Universal Orlando Resort is promoting their vacation destination with a mock advocacy effort attached to the Web site, iwantmyvacation.com – “Helping people obtain the vacations they deserve”.
Cute idea? For some, maybe (I think they could do better).
Unfortunately, someone included a “Bash the Boss” game as part of the effort. In it, players control an animated employee that punches an animated old-school stereotypical boss as far as possible. Beneath the title of the game it says…
“It’s even MORE fun if you’re playing on company time!”
People are better than this.
Universal (and its parent GE) can’t possibly want to perpetuate this message. It has too many employees itself – too many shareholders. Can you imagine if GE’s 300,000+ employees played the game just once – the amount of lost time?
Earned media attempt? There are far better ways.
Someone was in rush to meet a deadline.
Learn from it.
Dig deeper. Be positive.
As a Christian in the business world, I have been convicted lately not to use my “Gift of Discouragement” which often comes in the form of sarcasm and cynicism. I notice that when I am sarcastic at my own expense, I lower both my own and other’s confidence in me. When I am sarcastic at another’s expense, I am destroying part of a relationship and devaluing their contribution to the team. While I do not believe in karma, I do believe that God is very much concerned with how much grace we extend to people, including ourselves. Jesus warned us that we would be measured by the same stick we use to measure others. Let’s raise wit to a higher level – it’s almost an oxymoron to say we can use sarcasm and cynicism objectively.
No pessimist ever discovered the secrets of the stars,
or sailed to an uncharted land,
or opened a new heaven to the human spirit.”
Helen Keller
American humanitarian, writer
and advocate for the deaf and blind
(1880 – 1968)
Every pessimist is an optimist in the areas of their life in which they believe. We are each driven by our own personal expectations to succeed. Even the cynic believes that they can influence the world in some way.
According to Websters, the intent and attitude behind the remark is what defines it. So that a remark that sounds “sarcastic” but is intended to enlighten rather than inflict pain can’t be defined as sarcastic. Nor could a remark from impatience that intends to “jerk someone out of their stupor” be sarcastic.
If the sarcastic remark were not intended to “give pain,” but “pull the wool from the mind,” would it be productive? If “contemptuous” were removed from the definition of “Cynicism,” wouldn’t it then be prudence? (ie, Do you really intend to keep doing it that way in spite of having complained so often that it repeatedly comes back to bite you?)
George Carlin’s comments about peoples behavior sound “sarcastic and cynical.” And Mark Twains. While often critized as “bashing” at the time, have often lately been seen to have enlightened many people. As I think was their intent. As is the intent of many commedians and speakers. “The Emperors New Clothes” can be seen as “cynical,” playing on “There are none so blind as those who will not see,” and “Everyone sees what they want to see.”