Everyone hates Spec & Everyone hates drug ads.

Two pet peeves that go great together!

Eric is asking Is Tim Ferriss acting like an asshole? on the topic of Spec Work.

Sure, on the surface, Tim’s foible – or stunt depending upon how you see it – is pretty harmless. As he notes, “If you don’t participate by submitting, it is impossible for me to exploit you.” I argue this to be rather simplistic though, sort of like an advertiser saying, “Hey, maybe our ads are sexist, but if you don’t like ‘em, don’t watch ‘em.” Tim’s supposed “raison d’être” is to help people live their best lives through efficient use of time; yet, with this action he individually squanders the time of many hundreds, and perhaps thousands, of people. Additionally, he perpetuates a much larger problem that shouldn’t be ignored.

Earlier this week Room for Debate @ NYTimes ran a discussion about prescription drug ads asking whether if they should or should not be reined in as some in Congress have suggested. In Saying No To Drug ads they have collected some of the best responses, and as it turns out everyone hates drug ads. Except in Cannes of course, where Viagra keeps raking in the awards...