Certain things that have been happening lately and have gone viral have become total fucking jokes.

First, the “ice bucket challenge.” What started off innocently as something for people to do for a good cause has lapsed into a publicity stunt. Sure, they did it in the belief that it would raise funds for research to find a cure for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease.)  I see people posting to Facebook challenging their friends to do it and then post it on Facebook or YouTube.  Well, they did raise over $41,000,000 in a month.  But give it a rest, please.  It’s now lapsing into parody and people are just doing it now for publicity.  I refuse to participate just because other people are doing it. 

Second, the Starbucks “pay it forward” stunt.  The only thing that gets any benefit out of this is Starbucks. Me, I very rarely buy coffee at Starbucks. (The last time I did was when I got a small coffee at a Starbucks inside a Target store in Fairmount Fair about three years ago.)  The “pay it forward” phenomenon basically guilt-trips you…you don’t want to feel like a prick when you say “no.” I’ll pay for my own goddamn coffee thank you very much (and it is Dunkin’ Donuts, not Starbucks.) 

People just need to stop being sheep and following the flock.  Use your minds.

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© 2014, Dean Basler, all rights reserved.