Candidates for the most pathetic humans on earth

[BlackShanglan]

This doesn't even really qualify as a scam. A scam usually involved devieving people and getting their money through deception. These people know exactly what they are spending their money on. They are freely giving money to a couple of guys who are to lazy to work for a living and decided to take advantage of peoples emotions.

Agreed. It lacks the artistry of a well-laid deception. I lumped it loosely in with scams on the basis of similarity of "preying on others' fears or emotions rather than bothering to do work or supply a product or service."

 

[cheerful_deviant]

Oh, no doubts about it being different... it's whether its significant is the issue for me. 75 degrees and 73 degrees are different, but insignificant for me as a guage of being comfortable. Ultimately, what they're doing isn't a scam. It's not lying. It's not selling things that don't exist. I have to put it in the same category as those radio DJ's in Miami who prank called Castro and, after they got hit with an FCC fine of 400k, put a link for donations on their website. They made well over that amount in a couple of weeks.

Or guy who cashed the fake check from the "you can make a ton of money" scam mails and put the story and a donations link on his website.

Now, they didn't deserve that money either, and essentially they were given money by an amused public who didn't want to see them have to pay it. But they weren't lying or cheating. They were accepting donations for committing a wrong (prank calling people, committing border-line bank fraud).

Now, that isn't to say that I want to see the rabbit get it, just to say that if we strip away our outrage for a moment... they're collecting money (and making money through merchandizing). I can't fault them for that.

But if you take away the moral outrage, you've taken away the whole basis for their website. This is not some girl who racked up a lot of credit card bills and is now begging for money. That kind of site does raise some money by a few people who feel bad and a few that are amused by it. This is a site that is deliberatly playing on peoples emotions for cash. THey picked a bunny because of the cute factor to give their threat more punch. Does anyone think that if they picked a turkey they would raise nearly as much money? Of course not. It plays on emotions which ultimatly hurts people for no reason other than making 2 jerks rich.

I can't fault them for trying to get money either and if they had a Poor Little Me site and got a few bucks I couldn't care less. But when they start killing things to make money, that's something different entirely.

 

[yui]

But if you take away the moral outrage, you've taken away the whole basis for their website. This is not some girl who racked up a lot of credit card bills and is now begging for money. That kind of site does raise some money by a few people who feel bad and a few that are amused by it. This is a site that is deliberatly playing on peoples emotions for cash. THey picked a bunny because of the cute factor to give their threat more punch. Does anyone think that if they picked a turkey they would raise nearly as much money? Of course not. It plays on emotions which ultimatly hurts people for no reason other than making 2 jerks rich.

I can't fault them for trying to get money either and if they had a Poor Little Me site and got a few bucks I couldn't care less. But when they start killing things to make money, that's something different entirely.

Well said, CD!

 

[Joe Wordsworth]

I think your comparisons not perfectly equivalent. In the two that you list, one pays because one is amused. This is more an attempt to extort - one pays because one does not wish to be made unhappy.

That's the thing... I don't think that they made as much money as they did because of people who do not wish to be unhappy over a rabbit. I think they made it because of people who are amused over the notion--certainly the merchandising catches my attention that way.

But if you take away the moral outrage, you've taken away the whole basis for their website. This is not some girl who racked up a lot of credit card bills and is now begging for money. That kind of site does raise some money by a few people who feel bad and a few that are amused by it. This is a site that is deliberatly playing on peoples emotions for cash. THey picked a bunny because of the cute factor to give their threat more punch. Does anyone think that if they picked a turkey they would raise nearly as much money? Of course not. It plays on emotions which ultimatly hurts people for no reason other than making 2 jerks rich.

I can't fault them for trying to get money either and if they had a Poor Little Me site and got a few bucks I couldn't care less. But when they start killing things to make money, that's something different entirely.

I'm not certain that the "whole basis for their website" is moral outrage. I think a good deal of it, if not most, if not nigh-all, is 'net humorish. That isn't to say it isn't real, just to say that it's being promoted as a novelty. I don't think that the site is soley trying to play on people's emotions for cash--rather, trying to make that the joke. They picked a cute bunny because a cute bunny makes a much more interesting and entertaining idea than, say, a cat or a dog. You say it gives their threat more punch, I think it gives their entertainment a bigger punchline.

I don't know that they're doing this just to get rich, I don't think any of us do. We're assuming a lot about their intentions, in that respect. They're going to eat a rabbit. And, by doing so, the rabbit will die. But, I'm not sure it's a moral question at all.

 

[cheerful_deviant]

I'm not certain that the "whole basis for their website" is moral outrage. I think a good deal of it, if not most, if not nigh-all, is 'net humorish. That isn't to say it isn't real, just to say that it's being promoted as a novelty. I don't think that the site is soley trying to play on people's emotions for cash--rather, trying to make that the joke. They picked a cute bunny because a cute bunny makes a much more interesting and entertaining idea than, say, a cat or a dog. You say it gives their threat more punch, I think it gives their entertainment a bigger punchline.

I don't know that they're doing this just to get rich, I don't think any of us do. We're assuming a lot about their intentions, in that respect. They're going to eat a rabbit. And, by doing so, the rabbit will die. But, I'm not sure it's a moral question at all.

Sorry Joe, but killing an animal, even threatening to kill one, isn't entertainment, not in my book. Killing an animal to eat is survival. Killing an animal for entertainment is sick.

Personally I don't think it's much of a strech to figure that these guys don't have any great humanitarian plans for the money other than themselves.

As I said before, killing a rabbit to eat is not morally wrong, it's survival. Telling people, many of whom are animal lovers and some who may have rabbits as pets, that they are going to kill this animal and that the only way to save it is to send money is extorsion. A legal form of extorsion, yes. But still morally repulsive in my book. The whole concept of it disgusts me. And if it doesn't disgust you then I pitty you.

 

[rgraham666]

Nobody's eating my bunny!

And I've got the guns to make that point stick.

Sorry. Kind of a crossover post here. I was read that 'New Law' thread before I came. I should have gargled to get the taste out of my mouth first.

 

[Liar]

Sorry Joe, but killing an animal, even threatening to kill one, isn't entertainment, not in my book. Killing an animal to eat is survival. Killing an animal for entertainment is sick.

Hi, my name is Devilsa Dvocate, and I have a question: Do you eat beef?

If the answer is yes: Why?

You know, if it's only about survival, we all coulda eaten carrots instead. So the reason for killing the cow is that you like the taste. Hence, just another form of...well...entertainment.

#L

 

[Extreme Bohunk]

Uhhh, it's just a rabbit.
Just because they personalize it w/ pics & vids, big deal.
Reality check: How many meat eaters we got out there?
I wish people would get this worked up & pro-active over other people.

 

[bearlee]

It's not the eating of a rabbit that's sad, that happens all the time. It's the preying upon peoples emotions for money. It's sad, it's disgusting and it's pathetic.

Preying on peoples emotios for a good cause such as children with MS or the suffering in Africa is painful enough to watch. But for some assholes to put people through the mental anguish for no other reason that they are to lazy to work for a living is moraly repulsive to me.

Damn, and I really have MS and was going to make a plea for donations coming up for the MS Walk April 23rd-guess this guy blew that for me

I don't know, I googled it and found alot of stuff:

http://www.snopes.com/critters/crusader/savetoby.asp

Guess what I had for lunch today, by the way...

 

[Weird Harold]

It's not the eating of a rabbit that's sad, that happens all the time. It's the preying upon peoples emotions for money. It's sad, it's disgusting and it's pathetic.

Unfortunately, it also works.

If all of the people who were as outraged as you over the "emotional blackmail" sent them a recipe for how to cook Toby instead of money, the site would fold inside of a day.

Blackmail -- emotional or otherwise -- only works with the "victim's" cooperation.

 

[Stup Dity]

Barbecued Rabbit
Old Fashioned
Southern Style


Skin and clean two or three medium sized rabbits being careful to remove all the shot pellets
Save the furry feet for good luck
Remove the legs and chop the body into four pieces. A meat cleaver or hatchet works best.

Bring two quarts of well or spring water to a boil
Add rabbit parts
Add two teaspoons of salt

Boil the meat until it begins to fall from the bone. It should be gray in color.

Pick the rabbit meat from the bones and sinew.
Tear the meat into bite sized chunks

Chop up two small dried red peppers extra fine. Ground red pepper tastes as good but chopped looks better.

Heat one half cup of lard in a large frying pan until just before it boils. Tiny bubbles will begin to form.
Place the rabbit pieces in the frying pan
Sprinkle the red pepper over the rabbit
Sprinkle two pinches of salt over the rabbit
Sprinkle about one half teaspoon of black pepper over the rabbit

Stirring frequently, fry until golden brown. Approximately five minutes.

Serves four to six for supper


Stup Dity

 

[Couture]

Give me $25,000 or the pussy gets it.

 

[yui]

Glad to hear this is quite likely a hoax!

I'm genuinely curious (please don't flame me), and I'm not suggesting anyone do it, but could you decide one day to shoot your cat and eat it? Live off stray cats in the neighborhood? It seems like people are always getting in legal trouble for not taking care of animals in the US. So as long as you eat them, it's not a crime?

 

[rgraham666]

Generally not much meat on a cat. Dogs are better.

But remember, the meat is flavoured by what they eat. Strays don't have very good diets.

 

[Couture]

Generally not much meat on a cat. Dogs are better.

But remember, the meat is flavoured by what they eat. Strays don't have very good diets.

Who said anything about cat?

 

[cheerful_deviant]

Hi, my name is Devilsa Dvocate, and I have a question: Do you eat beef?

If the answer is yes: Why?

You know, if it's only about survival, we all coulda eaten carrots instead. So the reason for killing the cow is that you like the taste. Hence, just another form of...well...entertainment.

#L

OK, I am not a perticularly smart man nor am I very good at long drawn out debates especially when I am short on sleep so I'll just say this: Just about anything can be justified if you break an act down far enough. I'm not getting drawn into a long drawn out argument to try to justify what these guys are doing by analizing it in 8000 little segments.

Justifying the killing of an animal in a web stunt by saying that other people eat meat doesn't work for me. I don't post pick of my hamburger still on the hoof to try to bilk money out of people with a soft spot for animals. That's the part that stinks for me.

Eating a cow or rabbit doesn't bother me. Killing is the way of nature. If there was nothing killing and eating the rabbits the world would be covered with them in short order. We all know how the food chain works.

It's the low lifes that are playing on peoples heart strings for no other reason than their own self enrichment that really sucks for me.

So "devils advocate" away. When some other ass reads abouts this stunt and gets it in his head to start a website that he's going to shoot a dozen puppies (that's still legal in some states) if he doesn't get $50k, I'll let you justify that one to.

 

[cheerful_deviant]

Damn, and I really have MS and was going to make a plea for donations coming up for the MS Walk April 23rd-guess this guy blew that for me

I don't know, I googled it and found alot of stuff:

http://www.snopes.com/critters/crusader/savetoby.asp

I'm gald to hear this site is a fraud. I pulled it off of my local news site and assumed (obviously incorrectly) that they did their own research. That'll teach me to trust the news.

As for the MS comment, that was not ment to belittle that cause. My comment about the MS funraisers and commercials being painful was true, but it serves a purpose. It draws attention to the cause. I don't slight them for that in any way because it is a worth cause. I have a coworker with MS who does the Walk-A-Thon every year and I have done several walk and bike athons for that and other causes.

I don't have any problem with that kind of fundraising.

Sorry if I gave the wrong impression.

 

[cheerful_deviant]

Glad to hear this is quite likely a hoax!

I'm genuinely curious (please don't flame me), and I'm not suggesting anyone do it, but could you decide one day to shoot your cat and eat it? Live off stray cats in the neighborhood? It seems like people are always getting in legal trouble for not taking care of animals in the US. So as long as you eat them, it's not a crime?

Probablly depends largely on where you live. I would guess that in more rurual areas you would have less trouble with it, but would more probablly have a problem in more urban areas.

 

[Virtual_Burlesque]

http://www.msgr.ca/msgr-9/cat-soup.jpg​

ATTENTION
​

I just planted a couple of beans in a window planter. Over the coming weeks it will get natural sunshine. In addition, I will regularly water it and talk to it, encouraging it to grow.

By July 1st, (Canada’s July 4th equivalent) I demand that you to send me $5,000.00 for my summer vacation.

If I do not receive the full $5,000.00 by July 1st, I will kill one bean. First, I will tear it from its mother plant, then once it is an orphan, I will bite into its flesh and painfully grind it to a pulp between my molars.

Every day, until the entire $5,000.00 is remitted, I will kill and devour another bean. One a day, day after day after day, they will be destroyed.

So that you will know that I am serious, I intend to post a new photo each day, showing another victim of your indifference, until the ransom is paid.




Carnivorously Yours,

Vegetable Burlesque.

 

[bearlee]

I'm gald to hear this site is a fraud. I pulled it off of my local news site and assumed (obviously incorrectly) that they did their own research. That'll teach me to trust the news.

As for the MS comment, that was not ment to belittle that cause. My comment about the MS funraisers and commercials being painful was true, but it serves a purpose. It draws attention to the cause. I don't slight them for that in any way because it is a worth cause. I have a coworker with MS who does the Walk-A-Thon every year and I have done several walk and bike athons for that and other causes.

I don't have any problem with that kind of fundraising.

Sorry if I gave the wrong impression.

If it really is No, they refer to another bunny on another attempt at this and it's the same rabbit I guess. I didn't check though. There was another for a cat too. There was apparently a disclaimer until 2-9-05 stating it was a joke-maybe a sick one but a joke nonetheless.

On the MS thing, no big deal. I've been doing the Walk since I was diagnosed in '98 and it's the fundraiser I do. I send out around 500 letters each year and the first year or two I wrote really sad letters, not about me, but something to appeal to the emotional aspect of it. I don't do that anymore but I get tired of the fundraising for MS. I make a promise to people I'll only do one fundraiser a year and this is the one I do. Glad to hear you do it and sorry about your coworker. It, like many other diseases, can be devastating so you're help is greatly appreciated.

 

[sweetnpetite]

I'm a little torn about this. On one hand, it seems kinda twisted to threaten to kill a cute rabbit if they don't get paid. On the other hand, we kill and eat animals all the time. Moo-moos taste yummy. So why is it upsetting? Because rabbits are cuter? The only thing that is objectively despickalbe here is that they play the cute card to hustle up money.

(Edit: ...which CD just said while I wrote this.)

Most of those that are outraged wouldn't think twice about a trip to the local burger joint.

#L

That's why I can't help but laugh. Mainly that there are people who are so caught up emotionally that they actually send money. And well, the guys who started it, I think it's actually pretty clever. At least they aren't scamming people by claiming to raise money for the Make a Wish Foundation or something. So they found a lazy way to make a buck? We're not disgusted by people who invest in the stock market or who buy savings bonds are we?

This is one of those things were if people fall for it and shell out the cash, I just can't feel bad for them.

As to the bunny- I feel bad that he'll be eaten, just like I feel bad for lobsters being cooked alive. But as to the lobsters- they sure do taste yummy.

 

[sweetnpetite]

I was planning on having pork for lunch on Sunday, but I'd be willing to reconsider if you pay me 50,000.

If you get the money, you should eat lamb chops instead.

This thread is bringing out the evil in me.

 

[sweetnpetite]

I'm, unfortunately, impressed by them. That's a highly innovative and novel thing to do. While I can understand, and even sympathize, with the idea that some feel it's "emotional blackmail", I could say the same for those commercials about starving children in foreign places where the message is repeatedly "Send money, or this child will starve/get sick/die/live without hope."

Given that those are efforts are for the benefit of people (the kids and those working with them), it makes it categorically different, but the message is similar. So, not all forms of "emotional blackmail" are clearly the same--and I think many would agree that some forms of "emotional blackmail" are acceptible, if they're for some good cause.

I wonder if these people having money is a good cause. I wonder if they're intending to use it to survive as well--obviously on the same grounds as improverished nations, but survival nonetheless.

This is amazing!

I agree 100%.

We have so much in common! Wanna go catch a movie sometime?

 

[sweetnpetite]

But when they start killing things to make money, that's something different entirely.

Lot's of people make their money by killing things. The people at Lysol for one. The folks at Lysterine. The guy who runs the slaughterhouse. The farmer. The gardener. (Cut a flower and it begins to die) The soldier. The guy who mows the lawn. The people who make pestaside and rat traps and raid. the guys who make leather clothing and the one's who make fur clothes and the guy who puts down the dogs that don't get adopted from the pound and the executioner, the people who collected ivory (it used to be legal), loggers...

 

[sweetnpetite]

Anyone see the Chick Filet Comercial were the cows walk around with the signs that say "Eat Chicken."?

Personally I think the commercial is in poor taste. But I'm not outraged. Same with the Bunny Site.

Again- did anyone notice, they never said that if they did get the money they wouldn't eat the rabbit!