Brian Gongol Show on WHO Radio - September 12, 2010
If you haven't seen the "Bed Intruder Song" video -- or the news story that started it -- you should. Keep in mind that the whole thing is based upon a news story involving a home intrusion and attempted sexual assault, so it's not a situation to make light of. But just like the song "30,000 Pounds of Bananas" is a really catchy song about a fatal truck accident that really occurred, the "Bed Intruder Song" is itself exceptionally catchy. That we live in an era when a local TV news report can turn into a Billboard Hot 100-charting song tells us that reality may be much stranger than fiction. There's even an orchestral version now, for classical-music lovers. The man whose words became the song is taking the high road -- using the money to move his family away from the housing project where the crime occurred and using the fame to advocate for other people whose stories may go unreported and overlooked because they happen in the shadows of poverty. And, frankly, it's probably about time a victim of crime actually got to benefit from it rather than just suffering.
We talked about a lot of other things this week -- including the case for more stimulus spending (I'm unconvinced), the rise of spammy business behavior (I'm tired of it), and the latest estimates of world charitable giving (it's on the rise). You might as well enjoy the full conversation in our podcast.
Thanks for listening this week -- we'll be back next Sunday night at 9.