Profiting from the Dead
Whenever there is a famous death or a prominent tragedy, there are people quick to take advantage of it by offering related merchandise. Some are understandable, while some border on the crass if not exploitative.
There is a fine line between profiting and profiteering. That line is pretty subjective, and its determination is perhaps best left to your own judgment and mores. Earlier this year, a retail outlet reportedly* placed a sign encouraging buyers to remember Heath Ledger by buying one of his DVDs. Okay, or not okay? You can see by the response on digg that the reaction was mixed.
If you’re a business person, or even just a blogger hoping to build an audience, this is an area where you will have to use your own best judgment and, if you judgment is not in alignment with your customer’s judgment, defer to the more conservative of the two.
What is important to bear in mind is that there is a legitimate** need in such circumstances. It is human nature to not appreciate the things or people of this world while they are here. And, when they are gone, we sometimes want a piece of it. While it is true that some just want a piece of something to keep as an investment to sell at some point in the future, others just want a token or keepsake to remember something or someone by.
And, naturally, when someone dies, it just brings our thoughts of them to the forefront. Maybe we had been intending to buy the DVD of a movie they were in or maybe we had been planning to buy their latest album, and the news of their death just provided a reminder for us to do it. Or, maybe someone was a personal hero and we want something to remember them by, or to just add a few more things to our collection.
And, if there are people that have such desires, is it unreasonable that a merchant would offer such products? And, if it’s acceptable for the merchant to sell, where must they draw the line? Should they merely offer the items? Is it okay to have a sale? Should they have create commemorative items (licensed, of course)?
And, what of people that might have collections they no longer have an interest in? Would it be inappropriate for them to try to sell them while the market is hot, or is it okay?
As either a buyer or a seller, where do you draw the line? When are you profiting by fulfilling a need and when are you profiteering by exploiting that need?
*The accuracy of the link has been questioned and I have not seen verification one way or the other on it. However, the point here was to illustrate the subjective nature of the profit vs. profiteering divide, and the accuracy of the link is not important to that point. So, one should regard the link’s accuracy with a skeptical nature, whilst still grasping the point on subjectivity.
**Some may question whether this is a “legitimate” need, but, again, that goes to the subjective nature of such matters. To each his own.
Last month, I blogged about the death of writer David Foster Wallace. After reading his obituary, I was (and still am) sorry that I had not read his work when he was alive. In the back of my mind, did I hope that some Wallace fans would find the link and visit my blog? Probably, to be honest. I have not checked amazon.com or eBay yet, for some Wallace titles, but only because I have all the reading material I can handle right now.
I hope that his work sells, after his death, for the sake of his wife, who found David Wallace hanging when she came home. Nothing can bring back her husband, but knowing that his work is being appreciated may bring her some comfort. I hope.
Sorry if this is a gruesome response; it’s all I could come up with!
Worse than that is finding out somebody whose work you just discovered is already dead!
I really didn’t know who Heath Ledger is/was until he died… This is a weird response I guess, but I think the Heath Ledger incident is kind of gruesome. However if I drove by the video store and they had a sale on Paul Newman flicks or said watch Cat on a Hot Tin Roof or Butch Cassidy on the marquee - I would think “how nice” and what a nice way to honor his memory then to watch some of his old movies and pop up some of Newman’s own…
I think the circumstances of the death, is what makes it right or wrong.
You could be right. If someone dies, basically, of old age it’s a little less unsettling than someone who dies young.
Like Chris Farley. He was always funny. It was weird when I recently started seeing ads for some movie and there was a guy that looked a lot like him. Turns out it’s his brother Kevin Farley, who was born a year later.
I don’t know. But if we are all going into a depression and are going to have to wear the same shoes until we wear the soles out, then you’re going to be barefoot anyway, so just come over to my site and get yourself some barefoot sandals. You may be broke but you can still look pretty.
I don’t think my feet would look pretty in sandals. But, other people can visit your site and buy some, just as long as they come back here and buy my eBook when it’s available.
I borrowed an Elvis CD … and burnt a copy for myself. I have regret.
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