I’m sure by now anyone with access to social media has heard about Cinnamon Nicole.
If you haven’t, basically, a woman calling herself Cinnamon Nicole set up a Go Fund Me page asking for donations because she had blown all her savings on the Powerball lottery draw. Go Fund Me took the page down stating it violates their terms and conditions.
Of course, the internet exploded with people expressing horror and disgust that someone would do something so stupid and then expect other people to bail her out.
Really? Really!?
The blurb on Cinnamon Nicole’s page read as follows:
“Please help me and my family as we have exhausted all of our funds. We spent all of our money on lottery tickets (expecting to win the 1.5 billion) and are now in dire need of cash…PLEASE, won’t you help a family in need. DONATE NOW. With your small donation of at least $1.00, a like and one share, I’m certain that we will be able to pick ourselves up from the trenches of this lost and spend another fortune trying to hit it big again!”
Please tell me I’m not the only one that gets that this is sarcasm? The woman has clearly set this up as a statement (or a joke) to highlight the nature of the people who actually do this. There are people out there who are really that certain they will win that they do blow all their money on tickets, and they then expect state welfare to bail them out. This is clearly a dig at that mentality and not a genuine request for money.
Why Take It Down?
Image courtesy of Google Images
As I said earlier, Go Fund Me removed the page for violating their terms and conditions. Whether there is more to it or it’s just because people are complaining about the page I’m not sure. If it’s just because of the nature of the request, I don’t think it should have been taken down.
At the end of the day, whether this is genuine or not, if people are stupid enough to donate to someone who claims to have spent all their savings on the Powerball and now want to raise another $100,000 to try again, then that’s their business.
It’s not up to Go Fund Me to police who people choose to donate their money to. If this is allowed to happen, how long will it be before they are deciding who is more worthy of getting the treatment they need, or which charity is more worthy of donations?
Maybe she genuinely needs money for some medical treatment or one of the hundreds of reasons people think it’s ok to set these pages up for. But as the people moaning about it prove, raising money this way isn’t easy. There are hundreds of pages set up, all with some cause.
One lady complained that she has a genuine reason for needing money (medical expenses for her husband) and this account raised more than hers in the 7 hours it was live. So maybe Cinnamon Nicole is a genius and knows this would quickly go viral because of the people who would instantly jump all over it.
What Was The Point of it All?
Maybe the point was to highlight the very real issue of people making obviously bad life choices and expecting someone else to bail them out (and then going on to make exactly the same bad decision again).
Maybe it was just someone who was bored and thought it would be funny.
Maybe it was to prove that we live in such a judgemental society that this would be viral with people expressing disgust within a couple of hours of going live.
Maybe it’s for real.
Maybe it’s someone who saw a chance to make some really easy money really quickly and took it.
Maybe it was someone who wanted their 15 minutes of fame and knew this would wind a lot of people up.
Maybe it’s someone who genuinely needs the money and knew this would get seen much quicker than a genuine request.
Maybe it’s none of the above.
Personally, I believe it was the first option. The whole thing screams sarcasm.
The Irony of It All
The irony of all of this is if it was a sarcastic dig at the people who still believe the world owes them something, which I think it was, then all of the people jumping all over this and calling her are actually agreeing with her sentiment.
The Sad Truth
So Cinnamon Nicole got her 15 minutes of fame and raised just over $800 (which she didn’t actually get because Go Fund Me refunded the money to the donators when they closed down the page).
This raises a few issues that highlight the sorry state of the world we live in today:
There are people out there that actually blow all of their money on something as unlikely to happen as a Powerball billion dollar win. I’m not having a go at the average person who plays the lottery here, I play it myself. And for all realistically, I know it’s unlikely to happen, there is a small part of me that thinks what if. There is a difference between having a bit of hope when you buy your ticket, and blowing your life savings because you got a good feeling about it.
That an account such as this can be viral and raise more money in seven hours than someone who needs life saving treatment can raise in months. I accept that I have no right to tell other people what to spend their money on, and I really do appreciate the sarcastic nature of the page, and if I’m honest, I got quite a kick out of the massive over reaction in several of the comments, but really, priorities people!
Lastly, and in my opinion most importantly, this re-raises the issue of how, in a so called developed world, people are still being forced to beg every day for potentially life-saving treatments for themselves or their loved ones. How is it possible that a child could be left to die if their parents don’t raise the money quickly enough to save them?
Maybe this whole ridiculous thing will force people to re-think these matters, which can only be a good thing.
What do you think? Was Cinnamon Nicole being sarcastic or did she genuinely think people should fund her gambling habits? Were Go Fund Me right to take the page down? Let me know what you think in the comments 🙂
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I think it was a joke and perhaps people would donate as a kind of thank you or the entertainment. Sometimes I think that people know things are a joke but they really want to be outraged! #justanotherlinky
I did wonder what would make people donate, I think you’ve made a good suggestion here, it would be kind of tempting to donate just to sort of let the person know you get it! Yes, people these days seem to need a cause to bang their drums about and they don’t seem to fussy what it is as long as they can make a bit of a public noise about it.
Hi Debbie, I’d not been aware of this story before reading this, but I’m with you on this one; it has to be a very clever person having a surreptitious dig at some of the Wallys in this world.
I’m not sure if Go Fund Me should have closed the page down though as surely others will have seen it for what it is too, so it’s their choice to donate to this unworthy cause.
xx
It’s got to be hasn’t it, there’s no way you would word it that way if it wasn’t!
I agree, it’s not like it’s funding anything illegal, people can choose to donate or not x
This is the first I’d heard of this but I honestly can’t see how someone would genuinely write this and expect a resounding response. I’m with you. Sarcasm is written all over this. It’s clearly generated a huge amount of publicity and maybe it will raise more awareness for people with a genuine need that are appealing for funds. But then who am I to define genuine?? Very interesting post!
#justanotherlinky
It’s got to be a wind up, you wouldn’t make it so ott sarcastic if it was for real would you. That would be a really good outcome, I hope it works like that. Thank you 🙂
Lol that’s funny. I agree, if people want to donate their money to these people then so be it. No one is holding them at knife point telling them to donate, it’s up to them
Exactly! If you don’t like the cause, you don’t donate, there’s no need for all the judgemental comments 🙂
I think it was probably a joke but it just goes to show how f****d up our society is if it ignores a woman who is trying to fund her husbands medical treatment in favor for a woman who is clearly playing a joke. I can’t understand the way our society works sometimes.
I completely agree with you. It’s something you would see, have a smile to yourself and then go and donate to a real cause in my opinion. Our society is seriously messed up!
Gosh, I hadn’t heard of any of this – I guess it probably was a prank of some sort? I am amazed that she did raise $800!! I suppose if it was ‘real’ then people can give if they want to! Kaz x
I think it was but it’s a good way to make a quick few dollars lol 🙂 x
Wow, I actually hadn’t heard anything about this story. I would agree that the gofundme request seems to be written with a sarcastic tone but over all I don’t see why people should be getting upset about it. If you want to donate- fair enough, if you don’t want to donate then don’t and move on.
No one can do anything anymore with out a group of strangers complaining about it. When I first saw the headline, I thought the out rage was because Go Fund Me took it down, but sadly I was wrong.
I’m hoping it was a joke. These days, it’s sometimes difficult to tell sarcastic from stupid. But, even if it wasn’t a joke, it’s her right to use gofundme, and it’s the right of the individual whether or not to donate. No one is standing behind these people with a gun to their heads, forcing them to donate, after all.
I know what you mean, but I just find it hard to imagine anyone would word it quite that way if they weren’t being sarcastic. I agree, I wouldn’t donate personally but if someone else wants to that’s up to them.
Yikes. I actually hadn’t heard of this debacle! Some of the pages on Go Fund Me are very strange and I do often wonder why people donate to them as opposed to registered charities? x
I know, I would be in two minds even with the genuine sounding ones unless I knew the person well because really anyone can set one up and give any reason for wanting the money. x
I hadn’t heard anything about this either bit I agree it doesn’t sound at all like it’s serious. I am a bit amazed anyone would donate but it’s their money and nothing illegal has been asked so I don’t see why it should have been pulled either.
My thoughts exactly. Personally, I wouldn’t donate to it but I think that’s up to the individual rather than the site to decide.
I agree with you I think she’s just being sarcastic. Maybe she knows someone who has done just that – blown their savings on gambling and wants to do make a point. I am not sure it should have been removed after all if people want to donate then surely its up to them! xx
Good point, that would make sense just to let them know how stupid people will think they are. I don’t think it should have been removed – it’s not illegal and like you say people can make their own decisions as to whether or not they want to donate. x
The family of a friend once gave all their money away and resigned their jobs because the leader of their church told them that Jesus was coming back and they were all going to heaven. The rest of the family were expected to bail them out and provide accommodation for them whilst not saying anything about how foolish they’d been. (It’s a Latin American thing. I don’t understand either). For that reason, I’m not sure.
Wow, I’ve read about people doing stuff like that! It must have been hard for the family to bite their tongues. Perhaps this is for real then if it’s kind of an accepted practice there!
This Is the first I have heard anything about Cinnamon Nicole. To be honest I have no idea what to think, although i think I’m too leaning towards the sarcastic approach. But whatever the reason after reading this it would be interesting to find out lol.xx #KCACOLS
I know, I would love to hear her response to it all! x
I hadn’t heard about this but what you have said is right. I think it was a prank but who would donate to something like this? Our society needs sorting out in my eyes as people are fundraising for things that shouldn’t need money raising for, to save a life. Thanks for linking up to #justanotherlinky xx
It winds me up so much that people even have to fund raise to get life saving treatment. With that in mind it does seem wasteful to donate to this. I would be willing to bet that the person who set it up probably didn’t expect anyone to actually donate! Thanks for hosting 🙂 x
I’d not actually heard about this prior to reading but it does come across as a joke. I agree with you that if people wish to donate after having read it then it is their responsibility.
Thanks for linking up to #KCACOLS and I hope to see you back again next Sunday.
It’s got to be a joke hasn’t it! But yeah, if people want to donate it’s their choice, not the site’s. Thanks for hosting, see you next week!
I had heard something about this but never knew the details until just now. Seems pretty obvious to me that it was just a somewhat clever person riling up the internet mobs. I find it pretty funny
Me too, a bit of sarcasm brightens my day lol! Especially when so many people miss it altogether 🙂
Oh my! I didn’t hear about it but my god what cheek that woman has! What a complete joke!
Thanks for linking up with #justanotherlinky
I know, if it’s for real she has some front! It’s got to be a joke! Thanks for hosting 🙂
I hadn’t come across this story before. I’m afraid the cynic in me says she’s not a real person. Or is she? Who knows! #effitfriday
I’m inclined to agree with you that whoever set this up has used a fake name and a stock photo!
It’s a difficult one to call. The last line looks like sarcasm but as you say it highlights that sometimes people do feel that the only way to survive is to beg and doing it through a website carries less stigma than an easily ignored person on the street.
This is just old wine in new bottles though with a shiny front end to present what you see in the classifieds of magazines like Private Eye and Eye Need where people give a brief blurb and then their bank details for donations towards life long dreams, wrecked marriages or torrid affairs.
#effitfriday
I do think this one was sarcastic, but it saddens me that there are people with more genuine causes who have to resort to this. I had no idea people had been doing this for years in magazines! Thanks for linking up 🙂
I hadn’t heard of this Debbie but it sounds like sarcasm to me, though I can also see how other people may have taken it seriously. Sometimes sarcasm is hard to spot when you are typing out the words and no one can see your facial expressions or the tone in your voice but it does seems like a joke. If I had seen this my first response would have been, “this has got to be a joke” but like you said, the people getting outraged by it are probably some of the same people who donated to her in the first place, then realized it was a joke and got pissed off as a defense for being so stupid to donate in the first place when they could have donated to the other lady who genuinely needed the money. Our society is strange and the times we live in are strange. LOL! #effitfriday
I know what you mean about tone and expression. I am kind of known for being sarcastic and I often send genuine text messages to friends and they think I’m being sarcastic lol. Yes, I think a lot of the anger they express is really aimed at their own stupidity than at this page. It definitely is a strange society!
I hadn’t heard of her/this until reading your post. Im sitting on the fence on it though. It does read as sarcastic, but then I am reading it as someone who doesnt believe it was actually acceptable to ask others for money for such a thing. On the other hand I know people who have set up genuine crowdfunding events for all sorts of equally (in my humble opinion) bad reasons, I WANT a holiday, I WANT a pair of designer shoes. If people think these are valid reasons for asking for money, them maybe the lottery thing could be genuine too, who knows….. #effitfriday
Yes, that’s true, some people do actually think it’s ok to expect others to fund their life style. Maybe I’m so set on it being sarcasm because I really want it to be so I can cling on to the tiny bit of faith I still have left in the human race! Thanks for linking up 🙂
Wow she raised $800! That’s hilarious that people are stupid enough to donate money to someone who is yes obviously playing a joke. I have a friend from high school trying to pay for a kidney operation and has only raised about $500 of the 10K he needs. Makes you really wonder about peoples choices. Thanks for hostessing #effitfridays!💌Trista
I know, it’s ridiculous what people will do. Tell your friend he needs to sensationalise his page somehow! The sad truth is people will sooner donate to an obvious joke account than to someone who actually needs help. Thanks for linking up 🙂
People really donated?! I’m not sure whether to be impressed at the kindness of people or shocked at the stupidity. This is just insane. But I enjoy ready things like this so thanks for writing about it. I agree with your views, it can’t be real. Can it? #effitfriday
I was more shocked at the stupidity but someone less cynical than me could see it as kindness – we’ve all made stupid mistakes and maybe they were just trying to help someone down on their luck. I really hope it’s not real! Thank you 🙂
It really does seem that people are less and less able to recognise a joke – everybody wants to be outraged, but not outraged enough to do anything about whatever it is. It isn’t helped by the mainstream news outlets which pick these items up to mask the fact that they can’t be bothered with proper journalism. The lack of basic fact checking that goes on is staggering most of the time!
Yes that’s true, they want to be key board warriors not actually make a difference in the world. I agree that lazy journalism doesn’t help at all.
See I had only half a story, I heard it on the radio but not her go fund me request, just that she’d spent all her money and started a go fund me page. Now that I have read it it is clearly dripping with sarcasm, maybe she thinks she’s funny Because in a way it is. I once heard of a kick starter page that was about raising $100 for a potato party, this guy then managed to raise $10,000! Some people really are weird with who they give money to, and this is proof. I’m quite sure the guy through his potato party but gave quite a lot of it to charity. So at least it all worked out in the end 🙂 xxx
I admit I thought it was funny, especially how irrationally annoyed it seemed to make other people! I might set one up just stating I don’t particularly want to go work as I’d rather sit at home blogging lol 🙂 I like that potato guy gave some of the money to charity x
It upsets me…. i have had a genuine cause and am trying to raise money so i can be able to do more as a mother for my child and then idiots abuse the go fund me system like that! How she can get that much money (even though it was refunded) and I cant get more than 11 donations in a year is beyond me. Just frustrating. Hope you dont’ mind me letting off steam!
I think it’s a very sad reflection of society that they share this around for comedy value and people donate when there are genuine people like yourself that would use the money to change their lives. I don’t mind at all Angela x