Saturday, July 12, 2008

5688: Profiting from Nutcases.


From The Chicago Sun-Times…

Thank you, Jesse
Because of Jackson’s crude comment, candy seller’s site getting a lot more hits

By Andrew Herrmann

The owner of “Obama’s Chocolate Nuts” is feeling like “the luckiest person on Earth” in the wake of the Rev. Jesse Jackson’s crude remarks about Sen. Barack Obama.

“Who would have thought anybody would use ‘Obama’ and ‘nuts’ in an actual news story?” said David Feingold, a 30-year-old San Diego resident.

His site, Obamaschocolatenuts.com, occupied the top spot on Google Thursday when Web users typed in “Obama” and “nuts.” Feingold said traffic on his site more than tripled over the usual count.

Feingold says he started selling packages of nuts, chocolate balls and T-shirts with Obama’s name and likeness about a month and a half ago -- an idea sparked by his revulsion over sycophantic supporters of the Illinois senator and presumptive Democratic nominee.

(The nuts connection is related to vulgar slang that Feingold defines as “liking someone too much.”)

Nothing against Obama, said Feingold, but “I think anytime somebody follows somebody blindly, it’s not a good thing.”

“Nobody knows anything about this guy; everybody claims they do,” he said.

Feingold says he’s sold 650 bags of nuts and candy so far, led by the three-bag, $8.99 sampler pack. An equal opportunity offender, Feingold was peddling “McCain’s dried papaya stick” -- advertised on his racy Web site by a hungry girl in a bikini -- until the wholesale price got too high, he said.

Keying on Jackson’s threat to castrate Obama for “talking down to black people,” Feingold is planning his next stunt: “We’re going to send Jesse Jackson his ‘Obama’s Nuts’ so he doesn’t have to be violent about it.”

An Obama spokeswoman declined comment.

No comments: