking aim at diversity, equity and inclusion policies. Companies like Target, Walmart, Amazon, and others 'should look like the people they serve, and they should have a backbone when it comes to defending said people,' he said. Webb said he recognizes the discomfort that boycotting is likely to pose. 'It is difficult to boycott. It is difficult to change up your schedule or your routine, but that's what our ancestors did,' he said. 'That's the type of bold action we saw during the Civil Rights Movement and during the gay rights movement and during the anti-war movement. And so, when you're trying to change a system, specifically a system that's been in place for hundreds of years, that prioritizes people with wealth, that prioritizes people with white skin, it's going to take significant action, and it can be hard, but I do believe that we will win and actions like this will make a difference and really uplift America's marginalized.' News Editor Michelle Garcia Art Director Justine Goode Designer Leila Register
Yahoo
05-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Super Bowl packs an economic punch, but researchers say it's not the big score the NFL touts
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts faces cameras on the field inside the Caesars Superdome during the Super Bowl Opening Night on Feb. 3, 2025, in New Orleans. () Independent research has found that the Super Bowl's impact on the economy of host cities is often vastly overstated, but the big game is bringing a boon to certain New Orleans businesses that one might not typically associate with football. Such is the case for florists Brent Bogan and Herb Oldknow, who run Herbivore Floral Designs and create artistic flower arrangements for weddings and special events. Bogan said he's seen a 100% increase in business due to the Super Bowl with contracts for seven corporate clients this week totaling nearly $100,000. 'We have events going on at Le Pavillon, [The] Misi, Jolie, Capitol on Baronne and a few other dinners and events around the city – all corporate clients who are wining and dining their clients,' Bogan said. Herbivore typically sees almost no business this time of year, he said, so the Super Bowl brought a welcome change in pace for the business and others who work in event décor. The Super Bowl is also providing a boost to the rideshare and car service industry. David Rivera, a driver for a luxury transport fleet, has been busy this week shuttling corporate clients to various events. 'It makes one wish New Orleans should host a Super Bowl every year,' Rivera said. So far not all businesses are seeing a windfall. Restaurateur Conrad Churra said he's hoping to capitalize on the bustling activity in New Orleans. The two locations of his breakfast/brunch eatery, Wakin' Bakin', have seen mixed returns over the past few days. Sales at his French Quarter location were down Monday, but he said he saw a significant uptick on Tuesday. On the other hand, business has been slow all month at his location in Mid-City. Cary Rogers, who owns Buffa's Bar & Restaurant on Esplanade Avenue, two blocks from Bourbon Street, said the Super Bowl has so far not brought any noticeable uptick in sales, though he said he's hoping that will change later this week. Churra and Rogers each said they've seen noticeably fewer customers since the start of 2025 and believe the Bourbon Street terrorist attack on New Year's Day is at least partially to blame. The Jan. 1 incident, in which an American jihadist drove a truck through a crowd of revelers on Bourbon Street, killing 14 and injuring 57, should be considered when analyzing the Super Bowl's economic impact on New Orleans, according to Alí Bustamante, a University of New Orleans professor and economist at the Roosevelt Institute. Researchers acknowledge the Super Bowl can have a positive economic impact on a local economy but argue it's typically much lower than the NFL claims. The league commissions economic impact assessments after the event and uses the data to convince state and local governments to subsidize investments such as new stadiums, said Brad Humphreys, an economics professor at West Virginia University. Studies that factor in the costs of those subsidies have found that cities often see little benefit from hosting a Super Bowl. A North Carolina State University report noted that the 2015 Super Bowl cost the city of Glendale, Arizona, between $579,000 and $1.2 million. Bustamante said New Orleans didn't have to build a stadium to host the NFL championship. However, the Caesars Superdome did complete a $560 million renovation project last year thanks in large part to government subsidies. About $380 million of that came from a combination of state dollars and the Louisiana Stadium & Exposition District, which is a state agency. The Sports Management Research Institute, a firm that works with sports leagues that include the NFL, issued a press release last week touting the huge economic impact the game will bring to New Orleans. The firm issues similar statements each year around the Super Bowl, prompting economists and academics to scrutinize the firm's research and argue host cities actually see far fewer benefits. SMRI boasted of skyrocketing hotel rates in the New Orleans area ahead of the game with an average price of $4,625 per night for four-star accommodations and $847 per night for two-star accommodations. A search on hotel booking websites shows similarly high rates and few vacancies for the upcoming weekend even outside of the city. 'SMRI's research lends credence to the theory that the big game, and the many events leading up to it make a significant economic impact on host cities,' the firm said in its news release. It did not cite any data of the Super Bowl's impact on businesses aside from hotels. There's little doubt one of the largest single-day sporting events attracts a lot of economic activity, estimated in the billions of dollars each year. The crux of the argument among economists has to do with where most of that money ultimately ends up and who bears the heaviest cost for the least reward. Humphreys, the economics professor, has conducted his own studies on the Super Bowl and argues the NFL's economic impact claims are greatly overstated. 'Sky-high hotel room rates during the Super Bowl do not generate significant economic impact in the local economy in New Orleans,' Humphreys said. 'Most hotel owners do not live in the area. Hotel employees do not receive higher wages when hotels raise room rates during an event like this. The additional revenues earned by hotels during the Super Bowl represent windfall corporate profits that do not translate to local economic benefits.' Researchers from North Carolina State University, the University of Delaware and Williams University have come to similar conclusions. Several studies argue a lot of the money from the Super Bowl doesn't stay in the host city, and that the game tends to have a 'crowding out' effect that discourages locals and other tourists from venturing into the city, which can partially offset gains from the football crowds. Much of the money from past Super Bowls comes from ticket sales, merchandise, brand licensing and network broadcasting deals, all of which goes to the NFL rather than to local businesses of the host cities, according to the North Carolina State study. Research has not landed on a specific annual figure, but past games have made between $300 million and $1.3 billion, according to NCSU. The studies also point out that Super Bowl host cities are top tourist destinations by their own right, and researchers argue the game merely replaces other events that would have been hosted there. Other assessments found that Taylor Swift's Eras Tour brought more money to the local economy in Glendale, Arizona, in 2023 than the Super Bowl did when it was hosted there a month earlier, according to a Time magazine article. A later analysis from Statista broke down the numbers, showing how the two events stack up. Jay Cicero, Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation president and Super Bowl LIX Host Committee member, pointed to a UNO study that found the 2013 Super Bowl had a $480 million economic impact on the city. A projection for this year's game hasn't yet been calculated, but Cicero said local nonprofits are already seeing benefits. For example, more than $3.5 million in grants have been awarded to 65 organizations through an Entergy Corp. community campaign tied to the Super Bowl, he said in an email. 'The sold-out hotel rooms, packed restaurants, and increased foot traffic to our small businesses are tangible visuals that solidify the game's positive economic influence right now,' Cicero said. 'This is our moment to show off what our city does best to national and international audiences, and it is that kind of platform that drives increased tourism long after Feb. 9.'
