August 07, 2007
Fool Proof
"Foolproof Performing Arts" has folded.
Foolproof wasn't really about performing arts, it was about organizing liberal Democrat political events. (the website is already gone, but a list of speakers lives on in the cache).
As The Stranger blog reports:
Board president Sheryl Harmon said financial problems stemmed from overreaching in programming (bringing high-priced speakers like Garrison Keillor to high-priced venues like Benaroya Hall and the Paramount), a long-term $300,000 deficit, and trouble with the IRS..."There were errors--when you're throwing that kind of money into speaker fees and programming costs, there's nothing left over for marketing or anything." The result was expensive, under-attended evenings.
What does Foolproof's demise prove about fools? That there aren't enough fools, even in Seattle? Or simply those that tried in earnest to create a sustainable business out of promoting foolishness were the biggest fools of all?
Posted by Stefan Sharkansky at August 07, 2007
05:52 PM | Email This
1. Foolproof proved how naive they are when they booked Bill Clinton and couldn't sell out the Opera House even with discounted tickets. What's sad is the women at Foolproof who booked Clinton never got to experience the Juanita Broaddrick side of Bill. What a shame; so they just take their bruises financially instead.
2. Shades of Air America! They did bring Bill Kristol and Michael Medved, which was an enjoyable evening. I don't think they'll be missed.
3. Like Air America there's little to no market for liberal programs because that's all that plays day after day on TV, Movies, newspapers, college campuses, etc.
Even here in Seattle the nuts are saturated.
4. Where did they get their funding?
Funny how these same people scream about how important social security is (which as most people know, is funded through payroll taxes), but don't want to actually pay any payroll taxes themselves. Gee, somehow all of us in the private for-profit sector managed to stumble through and pay our payroll taxes, anyway. And WE'RE the ones they look down on?
5. I was in Friday Harbor yesterday, and a tavern there was touting an "Acorn Event" that evening. I had to laugh and wonder if this was the same "Acorn Event" that forged all those new voters registratins in this state.
I had a beer at another pub just to be on the safe side...
6. And Ron Regan got sacked by Kiro in Seattle this week, so yet another liberal tossed on the trash pile.
I'll miss NY Vinnie however!
7. Welcome to the real world.
Liberal politicians can increase revenues by taxing the populace and claim its for...oh, I don't know...whatever the flavor of the month is...say Education. Liberal business folks cannot just tax their customers. They have to really provide a value. If not, those customers tend to go elsewhere...and discover different flavors of koolaide.
8. GS, Ron Reagan hasn't lost his Capital Hill bath house privileges so he can still assume the Daily Kos position of introspection.
9. GS, Ron was an interesting anomoly. Someone who was obviously intelligent but amazingly uninformed. Many times his program was based on someone who hadn't taken the time to read the front page of a single newspaper. It was like Hillary Clinton stripped naked in front of Nancy Pelosi. Bare, raw and uncontrolled.
10. Another example of this might be the Seattle Weekly, which used to be a a huge liberal organ but now has hardly any political content. The new owners decided that a restaurant/music guide was more viable than a huge liberal organ. I don't know the financial details, but I'm guessing that if the old model had been a success, change would not have been needed.
11. Well,golly gee whiz. Looks like the silly free market economy once again trounced a loony left organization. Amazing how these socialist thinkers vastly overestimate what the public wants. At least Foolproof has ceased to be. Too bad we can't do the same for light rail, stadiums, the Growth Management Act, etc.
12. I won't miss much of the other things Foolproof sponsored, but I
will miss
Capitol Steps if nobody else steps up and books them into town. They're great!
13. In addition to not paying payroll taxes, I bet foolproof didn't pay for their employee's health care, either.
14. In addition, it appears that Greenstone Media may be shutting down its feminist talk radio network. Apparently, not enough people were listening to pay yhe bills.
In a major blow to its high profile backers, including Gloria Steinem, Rosie O'Donnell, Jane Fonda and others, feminist talk radio network Greenstone Media is about to shut down, according to several trade reports this morning.
Greenstone
15. off topic; Stefan; please see Seattle Times whack story on Masai guides at Zoo...people protesting use of "real africans" since its "racist" HA
16. It was like Hillary Clinton stripped naked in front of Nancy Pelosi.
Please. I'm eating breakfast.
17. Typical left wing, socialist communist whacko way of doing business. "My rules".....not what the rest of us citizens are required to abide by. Lets ship'm to canada where they will feel right at home.
18. Give Foolproof some credit: As far as we know, they didn't pillage any charities on the way down the tubes.