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[Golfhaus]

So there are all of these billboards up here in Charlotte urging passersby to "Support The Five-Day Weekend Movement" by claiming that "America Works Best When America Works Less." The website claims that over 500,000,000 vacation days are given up each year by American workers, and makes a pitch to the nation to use technology the way it was used on The Jetsons - namely, to reduce our workload. I thought there had to be a catch, and some perusal of the site pretty plainly exposes it as viral marketing for the tourism industry for Asheville, NC.

I have to admit, it's starting to get depressing, that everything that comes along that seems clever or random or a little weird is attached to some sort of marketing thing. As an example, there's a commercial on the radio now for Hardee's new Patty Melt Thickburger. It's done as a parody of lame-ass white-boy rap, and the lyrics mention a website, flatbuns.com. When you go to the site, it's a rather poorly put-together site, with an "OMG I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS" news update about the site being mentioned on the commercial. And I find myself asking... is that really someone who got lucky and got their site plugged on the radio as a quirky twist of fate? Or was that planned all along?

[linnea]

That is really creepy. I smell a half-baked marketing idea.

Also, given the stats from the World Health Organization, I would guess that flat bottomed girls are in the minority and therefore will generate a weird fetish following. What the hell, dude?

[theinevitable]

Cheerwine is doing something like that, I think. I am really mad... my dad knows the guy who is in charge of marketing for them, and something that happened to me almost became their new commercial.
Instead they have one vaguely funny anti-yankee commercial... and one really questionable, kind of racist commercial. The second one is closer to what happened to me... but there were no asian shopkeeps involved.

[wombat]

Well, maybe it started as a marketing gimmick, but I think the five day weekend thing really needs to be a MOVEMENT.   

[side_show]

We had a provincial election last week, and the Communist party delivered a newsletter to us detailing their plan for a five day weekend.  I thought that's what this was going to be about.  The Communists and the tourism industry being in cahoots is something my brain can not compute.

[CortJstr]

On they news this morning they talked about the new policy at Best Buy's offices which is no set hours. You can go home whenever your work is done. Which just sounds like a way of assigning people more work to me.

I am jealous of my friends who work for the government and get every Friday off.

[Golfhaus]

Well, maybe it started as a marketing gimmick, but I think the five day weekend thing really needs to be a MOVEMENT.   

Interestingly enough, they seem to have tried to cut the conspiracy buffs off at the pass - in their FAQ, they say:

The Five Day Weekend idea was born in Asheville, N.C., as a marketing initiative for the Convention and Visitors Bureau. But as it came together, this initiative became more of a public service campaign aimed at bringing attention to the worsening epidemic of overwork and encouraging U.S. workers to get out and enjoy life.

If it inspires you to come visit Asheville, great. If nothing else, we just hope it motivates you to use your vacation time and enjoy life a little more."

Gah... please, just tell me you're trying to sell me something. This "Well, it started off that way, but it's become a mission" shit is a bit annoying.

[theinevitable]

NO ONE IS ALLOWED TO REALLY MEAN SOMETHING! FUCK THEM FOR PRETENDING!

also: golfhaus-- you might believe it if... you had ever met someone from Asheville.