Apple Gives iPods to Homeless Kids!
When I first read this headline I was all, “aww, Apple cares about us! Apple gives iPods away to poor homeless kids, isn’t that wonderful? And oh, didn’t a unicorn just float by on that rainbow, all covered in glitter and fairy dust?”
Yes, but then Cynical Karen stepped in and read the rest of the article: only 100 iPods were given away, and they were chintzy little Nanos, and they were to kids left homeless by the recent fires in California. Which begs the question, And what computer will they use to connect those iPods to and download music? Assuming the computers were in the homes that burned, of course.
And, oh, the commenters on that original piece got even more cynical:
Publicity stunt! No iPods for New Orleans inner-city kids after Katrina! The recipients of this latest philanthropic gesture were rich kids anyway! Apple stock is worth what, gazillions, and all they give is maybe $15,000 to these kids, who will each download hundreds of dollars back from iTunes, so in effect Apple MAKES money on the deal! Plus the grateful kids will tell their friends how wonderful/philanthropic Apple is, and they’ll tell two friends, and so on, and so on, and so on…
And me a Mac owner. And there are 3 working iPods in my house.
Tsk, tsk.
So, yeah, that’s great, Apple, it was a gesture and you made it and you probably didn’t even think of all these cynicisms, you just acted from your Applely little heart. But some things you have to think through. Like, what will help? And, what will people say/think? But maybe that’s just the Cult of Mac talking.
So really what you are saying is that Apple should have done nothing because in doing something they may garner pr credits or indirectly benefit in some other way? Your right that is cynical. Maybe they should have handed out Zunes instead…..only that would lay them open for attacks of child abuse.
To the cynically predisposed there is no course of action or inaction that is not tainted. A defense mechanism that usually allows the cynic to comfortably maintain their own status quo. Three working iPods? Why don’t you pick up the slack and give one of them to one of the many poor kids Apple missed?
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