A Modest Question
by thoughtsonthedead
CNBC is all for American Express and the band it just rented, and you can read many rationalizations here. (Be warned: auto-play, because Capitalism has entered its terminal phase in which it annoys the people into revolution.)
I have a small question, and my inability to answer it might be based in my education: I did not study business or economics, choosing instead to major in History of the Shakers, with a minor in the Quakers. (Or maybe vice versa: I have only vague memories of school.)
Anyway: the tickets (half of them, at least) to the free show on 11/7 are being given away for free, and it is hoped that the winners will contribute to the chosen charity, which for some reason is not the Rex Foundation. The webcast will also (I assume) be free and it is likewise hoped that viewers will give.
But, you know: they might not. Deadheads tend to forget stuff, or lose their wallets and mean to find them but then the second set starts and they fall asleep. So American Express has guaranteed the donation and paid the security deposit on MSG, in return for as much advertising as they get. I know Bobby was saying nice things about the Amex people, but Bobby also talks about his long friendship with Jimi Hendrix: sometimes Bobby just says stuff. Those fuckers are trying to get their logo on every non-moving surface in that building.
So here’s the question: why not simply charge people for the seats and then just give the money to charity? Garden holds 20k: if you told people it was for charity and announced a special guest (Branford, Bruce, Trey,) then people would gladly pay a hundred a pop. That’s two million gross and even though I cannot even begin to do the math it seems like there would be a lot left after taxes and stuff.
It seems like things have been needlessly complicated for very little reward, at least for the side we’re rooting for.
What do I know, though?
Thoughts on the Dead 
How does Amex win with that approach? At business school we are taught to seek win-win solutions.
Plus, as part of the Sanitisation, Co-option, Revision and Assimilation Project (SCRAP), this free MSG gig can be directly compared to March 3rd 1968.
Well since it’s “free” it will generate “buzz” which will raise Amex’s corporate profile somehow.
The Dead & Co get to say they played a “free” show, for charity, just like back in the day maaaaaaaan.
This is not a dig on the Robin Hood Foundation, but I find it hard to believe that Amex Executives give a crap about poverty.
They do not.
Amex executives are with ToTD Silver Sponsor and contributing editor Jonathan Swift on this: Eat the Poor. To be fair, I think this approach only extended to the young, succulent poor.
To be fair, some of the poor would be used for entertainment.
Before or after being eaten?
(I am now punching myself in the face.)
I am willfully ignoring this entire charade until it goes away. Like the Vince era, it never happened
I said, GOOD DAY
I SAID GOOD DAY.
Also a(nother) warning to anyone who might choose to follow the link: Mayer says stuff. Stupid stuff.
Kind of off-topic, but three days ago JM tweeted this:
“This Miley album is amazing. You can’t try to make something like this. You just tap the vein and don’t question a single instinct.”
And other glowing tweets about that piece of shit album. I honestly tried to listen to it. It’s online for free, no strings. I like techno of many varieties. But this is like Miley took a dump in my ears.
Ugh. And yet, I bought tickets for the DC show today.
What is wrong with me?
(Sorry, for some reason feces seems to be my theme in this comment-thread.)
I think y’all need to go get yer choogle on!
https://archive.org/details/gd72-05-23.sbd.cribbs.17700.sbeok.shnf
Let the cleansing begin…..Thankyou sir
Write a post title Thoughts on the Community Reinvestment Act Without Research and you will have your answer. Amex needs to meet targets for investment in community economic development projects and a lot of non-profit granting counts. If you want to geek-out it is sort of readable deep between the lines on page two here: http://www.occ.gov/topics/community-affairs/publications/fact-sheets/fact-sheet-cra-loans.pdf
Well, if I wrote a post called Thoughts on the Community Reinvestment Act Without Research, the title would be the entirety of it.
This is interesting, though.
So if Congress repealed it, they would cancel this show. Got it.
Call your representative.
I respect Steve Liesman
CNBC would be the last folks to crusade against this sponsorship.
With a few glaring exceptions the morning crew on CNBC rises above the rest of the crap out there.
The fun question to ask Steve would be wether he is going to Phil, or Dead and Company on nights when they are both in NYC.