Worst Astroturf Ever

Slate picks an easy target in an article on the business of blogging:

The Gullible Latecomers: In the end stages of any investment mania, the clueless and the greedy flood in. You know things are really poised for a fall when people who have no management experience and feeble business plans somehow manage to raise cash for ventures. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you: Pajamas Media. Last November, the collection of right-wing blogs (with a few lefties thrown in for laughs) grandly announced the closing of a $3.5 million round of venture capital financing. Roger Simon, the screenwriter-turned-blogger who is the CEO of the enterprise, promised "to change the way people report and access news and commentary." I don't know. It looks to me like a bunch of blogs with their own logo.

Harsh? You be the judge.

Currently on the Depends Media front page:

1. A talking cracker quotes a press release:

W Ketchup announced today that it has cancelled all advertising with Google, including both search engine ads and content network ads. The company took this step to protest Google's agreement to help the Communist regime in China suppress liberty and free expression in that country.

And because they couldn't find enough change in their sofa.

2. Some other idiot quotes Fast Company quoting a third idiot:

["]Block out the noise and really pave your own road guided by what lights you up.["]

Seems like there's a big market in simple truths.

And no market for simple Simon's wingnut blog.

3. And Depends' foreign correspondent demonstrates the advantanges of having bloggers on two continents:

Writing Tips For Non-Writers

Pajamas Media in Barcelona

February 17, 2006 4:45 AM
Categories: Culture

John Scalzi has some good advice.

Read the whole thing? That is the whole thing.

Aubrey Chernick makes Dick Dasen look like a shrewd investor.

Remember this comedy classic from four months ago?

"What we are trying to do is not something that can be done on a whim [," said Roger L. Simon]. It requires a massive commitment from our team and from our platinum line up of contributors and writers. It also requires capital. We feel fortunate to have the support of our private investors."

"We are pleased to be involved with Pajamas Media in an era when the demand for new and unique channels of information grows and the convergence of blogging, news coverage and advertising begins," said Jim Koshland. "We anticipate that Pajamas Media will have a profound and positive market impact due to its outstanding team and unique business approach. We believe successful industry trends such as AOL's acquisition of Weblogs validates the emergence of blogging as an important new media market. This financing will allow the company to accelerate its growth and solidify its market position."

If only Scenes From A Mall was that funny!