[link]

Groupon founder Andrew Mason said: 'The gist of the concept is this: When groups of people act together to do something, it’s usually to help a cause. With Groupon, people act together to help themselves by getting great deals.

'So what if we did a parody of a celebrity-narrated, PSA-style commercial that you think is about some noble cause (such as "Save the Whales"), but then it’s revealed to actually be a passionate call to action to help yourself (as in "Save the Money")?'

Well, if you did that, you'd look like terrible people and make me wonder about Timothy Hutton's life choices, that's what.

Groupon is attempting to appease angry viewers by pledging to match donations made through the site up to $100,000.

It is offering a bonus for users that give $15 to The Tibet Fund, Greenpeace and the Rainforest Action Network by gifting each donor with $15 of Groupon credit.

Ha.

Well, if you did that, you'd look like terrible people and make me wonder about Timothy Hutton's life choices, that's what.

This to infinity. Holy crap. I just watched the Hutton ad so that I could have an educated opinion. My opinion? What. the. Fuck. Timothy?

I recall that he is an activist in his own right. How on EARTH could he see this as acceptable?

And Groupon? Hey, really. Thanks for the great deal on my zipcar membership. From this point on? Up yours.

Ha ha, indeed!

I was seriously boggled that Liz Hurley signed on to it. I mean, granted, she's not famous because she's a Rhodes scholar, but she never struck me as conspicuously dumb; but that ad was just so... so... I can't imagine reading the script for it and thinking anything but, "My God, this is such a terrible idea that I think a little bit of my soul just died reading it."

I think I'd better not even look at the Hutton ad. It'll just depress me, won't it?

Oh, dear. I reckon I'll have to go watch some commercials.

So, it got worse at work after I last posted. Remember my coworker got fired a few weeks ago? His replacement just got fired today. Churn and burn, baby. Supposedly for not performing to standards, but really because she disagreed with her boss and her boss was belittling her and she filed a complaint. Just talked to her and honestly she's just relieved.

I have a headache and I can't trust anyone at my job, not even my friend who recommended me because she has a big mouth. I don't want to go back tomorrow. I don't do well with vicious office politics. I don't do well with biting my tongue and sucking up and keeping my head down. I need to be supported, dammit, so I can do my job. And I've gotten that support so far, but they keep firing the people who support me!

Really, the worst of corporate and non-profit worlds.

::sigh::

It'll just depress me, won't it?

Yes.

Groupon has about 90% lost me anyway with how massively downhill the offers have gone around here -- the vast, vast, vast majority of the time they're offering me weight-loss scams I'd have to drive 45 minutes to get -- but they always have something awesome just in time to save our relationship. This time, they've outright pissed me off instead of just making me think they just don't get or give a shit about the tastes of people like me.

See, I saw the ad as an indictment of shallow celebrity co-opting of real world causes for shallow reasons. The jump from cliche stock footage to in-your-face self-satisfied Hutton totally worked for me. I didn't think they were mocking Tibet or charity, but celebrities who use Tibet (or any other cause) to look good.

Scrappy, that seemed to be the stated intent, but I think they needed to be a little more over-the-top for it to come off as funny satire instead of tasteless horribleness.

And I will note that I am rarely offended by things, but that ad made me think twice about signing up for Groupon.

I got what their intent was, but for some reason it completely didn't work for me. One too many levels of irony, or one too few, or something. I knew what they meant, but the delivery was painfully off (for me, anyway). I'd need to go back and rewatch to see what tripped my ugh button instead of the ah! one, but I'm disinclined to do so just right now.

I'm actually with Scrappy on this one.

Reminds me a conversation I was having last night with a friend who has started going to church and wants to go on a mission to help people now. Hasn't read the bible, doesn't know what the church even advocates, but likes the idea of going for a week or two to someplace nice and helping out. It's not anything but a vacation you can feel smug about to me. Wrapped in feeling superior.

Like JZ, I got what the intention was supposed to be -- it just felt to me like one of those cases where the intention massively fails because some trusted friend didn't stop them and say, "dude, wtf? don't do that!"

It's not helping either my "eww" or my embarrassment squick that Groupon's defense is pretty much "well we thought it was funny", while the restaurant owners (who didn't see it until it aired) are now worried that they'll lose business over it. (quoted here: [link] )