Last week, Texas mom Candace Payne set the internet aflame with her contagious laughter over a stupid talking Chewbacca mask. The Washington Post said Payne’s video was just the thing we didn’t know we needed; we being all of us, adults with our problems and bills and jobs and dirty dishes. Something about that 2:20 of pure joy made so many people smile. That, my friends, is why she became an overnight sensation: she gave so freely of her happiness so that all of us could feel it, too.
Of course, someone has to show up and fart on that joy with a GoFundMe page. Thing is, ‘Chewbacca Mom’ — who is a full-time stay at home mom — never asked for money. She’s currently doing the talk show circuit and I’m sure if the press becomes unmanageable, she seems smart enough to be able to hire a publicist. So if she does need money, let her figure that out. But yeah, sure, send money because internet.
Who the hell is Robert Royster? And how did he come up with that goal amount?
“She brought so much joy to the world this week – Let’s send some Joy back to her,” he writes. “Let’s raise $500,000 and show her how much that joy meant to so many people.”
Listen, bruh, I’m sure you mean well but no. This is a God-fearing Christian woman, she doesn’t need money to know how much the world appreciates her. That laughter everyone fell in love with? That IS her wealth.
Not to mention the fact that money changes people. Remember the guy in Detroit who walked 21 miles a day to and from his job? He got over $350k from the internet and ended up having to leave his community and cut ties with everyone he’d known most of his life. Sure, he’s set and he no longer has to hoof it but his life will never be the same, not necessarily in a good way.
If Chewbacca Mom wants to ask the internet for money, let her. Otherwise, leave her alone and let her enjoy her well-earned 15 minutes of fame.
