The Life’s Awesome Society gleefully presents Schadenfreudefest, a night of music, performances, and schadenfreude in celebration of the spectacular failures of the rich, greedy, and overprivileged, and to raise money for charity in an attempt to offset some of the harm caused by these loathsome creatures.
Join Rodney Ramsey as emcee and performances by Throb, The Group of Seven, Elissa Mielke, Apple Pi, and a special guest on April 26, 2009, 9:00 pm to late, at the Gladstone Hotel.
Tickets are on sale for $10 each. Ticket holders are automatically entered into a drawing for free Schadenfreudefest swag, as well as other merchandise, and allows ticket holders to jump the lines. Tickets can also be purchased at the door for PWYC (recommended $10). All proceeds go to Child's Play Charity, which provides toys and games to sick children in hospitals worldwide, including Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children.
Schadenfreudefest is an opportunity to celebrate the downfall of the overprivileged because enjoying them has a greater positive effect than their downfalls alone. In the past year, Conrad Black and Vincent Lacroix, in Canada, and Bernard Madoff and Ted Stevens, in the US, have been convicted of so-called white-collar crime, and more accurately called theft and fraud. Their convictions are a cause for celebration insofar as these formerly powerful individuals were made scapegoats by failing in a capitalist system designed by those in power to insulate themselves from responsibility, and that deserves derision.
But their convictions underscore the fact that the justice system and regulatory agencies are unable or unwilling to curb the gross excesses of those in power as their actions represent only a small fraction of economic crime in North America. The world-wide economic tailspin will surely inspire further downfalls, but the fundamental structure of the financial and justice systems will remain unchanged. Thus, it is everyone’s duty to point and laugh at their failures while doing their part to contribute to the well-being of their communities.
By bringing together fans of schadenfreude to celebrate collectively, as well as support Frontier College, Schadenfreudefest provides a setting for attendees to form social and altruistic bonds over shared experiences, and studies show that such bonds are key to individual health and happiness.
For more information, email info@lifesawesome.com. Press inquiries, email press@lifesawesome.com.
