The Complaint Bracelet

[3894]

As seen on "Oprah"! (http://www.complaintbracelet.org/)

Want one? You have to give up complaining for 21 days. If you catch yourself complaining, you have to switch the bracelet to the other wrist. I guess the clock starts over again then, too.

I'd wear it but I hate the color. ;)

[Alex]

Is it me or has it been the case that every time I see reference to Oprah in the last few months it is something even stupider than the last time?

Though to be fair, most of the recent references have been in relation to The Secret which is pretty darn stupid.

Wouldn't a better tool be a complaint stick? You keep it in a quiver on your back and if someone else catches you complaining they get to hit you with it. Self policing won't work, compulsive whiners don't think, at the time they do it, that they're whining. Just stating the facts fo the matter.

[Snowflake]

I can't, my major complaint is the Oprahfication of the world.

[SacTown Chronic]

These bracelets would be much more effective if worn around the neck.


Say Oprah, why don't you demonstrate for us?

[wendybeth]

Visible mojo to Alex and Snow.

I truly cannot stand Oprah anymore. My MIL thinks she walks on water, but I am sooooooo incredibly sick of her that the mere mention of her makes me cranky.

[Snowflake]

Visible mojo to Alex and Snow.

I truly cannot stand Oprah anymore. My MIL thinks she walks on water, but I am sooooooo incredibly sick of her that the mere mention of her makes me cranky.

I'm right with you Wendybeth. Besides, she has atrocious taste in books. I am all for encouraging reading (which is why I applaud the Harry Potter series for all the good it has done in awakening kids to the joys of reading) but at least read decent books and literature, not the crap she advocates. I read enough crap, but I resent someone shoving it down my throat.

[Not Afraid]

I'd spend my days switching the bracelet from wrist to wrist.

[Snowflake]

I'd spend my days switching the bracelet from wrist to wrist.

Me, hourly. I'd never get any work done with that thing on (complaint #1)

[Ghoulish Delight]

Would complaining about the bracelet cause it to self destruct, or disappear into some dimensional void?

[Snowflake]

Would complaining about the bracelet cause it to self destruct, or disappear into some dimensional void?

More importantly, would this work with Oprah? :evil:

[Ponine]

Would complaining about the bracelet cause it to self destruct, or disappear into some dimensional void?

Probably not, BUT those rubber braclets are notoriuos, at least in my home,
for being particular about the heat they are subjected to.

They tend to act like an old rubber band and fall apart.
So.... if it were to self destruct and your... 2o days weren't over yet, what does that mean?

[3894]

So.... if it were to self destruct and your... 2o days weren't over yet, what does that mean?

You'd complain to their Customer Service dep't.!:snap:

[thecorndogwalker]

So.... if it were to self destruct and your... 2o days weren't over yet, what does that mean?

Dont worry because in 20 days, the holy spirit called oprah will come up with another dingbat must thing to have....

[Morrigoon]

I like the idea itself though... causing people to think more about how frequently they are negative and whiny. Turning that around can effect major changes in their lives: more people will want to be around them, they will be viewed as better workers, they will be less likely to negatively impact those around them.

But you don't need some obnoxious purple bracelet for that, just run down to Wal-mart and spend $5 on a decent piece of costume jewelry that will suffice and not look so ridiculous or announce to the world that you're engaging in self-improvement.

...oh wait. Half the people doing it will be doing it just SO they can tell the world they're doing it. Sing their own praises and whatnot. Some things should be done on one's own, with grace and discretion, and not evangelized to all within hearing distance.

(Holy sh*t, did I just advocate discretion???)

[lashbear]

If you hit submit on the form without entering email details you get this:

http://www.getresponse.com/img/ModOptIn/_logo-small.gif

Email MARKETING..... Boy, I bet the marketing team LOVES Oprah for her uncanny ability to harvest hundreds of thousands of willing email addresses for them.

I know, I'm a cynic. :rolleyes:

[lashbear]

Further to that.... their official site http://www.getresponse.com/ makes for interesting (or horrifying) reading, depending on how much you value your privacy.

Sell your soul to the marketing devil for a free rubber bracelet. (but don't complain about the marketing spam afterwards)

[€uroMeinke]

This reminds me of behaviorist approaches to change habits, which I guess complaining might be one. It requires wearing a simple rubber band on your wrist which you snap whenever you catch yourself engaging in the habit you intend to change (negative reinforcement). I suppose you can do the same with the bracelet, and flip it to it's message as a further positive reinforcement.

Still, the whole thing strikes me as lame.

[lindyhop]

Well Oprah didn't invent this although they sort of make it look like she did.

I read about this a while ago, I think I even heard a piece on NPR. It was a minister who started it within his church and other people heard about it so it spread. And then Oprah happened.

I like the idea itself because I hate negativity. But I also really like to complain. I wonder if there's some way around it. For example, isn't it delightful how annoying the traffic was today?

[wendybeth]

Just about the only thing Oprah has invented is herself. Everything else is stolen under the guise of promoting, excepting Jonathon Franzen's work and that other guy who got nailed for fraudulent memoirs. She was pretty damn quick to distance her ass from him, wasn't she?

[Gemini Cricket]

I can't wait to see who's on the cover of O Magazine this month...

:D

[wendybeth]

Whomever she is :rolleyes:, I'm sure she'll be heavily airbrushed, photo-shopped and shot through a thick glaze of vaseline on the camara lens.

Think she'll be wearing Hermes?

[blueerica]

To me, Oprah is a real phenomenon. Looking at where she came from, and how she got to the place she is, is perhaps, genius. A bit of luck, a lot of timing - If you think about it, she's spent her years - decades - to get to where she is now.

I find little to be disappointed with, when it comes to her, probably just because I see it as a business. What I feel sorry for are the legions who don't see her as such. Those who look to her when it comes to living life. I'm not saying Oprah's good or bad, she is what she is - but when anyone is so adored, so famous, so well-paid, these sorts of things come into question. You get fanatics and detractors. It's the way things go in a media-heavy, guidance-hungry age such as this.

By promoting "item du jour," she not only gets attention for that thing, she also gets attention for herself. Which drives her TV ratings, which drives her magazine sales, which drives her ability to promote other projects for Harpo. And even if that's not an obvious goal, it is one. People don't have businesses to not make money.

But if I were Oprah, I'd be more careful. Maybe lay low - because she's been cranking out some stanky crap lately.

[3894]

It was a minister who started it within his church and other people heard about it so it spread. And then Oprah happened.

According to this (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17362505/), a Rev. Bowen of Christ Church Unity in Kansas City decided his congregation did too much complaining. He said churchgoers were griping mainly about trivial things, such as the choice of hymns at the Sunday service or the informal dress code at the church’s Saturday night worship.

There's just soooo much to say to that but I'll keep it brief. First, it's dismissive. Second, way to squelch not only dissention but also discussion of any kind. If I were in that congregation, I'd be looking to fire that pastor.

Surely now of all times in this country is not the moment to shut the hell up. Put on a purple bracelet and promise to give up my right to free speech for 21 days? Oh, and pay Oprah for the privilege while you're at it.

What a concept.