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| The Queen of Mean - Comedienne Lisa Lampanelli |
LISA LAMPANELLI RAISES $50K FOR GAY MEN'S HEALTH CHARITY IN THE NAME OF WESTBORO BAPTIST CHURCH
Following on from my previous blog post on guerrilla advertising and marketing, this is not totally advertising-related, but is definitely a creative solution to a festering problem.
Just today here in Savannah, the Westboro Baptist Church (link not provided on purpose) found it in their little, hate-filled hearts to go and protest at several churches for short half-hour bursts. This is just long enough to make their silly little point and sing a few songs before moving on.
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| Westboro Baptist Church, Topeka, Kansas. Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons |
In case you aren't aware who this mob of raging homophobes are, they are the anti-semitic swaggle of extremists that border on the fringe of American society. Based in Topeka, Kansas, this group is a bible-thumping, hate-preaching mob that pickets funerals of American soldiers who have died in service overseas as well as a host of other inappropriate targets.
Today's picketing and subsequent anti-protest / "love sit in" by Savannah locals went on without a hitch (as far as I heard).
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| Westboro Protestors outside Lampanelli's Show Courtesy: Lisa Lampanelli, 2011 |
Earlier this week, the WBC chose to protest outside one of comedienne Lisa Lampanelli's shows in Topeka, Kansas. Despite being on their turf, the "Queen of Mean" took the WBC right up on their challenge that they would be picketing outside her show. This is because she is an outspoken supporter of gay rights.
Lampanelli issued a statement prior to the event that for every protester outside - from the little girl holding up a "God Hates Fags" sign to the old man leaning on his "America Is Doomed" board, she would donate $1,000 to a gay charity.
In total, she counted 48 picketeers and decided to donate a rounded-up sum of $50,000 to the Gay Men's Health Crisis. This charity is the nation's oldest HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and care services provider. The GMHC reacted to Lampanelli's gesture with the message:
“We are grateful for Lisa Lampanelli’s kindness and courage to fight homophobia… She is holding up a mirror to bigotry and hatred, and reflecting back love and generosity.”
While expensive and only available to certain celebrities and others who can afford it, the move directly challenges WBC picketers to attend protests for their bile-inducing reasons. Under this scenario, the more of them that show up, the more money is donated to a cause directly in conflict with their outdated beliefs.
Lampanelli has said she will be sending the WBC a "thank you" letter for their "generous contributions" and that,
"I'd love to see their inbred faces when they open those thank you notes! Hopefully their jaws will drop so fast that their three remaining teeth and cro-magnon foreheads will plummet to the floor."
Members of the WBC will be back in Savannah later this week to picket outside several local schools, Jewish Community Centers and Temples.
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