What do YOU think?

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While a lot of you thought I'd make the best Groupawn - Groupon unfortunately didn't agree.  It's rather apparent looking at the list of Finalists that their lawyers persuaded them that contracting an attractive lady to travel without money in strange cities might be a liability issue.  Seven of the top view counts were quite attractive ladies while three of the six (actual) finalists were men with mustaches - the kind of people who can disappear (safely) into the woodwork if their ride no-shows after dinner in an unfamiliar neighborhood.

   

My favorite contestant all along was TheNakedRedhead.  She seems to have some street-smarts and would have been a hoot to read and follow.  Josh Stevens, who did make the finals, did a fantastic video.  It doesn't tell you much about whether he'd make a good Groupawn, but he sure looks like he has a future in Hollywood! I'd sent his link to several people during the contest just because it was so entertaining.  None of the finalists appear to have writing experience, much less experience traveling while writing.  I personally hope they end up choosing Ross - his interest is photo-journalism and my guess is he could do something good with the experience, in pictures at least if not words.  He had some nice images in his video and he'd make a good human interest story - butcher to pulitzer thanks to Groupon...

My real disappointment is that it doesn't appear Groupon was as interested in the Social Experiment as I had thought they were.  Several friends have written to say they are obviously just looking for the publicity stunt and not actually hoping this works. Heck, even Groupon said as much in their rejection letter:

 "Anyway, we hope you aren't disappointed, and we hope you'll help us support whomever ends up becoming the Groupawn. If you can't bring yourself to support them, then spy on them instead, in the hopes of catching them cheating and saving your friends at Groupon a cool $100,000 (thanks!)."

  "...seriously, nobody has  thought this thing all the way through."

What really excited me about this opportunity was what it would say about our society if someone could actually exist predominately off the kindness of strangers and social networking for a year.  As I wrote before, I bet more people would help me in one year than all the violent crimes perpetrated in the cities visited in that year.  What a profound statement that would be to make!

So all that has me thinking...  What about really doing this?  Without Groupon?  Dan and I could do it together, maybe find a media sponsor to follow us, maybe do some other fundraising or public awareness efforts along the way.  Dan is an accomplished photographer.  Imagine what could we say in words and images over a year of living off the hospitality of others? 

 So, what do you think?  

Post a comment below or write me an email at sherry@lyceumgardens.com and let me know.  Would there be interest in this?  Would you follow it?  Can you think of a twist that might make it more presentable to the media?  To the people?  What would your vision of such an undertaking be?  Would you meet us for dinner just to give us toothpaste?  What would this sort of an undertaking say to you?  What would you want it to say?  I'd love to hear your thoughts.  Maybe I could just live OFF groupons for a year after all!

   

Comments

[steff]

The feasibility of it sounds obvious to me. Have already crossed paths with people that lived out of nothing for a while.

Some of my friends in Toulouse squat houses and feed themselves from dumpster diving, hitchhike or bike around, recycle what others throw away in the streets for furniture and clothing. They could get a lot from our public services here (France is a very protective country, socially speaking). This is a choice they made out of ecological/social beliefs and not sth circumstances have forced upon them. This time they needn't spend on making a living, they spend it on ecological and social actions, on participa

You might not be willing to go that far though and I understand you want to insist more on the social, sharing aspect. The idea behind is still a bit similar. We all have a lot and way enough that we can share it with others, especially those that have very little.
I like it that you want to insist and promote this aspect of mankind. Go Sherry go!! :)

[Karin]

Dear Sherry, Dear Dan, just do it. I think it IS possible, and it's too bad that Groupon doesn't have the vision while they seem to have the structure to make it happen...so YOU will do it and we will help as we can. I think one thing about "going public" could be just that, your disappointment while at the same time you KNOW and you have experienced already it CAN be different. Maybe this can be a media content starting point.
Love,
Karin

[J]

Publicity-- that's all; as real as reality TV

[Dan Foster]

I think this could be done. Jesus and his followers did it. I would love to live a entire year with no money, and just be a lily in the field.