Thursday, August 25, 2011

irony, rich irony

Oh, it makes me want to wax poetic. But since my poetry has been known to make Vogons bleed from the ears, I will refrain.

First, a bit from this article, which I may comment on further sometime later.

Generation Justice by Palmer Chinchen

The contrast to prior generations is striking. I went through college with the Yuppie Generation. We were a self-indulgent lot. Everyone wanted to drive a Beemer, wearing a Member’s Only jacket — with the collar popped on their pastel Izod.

Not this generation. They wear Tom’s shoes because Tom puts shoes on bare feet in places like Bolivia. They’ve made scooters cool again because you can ride a hundred miles on a gallon of gas. They embrace simplicity because they want to share more with people who have less. That’s the heartbeat of Generation Justice


Ok, having read that, a few moments later I then read this.

An Open Letter to TOMS and BOBS Shoes (by Tammy Fuller)

TOMS and BOBS: I wish to serve notice. I find your practices unethical… no, not the fact that you give a pair of shoes away to children in need, but the fact that you boast that it’s an act of generosity.

You, in fact, assemble your shoes (which are no modern marvels of lasting quality or art) in nations which employ unfair labor practices and often child labor. Then, you charge exorbitant amounts for said shoes, which the materials and assembly are below par. Your profit margin skyrockets with your laughably lining your pockets at a criminal level. To top it all off, you “generously” and “charitably” “give” a pair of shoes to a child in need. What about those who you unfairly employ? Your greed only gets you so far with the public who no longer brainlessly buys into your charade of charitability. Your marketing campaign is no longer acceptable.


I wish I knew someone in the WWE. I would love to schedule a match between these two writers. Maybe a Tables/Ladders/Chairs match, with two different objectives--Chinchen would have to climb the ladder to get down a pair of TOMS, while Fuller would need to get down a pair of Nikes. How about that match at next years Wrestlemania?

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