DISQUS

Michael O'Connor Clarke · 3 years ago

Good stuff - that's a pretty close summation of the way I've been thinking about this thing too.

And yes - Jimmy's points at PaidContent are well put. His "apparently unbought voice" is a nice coinage.

I also like the fact that he's one of the few bloggers to choose to focus on what is (to me) the root issue here. Leaving aside the sequence of events after they were rumbled, I'm much more interested in how the hell these guys (who I really do genuinely like and respect) managed to wind up screwing such an obvious pooch in the first place.

It's startling that such a smart company was engaged in such a horribly ill-conceived campaign. There's no schadenfreude in it for me, though - it's more troubling than anything.

Mathew Ingram · 3 years ago

I agree, Michael. I realize Edelman can't exactly say "Wal-Mart ignored our advice and so it's all their fault" or whatever, but it is kind of disturbing, especially given their past history with Wal-Mart and disclosure.

Paul · 3 years ago

With all due respect, this "fiasco" strikes me as being patently offensive on every level, with no reasonable justification possible. How does one "take ownership" of an abomination, and walk away with their job, let alone respect from others?

I have been planning to travel the United States for a year, podcasting the results of my search for the reality of poverty, the wealth gap, and debtors imprisonment in America. Even after a year of planning, I must launch this with a $6,000 budget (about $34,000 shy of what I need)--and that includes buying an old, used, high-mileage car or van for the tour. Not an RV. And I receive no publicity at all for what I'm doing. I'm doing it because I actually CARE about my country, and the media is not telling people the reality of the situation in America today, particularly the reality of life among impoverished Americans, such as the greater number of Wal-Mart employees.

Meanwhile, a couple who sells out to Wal-Mart, the employer of so many impoverished workers, gets to travel in style in a nice RV, with a safe place to sleep each night. I presume they enjoyed food as well, something that I am expecting to find only on faith. Yet these people are given full publicity for spreading misinformation about the joyful lives of Wal-Mart employees.

I don't care whether Edelman or Wal-Mart is responsible for this. Like I said, I can't find any way to justify what was done, period, no matter who did it. It is offensive and repugnant, and it is the very reason that people like me must risk our lives in obscurity and poverty trying to expose the reality of that same poverty.

Believe me, if there's wasn't a very real problem that needs addressing, I'd be more than content just playing drums in a rock & roll band. The "Jim and Laura" blog is just shameful.

All the best,
Paul
thirdworldamerican.blogspot.com