Chances are, you haven't thought about former Saturday Night Live cast member Rob Schneider in a few years, if ever, at all. But the actor has been thrust into the spotlight this week after it was revealed he has been dropped by State Farm and will no longer appear in the insurance company's commercials because of his anti-vaccine views.
After the company received a barrage of complaints from people who were upset and outraged over Schneider's role as a spokesman for State Farm, it pulled its "Richmeister" commercials because they were attracting far too much negative attention.
Schneider, a father of two, lobbied against a California state billin 2012 that made it a requirement for parents to obtain a doctor's consent before they could be exempt from state vax requirements. And while he's entitled to his views, his recent rant about his freedom of speech rights being stripped from him doesn't hold water.
Just as Schneider has the right to say what he wants about vaccinations, State Farm is also entitled to make business decisions that are profitable. And the bottom line here is: the actor was obstructing its ability to make more money, so he had to go.
Obviously, Schneider isn't happy about being fired and expressed his thoughts via Twitter with a quote from George Washington: "'If the Freedom of Speech is taken away the dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter.'" He has been quoted in the past as saying, "Vaccines have been glorified as the be all end all for diseases, and frankly it's just a theory."
Ah, the freedom of speech card. Here's what it provides for you: the right to express your views without being thrown in prison or executed because of them. Here's what it isn't: an excuse you can use to keep your job as the spokesperson for a company that sells health insurance plans when an issue for which you are a vocal supporter has, arguably, resulted in the resurgence of diseases that we thought were eradicated years ago.
State Farm did what was best for State Farm. Period. And that's not a bad thing -- it's a smart business decision.
Here's a video that has been making the rounds. It takes Schneider's original commercial and puts a pro-vax spin on it:
See this video on The Stir by CafeMom.
Do you agree with State Farm for pulling Rob Schneider's commercial?
Image via YouTube