[you] Ruined It for Everyone! Read online

  [you] Ruined It for Everyone!

  Matthew Vincent

  Energy sources are massively depleted. The government is wasteful and incompetent. The economy is imploding, the environment is toxic, and international terrorism threatens our day-to-day lives. And gum sucks. It just sucks. Who is responsible? Who made our world so dangerous, so unlivable, so stupid?

  Matthew Vincent is unafraid to name names. Who’s to blame for the three-ounce rule on airplanes? Who came up with the bright idea of branding every single sports stadium? Who made curling an Olympic event? Which pope made celibacy mandatory? Who invented daylight saving time? (Who doesn’t hate daylight saving time?)

  Here’s a book that’ll tell you who invented every unnecessary, annoying gadget that plagues modern life and haunts your dreams. It’s a book to keep in your bathroom for perusal before you end up having to drink out of your toilet bowl because there’s no potable water left in your hemisphere. Here’s a book that’ll tell you who ruined it for everyone.

  Praise for [you] Ruined It for Everyone!

  “An uproariously funny, ad-hoc cultural history of humanity’s ability to ruin just about everything.”

  —Christian Lander, author of Stuff White People Like

  “A terrific resource for the armchair finger pointer.”

  —Joshua Piven, author of The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook

  Matthew Vincent

  [you] RUINED IT FOR EVERYONE!

  101 People Who Screwed Things Up for the Rest of Us

  for mélanie

  + téa

  INTRODUCTION

  Ever wonder who is responsible for everything that sucks? Well, I have, and this book is the result. It contains what are, in my opinion, 101 of the most egregious RIFEs—[people who] Ruined It For Everyone.

  So sit back, relax, and get ready to point some fingers!

  HOW TO USE THIS BOOK

  DISCLAIMER

  Oh—this must be the part where the author wants to protect his ass. In a word, YEP. Did you just skip over that last page? It was really important and I must reiterate—the “FACTS” section of each RIFE is NOT necessarily factual. To the best of my knowledge it is true, but I didn’t have the time or the resources to physically ask the people/companies mentioned in this book if every detail is true and legit. I Googled it. And believe it or not, there might be some untrue information available on the Internet. But at least I can proudly say that I did not step foot in one single library. And let’s face it—some of the “FACTS” are lies told by me just to get a laugh. So, with that said, if you want to sue someone, sue Google—I’m sure they can spare the cash.

  №001

  Stella Liebeck

  For promoting ridiculous lawsuits.

  THE FACTS

  What paved the way for ridiculous lawsuits? In the last few decades, there has been a spike in lawsuits won by people who have blamed others for their own stupidity and ignorance. Ms. Liebeck may not have been the first to start the trend, but she certainly wins the blue ribbon.

  In 1992, Stella Liebeck’s grandson took her to a McDonald’s drive-thru for a cup of coffee. After the purchase, they pulled over so Stella could add some cream and sugar. As the car sat motionless, she removed the cup’s lid and clumsily spilled scalding hot coffee on her legs. This accident resulted in third-degree burns on 6 percent of her body. (Take note, she spilled it on herself. A Mickey Dee’s employee did NOT drop it on her lap, nor did one vindictively throw the java in her face. It was just a simple, self-induced mistake.) After the incident, Ms. Liebeck sought $20,000 for pain and suffering. McDonald’s refused to settle out of court (which ended up being a rather expensive mistake), and a jury awarded Ms. Liebeck $2.9 million.

  [you] RIFE!

  Why the hell is an eighty-one-year-old meddling with blisteringly hot coffee over her lap in a vehicle anyway? Did she forget what Dirty Harry said? Stella, “Man’s got to know his limitations.” This applies to grannies too! Now don’t get me wrong, I love my Gram-Gram, and I’d certainly be laying the smack down if I caught someone messin’ with her. But… she’s old. She spills stuff all the time. It’s expected. And McDonald’s needs to share the blame too. Next time, don’t use Grimace and the Hamburglar as legal counsel. Send a company-wide MEMO: Juries tend to side with sweet old ladies in a BIG way!

  So thank you all, because this helped pave the way for anyone to sue anyone just for being a jackass. What happened next? Here you go: A guy sued Michael Jordan for looking like him. A family sued Honda because their daughter couldn’t remove a seat belt while underwater and drunk. A woman sued Wendy’s for finding a finger in her soup, which she planted herself. A guy sued a strip club because a dancer gave him whiplash. A family sued Oliver Stone because his movie inspired a woman’s crime spree. A man sued a dry cleaner for $65 million because they lost his pants. I rest my case…

  №002

  De Beers

  For making us spend two months’ salary.

  THE FACTS

  If you truly loved your girlfriend, you would spend at least two months’ salary for her diamond engagement ring. If you find yourself asking, “Is that before or after taxes?”, then you may also be wondering who came up with this bullshit. It was De Beers. The company also came up with “diamonds are forever” and “diamonds are a girl’s best friend.” It’s the reason we associate a diamond solitaire with poppin’ the question. De Beers started this marketing campaign in the 1930s and is still bamboozling us with this sparkly razzle-dazzle nonsense.

  Everyone knows these diamond companies are shady, greedy, and sneaky. Just watch ten minutes of the movie Blood Diamond and you’ll see. De Beers also keeps the price of diamonds high by controlling supply and demand. Try to forget about all that for a second, and focus on the question “Do you really NEED a diamond to propose?”

  [you] RIFE!

  Congratulations, De Beers, you convinced everyone that a diamond is mandatory when a guy gets down on one knee. You also made everyone think there is a direct correlation between the size of a diamond and the quality of love and devotion. Wake up, America! (Since you are, indeed, the world’s largest diamond consumer.) You have been DUPED. Who says you have to buy a diamond ring for an engagement? Your girlfriend? No, the diamond industry tricks people with its exceptional marketing ploys. And we fall for it. De Beers claims you should spend about two months’ salary. Since the typical American male makes about $36,000 a year, that means the average Joe owes his woman about $6,000 of sparkly (and tries his best to comply). More than 80 percent of American brides receive diamond engagement rings. Take note, about 95 percent of the U.S. population has sex before marriage. This means that most people refuse to obey God and the church regarding premarital sex, but they will listen to De Beers about the six grand.

  Think, people, THINK! Spend your money on a great honeymoon or start a trust fund for your unborn child’s education. Or maybe spend it on counseling before your marriage ends in divorce! Remember, a diamond is just a rock someone found in the ground. It takes more than digging in the dirt to make a marriage work.

  №003

  Peter Travis

  For inventing Speedos.

  THE FACTS

  Peter Travis was many things: a designer, sculptor, ceramist, kite-maker, and teacher. But the Australian is most famous for bringing millions of unwanted winces of disgust to the faces of people after seeing repulsive men wearing Speedos. This phenomenon is undeniably awful.

  Don’t get me wrong—the Speedo does have its place. It is, after all, very functional swimwear. It has low resistance for swimming competitions, it doesn’t restrict movement while diving, and it can even lend itself to a bodybuilding competit
ion (although that last point is highly debatable).

  [you] RIFE!

  Ah, the beach… a tranquil environment of warmth, soft breezes, and the calming effects of water. Picture yourself in sunny Florida lying on a blanket, about to apply some tanning lotion. Suddenly, you see something troubling. And like a needle scratching across a record, a hairy old guy struts right before your eyes sporting a banana hammock. Apparently someone forgot to remind him that he is not in Europe. Quite frankly, there is nothing more revolting than this phenomenon.

  Finally, we know the wanker responsible for Speedos. Let’s face it, Peter, the world could have done without this invention. It just makes everyone feel gross. Unfortunately, most of us were forced to wear Speedos while swimming in middle school gym class. Teachers told us we had to wear the uncomfortable trunks so everyone would look the same. But let me tell you, there is nothing “the same” about preteens when it comes to scrotal development. I blame Mr. Travis for the agonizingly embarrassing trauma of a late bloomer.

  So take note: If you are a European man visiting American beaches or pools, we do not want to see your ass crack or your bulge, and we certainly DO NOT want to see your pubes. So stop it, and get some board shorts.

  №004

  Anheuser-Busch

  For the first corporate-branded stadium.

  THE FACTS

  In 1953, Anheuser-Busch purchased the St. Louis Cardinals baseball franchise, along with its stadium, Sportsman Park. That same year, the brewers asked if they could rename the park, hoping to have “Budweiser” plastered on the stadium walls. However, the league president, Ford C. Frick, thought, ironically, that beer should not be associated with baseball, and said no. But he did allow the stadium to be named Busch Stadium, after the owner’s name. So, under the influence of the president’s support, Anheuser-Busch quickly, and deviously, started brewing a brand called Busch Bavarian Beer, later to be called Busch and Busch Light. And there you have it: the first stadium sponsorship was fermented.

  [you] RIFE!

  Today, the sobering truth is that nearly every stadium, arena, amphitheater, coliseum, concert hall, skating rink, and Little League field has been renamed by corporate sponsorship. I guess tradition and fond memories don’t pay for today’s overpriced, steroid-pumped athletes.

  Now don’t get me wrong—Busch is an okay beer. It isn’t the best brew around, but I certainly don’t turn it down when it’s offered. In fact, most of what I have forgotten in college can be attributed to the affordability of Busch Light. But brewing a halfway decent cold one doesn’t give Anheuser-Busch the right to sell out baseball’s history.

  And if a stadium name must be changed, at least make it cool. Here are some particularly sucky ones: Pizza Hut Park, Gaylord Entertainment Center, Heinz Field, Amway Arena, Minute Maid Park (take note of the improvement—it was previously named Enron Field), Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, Lucas Oil Stadium, and Jobing.com Arena. Come on!

  So the next time you “root, root, root” for the home team, don’t forget that Anheuser-Busch stole the stadium’s honor and respect and left you sitting in a giant ad campaign.

  №005

  Muntadhar al-Zeidi

  For having bad aim.

  THE FACTS

  Austin Powers once asked, “Who throws a shoe? Honestly?” Well, the answer to that question, besides Dr. Evil’s sidekick, Random Task, is a man I’m sure you have heard of—Muntadhar al-Zeidi.

  In 2008, at a press conference in Iraq, President George W. Bush had to dodge two shoes swiftly thrown at him. His footwear-flinging attacker was Iraqi journalist Muntadhar al-Zeidi. Shoe-hurling is a grave insult in Arab culture. Zeidi was trying to show his disgust toward Bush’s invasion of Iraq. Muntadhar, who had no prior criminal record, was sentenced to three years. Given the harmless nature of the crime (since nobody died from the shoe-icide), his sentence was reduced to one year after an appeal.

  Muntadhar was considered a hero in many nations. A Saudi Arabian businessman offered him $10 million for one of his shoes. Also, as a result of the “shoe-ing,” Turkish shoemaker Ramazan Baydan says his company, Baydan Shoes, had to employ one hundred additional workers to meet the extra demand customers who wanted to buy the same type of shoe thrown at the hated U.S. president.

  [you] RIFE!

  How did this sneaker-slinger ruin it for everyone? By MISSING, of course!

  President Bush is an easy target to poke fun at, but, unfortunately for Muntadhar, a difficult one to hit with a shoe. In response, Bush did the only thing he could: He shrugged off the barely harmful act. However, if Bush were smart, he would have requested that the loafer-launcher be pardoned for freedom of speech (since Iraq is now a democracy, thanks to the U.S. invasion).

  Don’t give up, Muntadhar. Remember: Practice makes perfect!

  №006

  The U.S. Treasury and Mint

  For making America change.

  THE FACTS

  If a penny saved is a penny earned, then a penny made is a taxpayer played! Allow me to elaborate… actually, let’s let the United States Mint director’s cost analysis explain:

  • Cost to mint a penny: 1.26 cents

  • Cost to mint a nickel: 7.7 cents

  • Cost to make a dollar coin: 16 cents

  • Cost to make a dollar bill: 4.2 cents

  [you] RIFE!

  In case you need it spelled out for you, it costs MORE to mint the penny and the nickel than the coins’ actual worth. And, if you forgot fourth-grade American history, your taxes pay for minting. Does this upset you? Well, now you finally have a good reason to smash that piggy bank!

  That stupid annoying little penny… it and everything below the quarter needs to go away. Let’s start dissolving as many as we can in bottles of Coke. And besides, except for buying a hotdog at the ball game, who the hell uses cash anymore? The U.S. Mint says 33 percent of all transactions use cash. That seems a bit high. The mint must be including all of Washington’s untraceable private escort transactions in its statistics.

  Anyway, if you haven’t already, start lobbying your congressman and the March of Dimes. And be sure to max out your credit as often as possible to deter coin usage. I am sure we will experience some resistance from the bleeding hearts and conservatives. But don’t worry—just tell them we can still use coins for circuit breakers and weddings, instead of throwing rice. Rice does kill birds, you know. And the next time you see Obama, tell him to fight for NO CHANGE!

  A side note: Someone please tell the $1 bill to wipe that smirk off its face, because it only has a life expectancy of twenty-one months. So it can go away too. In fact, if it were replaced with the $1 coin, taxpayers would save over $500 million per year, since coins last at least thirty years!

  I wonder how long it takes a dollar to dissolve in Coca-Cola.

  №007

  Abdulla Ahmed Ali

  For allowing only three ounces in planes.

  THE FACTS

  Abdulla Ahmed Ali was one of the British Islamists arrested in connection with the 2006 transatlantic aircraft terrorist plot in the United Kingdom. He was the apparent mastermind of a terror cell that plotted to blow up airliners using liquid bombs disguised in drink bottles. Twenty-four men were arrested in Britain, but only three men, Abdulla Ahmed Ali, Assad Sarwar, and Tanvir Hussain, were convicted of conspiring to commit mass murder.

  More than a thousand flights were canceled in the aftermath, and many countries imposed tight restrictions on carry-on baggage for several weeks. To this day, all travelers are still restricted to bottles that hold only about a thimbleful of liquid.

  [you] RIFE!

  Due to the liquid bomb plot, we are only allowed to take three-ounce bottles on a plane. Not to mention the much more enjoyable chaos of going through a “heightened security” screening. I comply with these laws, but it’s such a nuisance. Air travel is no longer an adventure; it’s a hassle.

  Let me take you back down memory lane… I remember going to the airport to d
rop my dad off for a business trip. Back then, we would stay at the gate, our noses pressed to the window, fogging up the glass, until his plane was nothing more than a speck in the sky. Even when we picked him up, we would go inside an hour early and giddily wait for his face to pop through the long human tube. However, those days are gone. Wake up from nostalgia, everybody: We are in a new era of “safety.” Nowadays a drop-off is nothing more than a kick to the curb, and a pickup usually involves a cab ride. I really feel we lost something.

  But there is nothing we can do about it now, so wipe that tear from your eye, because TSA might not let you carry it on.

  №008

  Tropicana

  For making OJ NOT taste like oranges.

  THE FACTS

  Ever notice that your local grocery store will sometimes have an incredible deal on strawberries? I am sure you already know why; it’s because they are “in season.” It was the best time to harvest a few weeks prior to the sale and the grocery store overbought, so they try to force-feed you with crazy-good deals. Well, all fruits and vegetables have an optimal harvesting season. The popular, and best-tasting, Valencia oranges grown in Florida are certainly not exempt from this rule. The primary picking time for this tasty citrus fruit is from March until June. So how do Tropicana and other orange juice companies make consistent-tasting juice year round? Well, they cheat by using “flavor packs.” These flavor “enhancers” are made by flavor and fragrance companies, the same ones that make your perfume, soap, and deodorant smell good. You will not find these ingredients printed on the juice box, since they use orange essence and oil and are technically part of the orange. However, chemically altered orange peel is certainly NOT nature intended juice to be made of.