CHAPEL HILL — University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill student Andrew Bauer says he had to act fast when he heard that Big Bird's job was in jeopardy.
During last week's presidential debate, Republican candidate Mitt Romney said he would cut funding to PBS. Many have lampooned that statement, saying that would essentially mean firing Big Bird.
So Bauer decided to take action to save the loveable Sesame Street character. His first step was snapping up the domain name: FireBigBird.com.
Along with his friend and fellow UNC student, Taylor Robinette, they created T-shirts with Big Bird's image to take advantage of the spotlight. In one, Big Bird's holding a sign that says Romney fired him.
So far, the students have sold about 400 T-shirts at $20 a pop. They have 700 in stock. They're donating the profits - about $5 a shirt - to the Make a Wish Foundation.
"What struck me as so odd was someone was on national television and taking a shot at Big Bird," Bauer said Tuesday. "I watched that and said, 'Wow. Big Bird is a childhood hero for so many people. So many people care about him. I have to do something.'"
After Bauer registered the domain name, he ran about a half-mile to Robinette's dorm. He explained his idea, and the 18-year-old Robinette quickly designed three T-shirts. One shows Big Bird holding a sign that says he was fired by Romney.
A budding entrepreneur, Bauer, 19, says he's had nothing but positive feedback.
He declined to say who he will vote for in the presidential race. But he says his purpose was not political. He says he hoped the T-shirts would spur social change.
"It will get people talking," he said. "This is not using Big Bird for money. This is using Big Bird to inspire social entrepreneurs across the country."
Comments
I'm surprised at how bitterly
I'm surprised at how bitterly some people respond to others (not talking about the completely worthless posts like "WOOO- MGOPOINTS!!!" Bitch away at these...).
I get the impression I shouldn't post anything at all if I'm not an expert. I am looking information about t-shirt then i got your article that was awesome. I have little more information regarding t-shirts take a look on it www.oldschoolapparel.com/detroit_shirts
Bigger fish to fry
Nothing but a diversion from the real issues that the Dems demonstrated they have no answers for last Wednesday. Big Bird will walk on (I do not think he can fly) with private sector funding, the way it should be.
Budget lesson: Here's an illustration of our country's debt we can get a handle on. This brilliantly cuts thru the political doublespeak we get and puts it into better perspective.
Lesson # 1: THE BUDGET DEFICIT ...
* U.S. Tax revenue: $2,170,000,000,000 * Fed budget: $3,820,000,000,000 * New debt: $1,650,000,000,000 * National debt: $14,271,000,000,000 * Recent budget cuts: $ 38,500,000,000
Let's remove 8 zeros and pretend it's a household budget:
* Annual family income: $21,700 * Money the family spent: $38,200 * New debt on the credit card: $16,500 * Outstanding credit card balance: $142,710 * Total budget cuts so far: $3.85 ______________________________
Lesson # 2: THE DEBT CEILING
Say... You come home from work and find there has been a sewer backup in your neighborhood....and your home has sewage all the way up to your ceilings.
What do you think you should do ...... Raise the ceilings, or pump out the crap?
Downlow on Big Bird
PBS is like the lady who won the lottery and stayed on food stamps. PBS gets such a small portion of the budget and even that can't be cut. What portion of the budget is not going to have it's champion?
Big Bird, the one example that Mitt used and he is getting excoriated for it. Media expect him to propose other examples of loophole and program cuts. Those loopholes and program cuts need to be negotiated with congress and that is what plans to do. Big Bird is worth over 400M and certainly could share his wealth with the other programs. A penny adds up to a dollar. I believe that government has a place in starting programs like PBS but eventually they should become self reliant. Just as with green energy, we should support research but not the merchandizing of the product.
The critical focus here is that we need good governance. Good governance just like at home begins with fiscal responsibility. All the mongering and name calling aside, can we talk about the real issue? Who will best lead this country out of recession to more economic strength and fiscal responsibility. We have had better economies under other presidents (Reagan, Bush 1, Clinton, JFK) and the common detonators is that they got out of the way of the private sector. You can't continually demonize that sector and then expect it to pull you out of a recession. The business sector needs consistency to make long term decisions not temporary or part time jobs. Keynesian economics is only a short term solution and a costly one at that. Economists disagree on whether Keynesian efforts help or prolong a recovery. From the Keynesian efforts that we have done, I would say that it has prolonged it. This has been the longest recovery ever.
This time, we need the business man's acumen at the top not just advising the president. Our economy has become a national security issue. Our economy has become a social issue. Our economy has become a military issue. We need someone who understands how businesses thrive, how business people think.
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