Men’s shaving company Gillette is the latest of Tiger Woods’ corporate sponsors to either sever ties or lay off from using the embattled golfer in advertising.  The announcement comes one day after Tiger admitted to multiple infidelities against his wife on his website.

“As Tiger takes a break from the public eye, we will support his desire for privacy by limiting his role in our marketing programs,” Gillette said Saturday.

Woods will be phased out from Gillette’s television and print advertising, and from public appearances and other efforts linking the two entities together, Gillette spokesman Damon Jones said.

While it may seem Gillette is canning Woods, the company refuses to say they are completely down with Tiger.  They claim they are just respecting Tiger’s decision to take time off from the game of golf.

As any ads featuring Woods expire, they will not be renewed. Jones said that did not mean the company was severing its ties with Woods. There had been no upcoming scheduled public appearances for Woods, he said.

Woods has been profitable for the company since he signed on in 2007.  Gillette likely wants to keep their options open with Tiger in case he is able to miraculously cure his failed public image.

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Video footage of ‘Daily Show’ host Jon Stewart hammering CNBC’s ‘Mad Money’ host Jim Cramer about misleading the public on investments, the liquidity of corporations, and focusing too much on entertainment instead of holding companies accountable.

Cramer conceded they were too eager to believe what the corporations were feeding them and should have took steps to look into the veracity of what they were being fed.

The interview took place on the Comedy Central’s ‘Daily Show’ on March 12, 2009.

Retail giant Wal-Mart is bringing Christmas back to it’s thousands of stores.  Wal-Mart is returning ‘Christmas’ to store promotions, marketing, and advertisements after several years of incorporating the term ‘Happy Holidays’ in place of it.

“We learned a lesson from that. Merry Christmas is now part of the vocabulary here at Wal-Mart,” said Linda Blakley, a Wal-Mart spokeswoman.

Wal-Mart said Thursday that it will launch its first Christmas-specific TV ad in several years, feature Christmas shops, previously called Holiday Shops, and increase the number of seasonal merchandise labeled “Christmas” instead of “holiday” by 60 percent.

Macy’s, Kohls and Federated Departement Stores are doing the same.

Macy’s is adding Christmas signage in all of its department stores and Kohl’s is playing up Christmas this year in its TV, print and radio advertising, according to Vicki Shamion, a Kohl’s spokeswoman.

Not everyone is as quick to hop back on the Christmas wagon.

“We are going to continue to use the term holiday because there are several holidays throughout that time period, and we certainly need to be respectful of all of them,” said Dawn Bryant, a spokeswoman at Best Buy Co. Inc. (BBY), whose advertising omits any reference to Christmas.

Actor Rupert Everett, best known for his roles in An Ideal Husband and My Best Friend’s Wedding, is none too pleased with Starbucks. 

Starbucks has stores on almost every corner of America and two stores on some corners in larger cities. The movie Shrek 2 even pokes fun at the rate at which the java chain has spread.

Everett has labeled Starbucks a ‘cancer’ and is fighting to keep the chain away from his central London home.

Everett, 47, said: “Starbucks is spreading like a cancer.

It will be the first major chain to open on Lamb’s Conduit Street, which is famed for its small, independent shops.

“Nobody in the neighbourhood wants it, including me.”

“There are plenty of diners and coffee shops there already.”

The historical street is already full with local diners and coffee shops. I have to agree with Everett that the local shops and culture top anything that Starbucks could offer the community.  Starbucks is becoming the nail in the coffin for many historic and community coffee shops just as Wal-Mart has driven many local ‘mom-n-pop’ garden, grocery, and clothing stores out of business.