Ted Rall for July 11, 2014
Transcript:
Sme dude posted a kickstarter asking for $10 to make a potato salad. "It might not be that good. It's my first potato salad," he wrote. Thousands of backers gave him tens of thousands of dollars. (Woman: But... you're giving him money?!) (Man: Cuz funny.) Meanwhile, worthier kickstarter projects- and charities- go unfunded. It's safe to assume that few of the potato salad supporters would give anything to save refugees in South Sudan. (Man: Ew! Not whimsically funny!!) Whether you're a scholar looking for research money or a homeless person down on your luck, finding donors online requires the deadpan, mildly amusing tone that has become the official vibe of the web. (Man 2: I like his strained pseudo-happiness.) (Woman 2: Kinda funny- so perfect.) We. Are. Doomed (<--- internet, friendly neo Bob Newhard tone)
Michael Peterson Premium Member over 9 years ago
In case you don’t quite get this one, Ted and a couple of other cartoonists tried a Kickstarter and it tanked. He’s blaming YOU for not recognizing true genius.
Beppo10983 over 9 years ago
I’m just surprised Ted didn’t compare us to Hitler. “You’re all Hitler! Every last one of you! Hitler!”
Ted Rall creator over 9 years ago
Actually, I tried Kickstarter twice. Worked once, failed once. As a glutton for punishment, I will try it again. Anyway, if you don’t think people funding potato salads as opposed to book and movie projects is insane, I can’t help you.
Ted Rall creator over 9 years ago
The Hitler finds out meme is a thing. Google it.
Anarcissie over 9 years ago
The potato salad man is providing light, gentle entertainment for people of modest intellectual achievements who want to get in on hipness and irony but have trouble figuring out how. ‘Heh, heh, I gave two dollars to a guy making potato salad.’ It’s sort of Seinfeldian.
Next: a topknot machine.
Kip W over 9 years ago
Ted just needs to experiment and find the right mildly humorous tone of whimsy in which to fund his kickstarters and continue his political cartoons. Dial it back just a teensy notch, for starters, and see where it goes.
derlehrer over 9 years ago
@ Michael wme
Here’s the site:https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/324283889/potato-salad
[Damn! Can I start a campaign to buy Viagra?] :D
derlehrer over 9 years ago
(He’s just short of $47,000!)
Michael Peterson Premium Member over 9 years ago
Ted’s 2012 Kickstarter goal: $40,000Ted’s 2012 Kickstarter results: $9758Ted’s conclusion about Kickstarter: Great artists and brilliant thinkers just can’t get funded
derlehrer over 9 years ago
That makes sense.Because my tiger is an endangered species, maybe I could get funding to restore its natural habitat?
bikerusl over 9 years ago
I gave money for potato salad before I read this. Back then it was about $3000
There is something about the humility in the humour and the modest goal. It would have been a smashing success if it had raised $11. To make food. To share. That’s pretty different than $40,000 grand to make a collection of my own doodles and ramblings that I then want people to buy after I have been already paid to make it. And I can donate $3 to the salad and be a big spender (and get a “bite” sent to me in the mail!?!?!) vs I need to spend $50 to get a comic book that I can buy on the used market in a year for $7. It’s like the success of Apple with their Apps for .99 vs Buying Microsoft OS for $100. Low barrier to entry.
I’m a longtime loyal Ted Rall fan. And I hate Wal-Mart and all that trend towards the cheapening of what is truly valuable. But not all of the trend of Fast Cheap and Out of Control is hard to understand. People need cheap and easy. Or they want it anyway.
Ted doesn’t even moralise and blame people in this comic (Well, not so much as point out that Sudan exists and things more valuable than salad). He just points out the situation and that “we are doomed” if this is how our culture decides to collectively value things. Which is also quite true.