Charity Wristbands

Impactor returns 2.0 · Post by **Impactor returns 2.0** » Fri Nov 11, 2005 12:02 am

Everyone must have seen them, it started with blue 'bullying' wristband from radio 1... now you can get loads of different kinds, with everyone from celbritys to rock stars endorsing them..

Personaly I have a blue bullying one but I couldnt resit buying one of these...

http://www.whateverittakes.org/shop.php

Its 100% genuine

edit ~ scroll down to oZZy

Post by **snarl** » Fri Nov 11, 2005 12:07 am

The link wont work for me

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Nov 11, 2005 12:16 am

Link works for me.

Nice!

Although, I still prefer my black LIVEWRONGband (now also available in blue. woo! not gonna get one).

And speaking of that, does his Bestyness still possess its near-identical counterpart, given to him by myself at Transfest '05, I wonder.

Metal Vendetta · Post by **Metal Vendetta** » Fri Nov 11, 2005 1:05 am

I wear a white Make Poverty History one from Glastonbury that I didn't actually pay for, as they gave it to me on entering the festival. Perhaps I should buy one of Ozzy's to make up for it, although in that particular area I'm doing my bit, take my word for it

Post by **Denyer** » Fri Nov 11, 2005 6:14 am

http://www.trendwhorebracelets.com/

saysadie · Post by **saysadie** » Fri Nov 11, 2005 6:55 am

That link...

In an odd bit of coincidence, I got a glow in the dark bracelet in a bag of halloween candy this year. Being rather pissed off at my last encounter with bracelet-wearers

[me, making conversation] "So, what're the bracelets for?"

[vacant girl] "Oh, I don't know. But I have several"

(Or something like, that isn't exact. She went on about them anyway, and didn't even know which charity she was wearing them for.)

... I took said bracelet, turned it inside out and wrote "TRENDWHORE" on it in big friendly letters with my trusty Sharpie. I've been wearing it ever since.

I shall now have to stop as it appears someone pilfered my idea. And is making money off of it.

Eline · Post by **Eline** » Fri Nov 11, 2005 7:24 am

I never really liked/understood them. To me, they look a bit like what you use to mark the cows and pigs.

I thought that people would never fall for marketing like that.

What's wrong with just donating money?

KingMob · Post by **KingMob** » Fri Nov 11, 2005 7:54 am

saysadie wrote:I shall now have to stop as it appears someone pilfered my idea. And is making money off of it.

That's quite a lovely and at the same time somewhat infuriating coincidence.
Yours is better tho. It's more punk.

saysadie wrote:What's wrong with just donating money?

Nowt...but I presume charities get more money donated in this way.
It appears to be quite a successful strategy, so more power to them for creating something people want that aids good causes.
Same idea as the old sticker/badge thing, but turned into a fashionista item.
Getting a sticker pressed onto your chest by an old granny for putting some money in a box is probably not as life-affirming an experience as slipping on a rubber bangle given to you by...someone who isn't a granny.
It seems that giving to charity is virtuous, but giving to charity and getting a flauntband in return is cool.

I don't have any. I'm not cool.

I saw someone with almost their entire left forearm covered in them once.

The Ozzy band is nice.

Brendocon · Post by **Brendocon** » Fri Nov 11, 2005 3:14 pm

http://www.tshirthell.com/store/product ... ductid=487

This is on my next t-shirt order.

And yes, I own several wristbands. They make me look cool(er).

Professor Smooth · Post by **Professor Smooth** » Fri Nov 11, 2005 5:10 pm

Good ol' Ozzy. I still refuse to be a trendwhore, but if I was going to be, that's what I'd wear.

Impactor returns 2.0 · Post by **Impactor returns 2.0** » Fri Nov 11, 2005 7:33 pm

Ive been trying to get this made

"make religon history"

Catchy yes?

saysadie · Post by **saysadie** » Fri Nov 11, 2005 7:33 pm

Eline wrote:What's wrong with just donating money?

My thoughts exactly. It's not like it's difficult or anything; this, however, is more fashionable. And this is why people do it, I assume. It gives them something in return.

This is actually a good way to get vapid self-concerned idiots [disclaimer: I don't think that everyone who buys them are said vapid idiots.] donating though, so I'm not going to get up on a soapbox or anything.

I will[or rather, did... probably will again...

] wear my meek disgust for most people's thought processes around my wrist though.

Darth Aux · Post by **Darth Aux** » Fri Nov 11, 2005 10:46 pm

I got a cow skin (black and white) born free band.

I bought it in work, I know all the proceeds went to Born Free as we donate a lot to them.

Brendocon · Post by **Brendocon** » Sat Nov 12, 2005 9:50 am

saysadie wrote:
Eline wrote:What's wrong with just donating money?
My thoughts exactly. It's not like it's difficult or anything; this, however, is more fashionable. And this is why people do it, I assume. It gives them something in return.

Promotion of concept.

The wristbands raise awareness, just like a t-shirt or anything else would.

It's advertising, but in a way that makes people go "oh, what's that you're wearing?"

Giving you the in to blindside them, Jevohah stylee, and give them the inside scoop. The lowdown. As it were.

Though it backfires when people wear them just because they're pretty and have no idea what they're actually promoting.

And it's not as if the wristbands are instead of giving money. You get one as a symbol that you've given money.

Tribal symbolism, really. Physical/cosmetic indicator of likeminded folk. Basic human behaviour.

Wow. I think Denyer hijacked the shared consciousness for that last line...

saysadie · Post by **saysadie** » Sun Nov 13, 2005 7:20 am

Brendocon wrote:Promotion of concept.

The wristbands raise awareness, just like a t-shirt or anything else would.

It's advertising, but in a way that makes people go "oh, what's that you're wearing?"

Giving you the in to blindside them, Jevohah stylee, and give them the inside scoop. The lowdown. As it were.

I guess I should have said "most people". Yeah, it's meant to raise awareness but it completely loses any meaning whatsoever when people wear them just for fad's sake.

I get the symbolism. I just don't like the fact that people feel the need to show other people that they give to charity/that some people don't even really give a damn. In the first, it's not wholly horrible but it's annoying. In some cases it just kinda says to me that the only real reason the person does give to charity is to show other people that they do it. "Oh, look, I'm such a good person. I give money to [insert charity of choice here]". Like that whole Katrina thing. The Red Cross has a lot of other good things they do and need donations for, but the Katrina relief fund [as well as the tsunami earlier in the year, now that I think on it] are/were the most popular ones to give to.

In the case of the tsunami, I heard people talk about it incessantly... "Oh, it's so sad, I gave, I did this" etc... This is just a version of that, in pretty unisex accessory form.

Likeminded? Mmm... no more so than most other things worn. In some cases yes, but you've also got the few who really do give a damn mixed in with the idiots who only buy them because "it's cool", to the half informed but well-meaning [or even just downright lazy] people who will buy one or two just so they can walk around, content with the thought that they've "done their part", with the added bonus of being able to chat up "likeminded" people.

But, like I said... it probably gets more money to where it's needed, money that in some cases probably wouldn't have gone there otherwise. So, monkeys I suppose. Til the fad dies out anyway.

Brendocon · Post by **Brendocon** » Sun Nov 13, 2005 10:51 pm

I must say that I do really enjoy wearing my makepovertyhistory wristband in conjunction with my makegeldofhistory t-shirt.