0178 - Conversational draw: both sides retreated

[dr pepper]

[dr pepper]

Hmm, this society has living popup ads.

[Killjoy]

What the "brand ambassador" is doing isn't new, some companies like to have people hand out free samples, even outside of retail stores, even now in reality.

[DawnPaladin]

...but hang on... doesn't the retail ecosystem need a certain percentage of that kind of jerk customer? Without that 1% of (correctly or not) entitled people insisting that they have a right to their whims being met, surely the corporate machine would feel they could just roll over their customers.

Mason, you worked as a customer service rep for a long time. Was it ever your experience that a complaining customer led to an actual change in company policy?

Without that 1% of (correctly or not) entitled people insisting that the system should accomodate them, surely systems would never accomodate anyone other than the owners, the stockholders, the rich and powerful and entrenched.

As opposed to our current system, which accommodates the owners, the stockholders, the rich and powerful and entrenched, and the people who scream at customer service representatives.

They are certainly in the wrong here, in their reaction to Otto, but is the thing that Lee is wrong to be? Lee is selfish and short-sighted and flighty, yes, but they are also passionate and impulsive and loud and stubborn... qualities that are, if not meritorious, at least useful. If Lee were using their powers for good, here, if they utilized this exact same irritating volume to advocate for better psychological help for Caleb or a better life for Zoa, you'd root for them, wouldn't you?

Yes, and that's the point. People don't hate Karens because they're shrill. People hate them because they're self-important and petty.

[tenshiko]

Yes, Karens are hated because they're shrill, that's why they're not called Kevins. Next question.

[Killjoy]

Karens are maybe just the in-person version of the people who go on social media crusades because they feel aggrieved.