In just a few days, a guy from Columbus, Ohio has raised over $40,000 on Kickstarter to make potato salad. This is the world we live in. Just accept it.
With over three weeks to go in the campaign, it’s likely that Zack “Danger” Brown, who originally asked for just $10, will wind up with six figures worth of pledges to make a (likely) mayo-based potato salad – because it’s the easiest.
Some are calling the whole thing a waste of charity, saying that all this money could be used for better causes (better than potato salad?). Some are saying this is first prominent example of what can happen when you relax the submission guidelines on new projects, as Kickstarter did last month. Some are just excited about potato salad.
As someone who’s seen most of what the internet has to offer over the last decade or so, the only response to people giving thousands of dollars for a dude to make a picnic staple that I can muster is a yeah, that makes sense.
The whole thing may seem harmless – people can give their money to whomever they want (except for drug dealers and hookers) in exchange for whatever they want (except for drugs and sex), right?
But the unintended consequence of Mr. Brown’s potato salad success is that it’s opened up Pandora’s box of side dish crowdfunding.
Look at this guy:
“I just really want to make Guacamole. It is a favorite food of mine and I just want to raise some $ to help buy the supplies. Maybe other people might like Guacamole as much as I do and help.”
No. Stop.
Vego f*ck yourself, Ben.
You have a severely elevated view of coleslaw, Gary.
Seriously, with the coleslaw?
Nearly 4,000 individual backers, 68 of which have pledged over $50 for goddamn potato salad, might think this is some sort of game – but I see what’s going on here. Please, people – stop asking people to fund your side dishes.
I will back your beer, however.
