I will happily support your business, but spare me the CSR angle and your charity

These days, I find myself increasingly being asked to attend events. This makes me happy because I like meeting people, doing fun stuff, being entertained, maybe eating an hors d'oeuvres or two and generally being sociable and spending my money in the vague direction of "Art" and "Culture".

However, off late, every event, every business venture seems to have a charity hanging on its coat-tails. This annoys me a lot. Why it annoys me is because, I know most people use it like a scam and to hoodwink their friends, family, social acquaintances, rather shamelessly, guilting them into opening up their purses. This is wrong and unethical on very many levels. If you want people to spend, make your business/ product/ service attractive and competitive, to make people want it and aspire for it. Making people do so, under the guise of "doing good" will probably not make them repeat the action, and sooner or later people will realise that they are being hoodwinked. There is no shame in being a business owner or capitalist. In fact, in my eyes I will rate you higher than, if you tell me you are associated with a NGO/ charity.

I am also amazed, when people I hardly know or have not met and spoken with for ages, suddenly pop in from the blue and ask me to support some charitable venture. Why would I? I am happy being a charmless, friendless asshole rather than a sitting duck. I am happy to support a business or enterprise, because I feel it makes more sense and in a way is being more useful and contributive to society, than a silly little support group to inflate egos of bored housewives.

If you do need funds for charity or any social endeavor, just be upfront about it, rather than making people buy your stupid doodads. I will be serious about your charity, if I know it is just that and not a way to make me buy shit. I do support many groups doing useful work, but the moment they ask me to attend an art and cocktail event, I will bid them a fond farewell! I am happy attending such an event ONLY for art, but I really dislike this idiotic trend of 5-star charity and doing-good. Even a famous activist used up funds for booze and beauty parlors, so before getting sucked in to any such activity, do stop and think!