On Monday, when I tuned in for my news and traffic, instead of my usual soothing voice telling me about the back up on 520, I heard a soothing voice asking for my support.
Of course I immediately did what I always do when NPR starts their pledge drive. I got annoyed, felt a slight twinge of guilt, and then I changed the station resolving not to listen to NPR again until the damn pledge drive was over.
They've got corporate sponsorship people.
That was until Margaret came into the office this morning telling the tale of listening to NPR on her morning commute. Apparently, they featured a young boy today whose parents make him donate 1/5 of his $5 allowance to a charity every year. This year he chose NPR and when the interviewer thanked him for his generosity he was apparently very cute and modest in a little boy way that just makes you grin a little as you listen to the radio in your car.Then he threw in the kicker: he said that anyone who doesn't do what he's doing and donate at least what he donates (I am guessing $52) is STEALING RADIO.
It's a good point made in a very cute little boy way that of course guilted Margart right into dialing in and making her pledge.
After telling me the story when she got to the office, I was also immediately guilted into making a pledge and just a few minutes ago made my online donation. Now I am pushing my guilt to all of you.
Way to go kid.
9 comments:
Sucker! I think the Chicago NPR ran the same scam. Oh those sooooothing voices, they get you every time.
You can get the same effect by going to a dentist's office and staring at the aquarium. Why do dentist offices always have aquariums?
Good job, kid. It's a family tradition. I'm calling right now. Thanks for making me do it.
awesomest npr guilt trip ever!
now i am about to type in the longest word verification ever
Someone else made a comment that you likely pay $60+ for cable TV each month and watch maybe 1-2 hours a day (not taking into account what you might DVR or TiVo); if you listen to NPR even just on your commute that's 1-2 hours per day, so should we all be donating $60 per month/$720 for the year?
I'm going to the pledge site right now...
It's proven that if you watch any shopping channel regularly for two weeks, then you will phone in to buy something.
Do that, then give it to a charity shop = 2 x adrenalin rush.
Instead of donating to NPR this year, I gave money to Ron Paul's campaign. It was great to feel like I was contributing to a politican that I can actually respect.
Actually corporate sponsorship and government funding only account for like 30% of their operating budget. Or at least that's the figure given by our local NPR affiliate.
Um, can you tell someone else was guilted into making a pledge this weekend?
I am glad that through the guilting power of the Internet we can come together to support public radio. Go team!
This guilting it forward thing seems to have some promise...I wonder what other good we can do in the world?
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