My friends tell me what I did makes me a terrible person. Does it?

Question

I wanted to go to college when I got out of high school but there was a BIG PROBLEM. I didn't 
have the money to do it. Then I had an idea. I went to each theater in the college town and 
made a deal with them. If I could increase their attendance for a selected movie, they agree to 
give me 50 percent of the increased profit. They all agreed as they had nothing to loose. Then 
about once every 5 weeks I wrote a letter to the newspapers saying a movie had sex in it and it was "Banned in Boston" and that you would go to Hell if you went to see it. I went to several churches in the area and told everyone that would listen the same story. I asked everyone to spread the word to NOT go see that movie as it was "Banned in Boston". The theater owners loved what I was doing. They were making money like crazy and so was I. What really amazed me was this continued to work for all my college years. Surprisingly nobody ever caught on.

Notice I did not say something was banned in the city of Boston, Mass. I just said it was banned 
in Boston. Where was Boston? Boston was the name of my doghouse and these movies were 
banned in my doghouse. I didn't want my dog to see them.

The few people that know what I did said that was a terrible thing I did.

Was it?

Doug Freyburger · Accepted Answer

Brilliant and hilarious.

Kherova · Answer

Come on, you know there was an implication in the words you chose, otherwise you wouldn't have chosen them (they would have no meaning, and you wouldn't just be saying nonsense).  I think you need to accept that you did something that at the very least was meant to convey misleading information.  From that point you get to the real matter, is what was gained worth what was sacrificed.  people were mislead, and you and this place did profit by it.  I won't say that it was or wasn't worth it because that is very subjective, but you won't get to the truth of it by misleading yourself too that Boston could be a doghouse.  You know what people thought by your actions, you know who benefited.  If you really want to look at it, hold it up and look at it for what it was, not by trying to say a pineapple is an apple.  There is at least a level of respect available to someone who does something slightly underhanded, but holds to it because they believe overall there was positive benefit, and no respect for someone who must fool themselves as well as others.

choko_canyon · Answer

"Terrible" is a subjective term, and a matter of opinion only. So asking if this MAKES a "terrible person" is not a functional question. It apparently seemed terrible to the people you know, but doesn't seem that way to me.

Patrick B · Answer

Yes, trolling makes you a terrible person.

At least try to make up some believable crap instead.

justa · Answer

Neat story, but the days of movie theaters being individually owned and capable of making side deals with profits is about thirty years out of date.   I'm sure some of the younger people here don't even know the phrase 'banned in Boston'.

They Pelted Us With Rocks And Garbage · Answer

Imaginary business deals by 18 year olds.

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My friends tell me what I did makes me a terrible person. Does it?

6 Answers