The tweet heard around the world and it came from a Tulsa coffee shop owner. His comments about breastfeeding went viral in a matter of minutes and really burned moms from Green Country all the way to London.FOX23’s Abbie Alford reports on the power of social media.
Double Shot Coffee Company owner, Brian Franklin, says occasionally it has a customer who chooses to breastfeed in his coffee shop.
Monday, it was another customer who came to Franklin and started talking about the mother whose breast was showing in the coffee shop.
Franklin says he got on Twitter to talk about it and never did he intend to offend so many people.
It all started around 10 Monday morning when Double Shot near 18th and Boston tweeted this, “Notice: No breastfeeding at the DoubleShot. Thank you.”
Hundreds of breastfeeding advocates weren’t happy and ironically this tweet was made during World Breastfeeding Week. It’s also illegal to ban a mother from breastfeeding in a public place.
Jennyroby tweeted, “I live in Tulsa and am thinking you may change your tune if you had to listen to my hungry baby cry for just 5min."
Mom’s from New York to California and London weighed in.
Michellew, a mommy blogger from Philadelphia tweeted, “Might I suggest a breast milk latte on the menu? ;)”
And Minnesotajoy, tweeted, “Wow, don't look then. Seems like babies have the right to eat like the rest of us. ;)”
Ballardll from Oklahoma thought the outrage was comical, “The rebel in me now wants a coffee from @thedoubleshot just because the outrage is hilarious."
So about an hour after all the hype, Double Shot retracted and tweeted, “Settle down, folks. We just don't like walking across the room and seeing your breast. Maybe you could do it in private.” A few minutes later the owner added, "Ok ok, breastfeeding allowed again at the DoubleShot. Hey! Breastfeeding all around. :)”
An hour later the owner tweeted again, “I was just kidding anyway. Didn't expect that blow up. Sorry to get you guys riled up."
While breastfeeding advocates are outraged by the Double Shot’s tweets, one of its fans says there’s something every business and tweeter should learn, “Social media lesson for the day: 1) think before you tweet, and 2) @thedoubleshot is still cool in my books,” says jasoncarini.
That’s why social media professors such as Bill Handy from Oklahoma State University says you can apologize for saying something insensitive to a friend in person but on twitter, you have to apologize to the whole world.
The owner of Double Shot Coffee Company released an e-mail statement to FOX23 News, “Some of the people angry about this were concerned for their individual rights and the right of their baby to eat. It is as if I had tried to pass a law banning the practice of breastfeeding universally. The fact is, these people aren't concerned with individual rights. They are concerned with THEIR rights. They would not fight for my right to ban breastfeeding in my establishment if I chose to do so. I don't mind if people breastfeed in the DoubleShot, but it's funny to me that people don't consider the rights of others; only their own. If one really believes in the American dream of individual rights, they must believe in the rights of others to do or think or say things they don't agree with. My capitalist ideals tell me that business owners should be able to make their own rules and individuals should then decide if they want to support that business or not. As it is, the over-regulation of our government seems to step in and tell us everything that we can and can't do. I agree with the rights of people to boycott businesses they dislike, though in this case, people are mislead. We allow breastfeeding and women do breastfeed when they want,” says Brian Franklin.
Under Oklahoma law women are allowed to breastfeed in public and private places. Women are also allowed to breastfeed in the workplace. Women are also allowed to be exempt from jury duty to breastfeed as well.
Oklahoma State University Social Media Professor Bill Handy will be on FOX23 News Daybreak at 7:45 to share social media etiquette.
