The Gutters
A poster on the Dear DC post pointed me to webcomic The Gutters where I’ve been comic-ed. I’m so tickled by this, even though it was clear the poster (who is not the artist) hadn’t read my post. I actually think the artist made a good point. An opinion is just an opinion. The only thing I’m truly disappointed with is DC’s response, which equated to “We don’t care you aren’t the customer we want” (and that’s what I think the comic was saying).
Let me explain why this is disappointing. Regulars here know I used to work for Borders. Their biggest problem was that booksellers tried to tell the company how to reach customers and the company routinely ignored them. Instead, the company came up with a number of schemes, including regional managers who routinely yelled at and threatened managers in their desperation. Managers meanwhile punished people who couldn’t get the failing customer base to buy the $20 loyalty card (to a business trading penny stocks who had been posting record losses for two years) at 50 or more people a day.
Borders didn’t want to meet the customers on their own terms, to meet the needs of the customers as they are. They wanted to force customers back into the mid 90s heydays. They wanted to force customers to buy whatever crap was on the shelves, not put stuff on the shelves that customers wanted. This is not a business model that can survive these days.
This is exactly what I feel DC is doing. They say they’re trying to improve their customer base, but they can’t if they aren’t willing to meet who their customers really are. It’s a business model that ends with good people getting laid off from a job they love because the uppers just can’t be bothered to listen.
So yeah, a little personal and a little disappointing.
But I also wanted to note, when it comes to the argument that my daughter shouldn’t have been reading a teen comic in the first place, DC defines “T” as 12 & up. According to state testing my daughter is reading at a 11-12 yr old level. Furthermore her teacher, her librarian and her dad and I feel she’s at a maturity level to read materials at a preteen level as well. She reads lots of other books aimed for 9-14 yr olds (she’s on a Goosebumps kick as of late, which is rated for 9-12 yr olds). Think the point here isn’t that I shouldn’t be letting my daughter read a “T” rated comics, but DC needs to rate comics with blatant violence, psychotic characters and clear adult content higher than for 12 yr olds.
Anyway, the comic tickles me. DC not listening irritates me and the world moves on.
