Can I complain about something I got for free? Watch me.
Can I complain about something I got for free? Si, se puede!
I enjoy the radio show 'The Sound of Young America' a great deal. Well, I call it a radio show, but I listen to it via podcast. I suspect most people that listen to it listen via podcast.
Recently the show had its annual fund drive. Or, "Maximum Fun Drive" as it was dubbed. Either way you get the idea. Donating funds is not what I would call one of my strong suits. Beyond the fact that you're giving money away, I think I am put off from donating to NPR or PBS (or the like) because, while they may have programming that I like, it is a small percentage of their overall programming. I may want to support a show that I like, but not all the stuff I don't.
So, I liked the idea that the show itself was raising money to support itself. As they tell you, "The Sound of Young America is an independent production supported by listeners like you and me." I like the idea that some guy can sit in an apartment in Los Angeles, create a compelling podcast that I look forward to listening to every week, and make a living. I doubt it's even a comfortable living, but it sounds like he makes due. It's public broadcasting comfortable. So, in support of this artistic ideal, I decided that I would donate to support the show.
Plus there were prizes.
I'm not going to lie to you - the lure of prizes made me do it. You donate a relatively small amount, and you get some pretty good prizes. First, everyone who donated like over $20 got a t-shirt. That's practically a break-even proposition. Second, the first X many donors got a promotional poster for the upcoming John Hodgman book, 'More Information Than You Require'. I have an autographed copy of his first book. I have the audio version. I have the specially-branded Hobo Chalk. This was a draw for me.
Finally, there was a "pick your prize" category of gifts. Guests throughout the last year must have been dropping off swag, because there were various guest-related items. Chris Farley's brother (and biographer) Tom Farley, Jr. had been interviewed for the show, and I thought that would make an excellent freebie. Lo and behold, I got it. I had supported a show I like, and had received several nice items in return. Everybody wins.
So how can I complain?
I'm reading through the Chris Farley biography, alternately laughing and getting all teary-eyed. It's a great book, folks. I get to the part where Chris is on a big-time downward spiral. You can sense the end is near. Then I turn a page, to find myself, quite literally, in another story.
Page swap. Printer error. Whatever, it's not the next page of "The Chris Farley Show".
I skip forward until the proper pages reappear. It's some final words about the funeral, and the after-funeral activities. I missed Chris Farley's death. Not that I particularly wanted or needed to read about the details of the guy's death, but this is a story, and after going through all the funny ups and tragic downs alongside his friends and family, you want to see how it ended. Tough.
So I start thinking: I wonder if I can replace the book. I look up the publisher's web site. They want you to return defective books to the place you bought it. The problem is I didn't buy it. I suppose I could buy another copy and return this one. That's only mildly fraudulent. Or, I could go to Barnes & Noble, grab a coffee, and read the necessary pages in store. Or I could get in touch with Tom Farley Jr. and say, hey, liked the book, kudos for giving some free copies to a public radio show, by the way, can you swap mine out for a copy that doesn't have a printer error? Whatever way I go, it's a hassle.
That's how I can complain about something I got for free.
Check out the rest of my blog!
I enjoy the radio show 'The Sound of Young America' a great deal. Well, I call it a radio show, but I listen to it via podcast. I suspect most people that listen to it listen via podcast.
Recently the show had its annual fund drive. Or, "Maximum Fun Drive" as it was dubbed. Either way you get the idea. Donating funds is not what I would call one of my strong suits. Beyond the fact that you're giving money away, I think I am put off from donating to NPR or PBS (or the like) because, while they may have programming that I like, it is a small percentage of their overall programming. I may want to support a show that I like, but not all the stuff I don't.
So, I liked the idea that the show itself was raising money to support itself. As they tell you, "The Sound of Young America is an independent production supported by listeners like you and me." I like the idea that some guy can sit in an apartment in Los Angeles, create a compelling podcast that I look forward to listening to every week, and make a living. I doubt it's even a comfortable living, but it sounds like he makes due. It's public broadcasting comfortable. So, in support of this artistic ideal, I decided that I would donate to support the show.
Plus there were prizes.
I'm not going to lie to you - the lure of prizes made me do it. You donate a relatively small amount, and you get some pretty good prizes. First, everyone who donated like over $20 got a t-shirt. That's practically a break-even proposition. Second, the first X many donors got a promotional poster for the upcoming John Hodgman book, 'More Information Than You Require'. I have an autographed copy of his first book. I have the audio version. I have the specially-branded Hobo Chalk. This was a draw for me.
Finally, there was a "pick your prize" category of gifts. Guests throughout the last year must have been dropping off swag, because there were various guest-related items. Chris Farley's brother (and biographer) Tom Farley, Jr. had been interviewed for the show, and I thought that would make an excellent freebie. Lo and behold, I got it. I had supported a show I like, and had received several nice items in return. Everybody wins.
So how can I complain?
I'm reading through the Chris Farley biography, alternately laughing and getting all teary-eyed. It's a great book, folks. I get to the part where Chris is on a big-time downward spiral. You can sense the end is near. Then I turn a page, to find myself, quite literally, in another story.
Page swap. Printer error. Whatever, it's not the next page of "The Chris Farley Show".
I skip forward until the proper pages reappear. It's some final words about the funeral, and the after-funeral activities. I missed Chris Farley's death. Not that I particularly wanted or needed to read about the details of the guy's death, but this is a story, and after going through all the funny ups and tragic downs alongside his friends and family, you want to see how it ended. Tough.
So I start thinking: I wonder if I can replace the book. I look up the publisher's web site. They want you to return defective books to the place you bought it. The problem is I didn't buy it. I suppose I could buy another copy and return this one. That's only mildly fraudulent. Or, I could go to Barnes & Noble, grab a coffee, and read the necessary pages in store. Or I could get in touch with Tom Farley Jr. and say, hey, liked the book, kudos for giving some free copies to a public radio show, by the way, can you swap mine out for a copy that doesn't have a printer error? Whatever way I go, it's a hassle.
That's how I can complain about something I got for free.
Check out the rest of my blog!
4 comments:
Hey, it's Jesse from The Sound of Young America. Email me your address and stuff, and I'll see if I can get them to send you a new copy of the book. That's a super lousy situation.
Jesse, thanks for stopping by the blog! I'll be in touch.
For the record, I would only classify the situation as moderately lousy. At most. Somewhere in the mildly annoying to moderately lousy spectrum.
Tanner, the author of the book, also saw the post and wants to make it right... drop me a line and we'll fix it.
New book: received. The system works!
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