The X-Project

Who knew there was so much money to be made by treating people like objects for sale to the highest bidder?

Oh but it's for charity so it's all right.

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x-penance.livejournal.com

Considering that two of us who participated in helping with the event have been sold to others before and we saw it for what it was intended, the harmless means of raising money for a charitable organization, then perhaps you can be keeping the snark to yourself, Madelyne. Perhaps you could suggest a more "suitable" activity for the next fundraiser instead?

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That's exactly the problem. This event was harmless, yes, because no one is going to end up enslaved against their will. But it sends a message to those who would buy people for their needs: that it is justifiable, and you can wave it off as being "for a good cause".

Perhaps you've become too complacent living in this big mansion with all this freedom afforded to you, but modern slavery often starts out as very harmless seeming. A job offer in a wealthy nation, a boyfriend treating his girl to expensive gifts to show affection, all seem harmless on the surface but then you get to your new job and your passport is taken away and you're forced to work 20 hours a day and sleep in a closet with no payment or your boyfriend pimps you out to his friends, telling you that you "owe it to him" after all he's done for you. And the people responsible justify it because of all the good work they've done by pulling someone out of the third world cesspool from which they come.

But, yes, I do have many more suitable activities for fundraisers, activities I'm surprised that Hope herself didn't come up with. Like, I don't know, an actual auction for starters. Where you get local businesses to donate goods or services. Or a cake walk, cause everyone loves cake. It's really not that difficult to come up with a good fundraiser, so there's no excuse for not doing so except sheer laziness and lack of imagination.

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Wow, Maddie. Way to try and ruin things for everyone who participated and had a good time. Why don't you take a breath, a step back, and maybe reconsider your soapbox given who you're talking to and who's likely to see this. Cause you're not coming off as progressive and intelligent here - you're coming off as belligerent, unkind, and petty.

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What a coincidence because I was trying to be belligerent, unkind, and petty. The entire idea is disgusting. Didn't someone pay 20K alone for that doctor you have a major crush on? It wasn't her medical services he was paying for, it was because he saw perky tits and a nice ass.

She's just a piece of meat to him. You don't find that the least bit disgusting? It's not everyone auctioning themselves off, it's that the people who are buying them, who this was aimed at, aren't people like you and me. It's aimed at people who have a shit ton of money and basically see that they can use it to get what they want. It's guys like him who will run with this concept of being able to buy people and take it beyond the realm of a charity function.

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What I find disgusting at the moment is that you can't seem to differentiate between an event held in good faith for fun and the benefit of an organization that needs funding so it can continue to do good work and things that could actually use some social justice crusading. Pick your audience, Maddie. You're going off about things Red-X is aware of and works specifically to protect against. Nobody there, whether letting themselves be auctioned off to the highest bidder or the people doing the bidding, were the types to believe they could do anything they wanted just because they had the money. Miss Frost spent 20k on Mister Kane. That other dude bought himself. For charity. And that dude who spent 20k on the doc is probably doing it as a publicity stunt because he's on reality TV, not so he can take her home and stash her in his basement until he thinks he's gotten his money's worth. If you want to bitch about something, try those girls who were kidnapped in Nigeria by Boko Haram or the rampant violence against women in India. But not this. The auction was a good thing done by good people. If you'd really had a problem with it, you could've said something months ago when it was still in the planning stages. But you didn't. So you don't get to sit on your high horse now and toss out negativity like it's your job.

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Hope, this was a lot of fun. I still think some spinach canapes would've been good, but I know I can't have everything. Thanks for a great evening and I'm glad the event was such a success.

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First off, Red-X does disaster relief and humanitarian work, not social justice crusading. They go in and helped those injured in conflicts and disasters, which don't get me wrong is good work itself, but it's not even close to social justice.

Secondly, I said it was people "like him". I'm sure the doctor can take care of herself. But he still bought her cause she looks nice. You can't deny that.

And maybe I didn't say anything because I was way too busy actually doing shit instead of sitting around and talking. You forget that I'm actually involved with stuff outside of the mansion. I've been involved with the Red Cross for longer than you've been training with Red-X, and not just with lifeguarding. But you don't see me going on about it because I'm not a vainglorious famewhore.

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No, you're just turning into a vindictive bitch who's apparently really enjoying alienating herself from everyone. Congrats on that.

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And what exactly am I vindictive over? For what am I seeking revenge, Clint?

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x-emplate.livejournal.com

My apologies for stepping in, but as a member of the callous rich of whom you speak I felt compelled to comment.

I certainly understand your concerns; in fact you could say I once embodied them. In younger, stupider days I was far closer to the individuals you describe than I care to think. I, too, felt justified at the time. Perhaps even entitled. I do not pretend an affluent background had nothing to do with this point of view.

However, there is a vast difference between slavery and an arrangement between mutually consenting parties. We were not asked to prostitute ourselves, nor were the bidders given any indication they could expect as such. More, this was a charity event. The wealthy take every opportunity to impress their benevolence upon their peers, and consequently I suspect an equivalent amount could have been obtained if the auction had featured, say, a variety of unlabelled canned goods. Perhaps some of these particular canned goods had exceptional aesthetic value, but ultimately the volunteers were rather an afterthought.

There are those individuals who will, as you say, use these good deeds as a means of salving their moral discomforts. However, such individuals are eminently capable of such behavior without charity auctions putting ideas in their heads. Privilege breeds entitlement, and of this I speak from experience.

Do such events contribute to this mindset? Perhaps; the lack of empathy and potential for abuse afforded by wealth is a systemic issue, and speaks to a deeper problem in society. But we could extrapolate the cause of such behaviours into infinity, which would prolong the argument indefinitely. Thus, I shall limit my ultimate opinion to this specific event.

Speaking for myself, I quite enjoyed it. No offence to bake sales, but if I am to volunteer for charity I can think of few things more enjoyable than doing so in my best apparel and alongside an open bar.

And not that anyone asked, but I showed myself a wonderful time.

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....I want spinach canapes.

wanna make them?

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Dude, you can do that? Epic. I'll be in the kitchen in like five minutes.

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pretty sure.

all a canape is is bite sized food.

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I have no actual idea what canape means. I just know it's delicious. Andre will probably be horrified if he ever finds out I said that.

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hey, I love eating delicious foods. which is why I learned to make them.

I'm not Lorna or Hope, but I can handle a recipe. You're gonna be my assistant....as soon as I find pants.

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Pants are definitely a requirement. And sure, I'll be your assistant.

Do you think the coffeemaker will make me something other than a decaf caramel mocha with raspberry syrup? It's made me that for like four days in a row. I kind of want some caffeine.

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awesome. I have found pants. to the bat-kitchen!

only if you sacrifice a chicken first.

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Awesome.

Dude, that's just wrong. Maybe I'll drink a Coke or something.

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I do not touch the coffee maker.

that shit's evil, man.

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But caffeine. Actually, I don't drink much of it, I think I just started while exams were going on. Maybe the coffeemaker is right and I should cut back now that it's just summer school I need to worry about.

Dude, right? It cleans off battery acid in car engines. And people drink it.

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coffee is foul.

carbonation is disgusting.

I'm going to my corner with my Perrier :P

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Dude, Perrier is carbonated. And isn't it, like, lemon flavored or something?

Also, I found fresh spinach in the refrigerator but I have no idea what to do with it. That's totally your department. I'm googling a recipe for spinach canapes, though.

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dammit, Jim I'm a college student, not some hoity toity whatever!

I'll be there in a second. is there cream cheese?

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Dude, let's watch ST: Into Darkness while we take over Miss Dane's kitchen.

Uh... yes. Yes, there is.

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excellent idea!

and awesome. I shall cook the deliciousness!

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