Giving ‘Stimulus Package’ a Whole New Meaning

An industry report claims that a non-trivial amount of the Bush tax relief checks were spent on adult web sites, with many sites reporting a 20-30 percent growth in membership during a normally slow period and claiming that “thirty two percent of respondents referenced the recent stimulus package as part of their decision to either become a new member, or renew an existing membership.”

I guess consumer spending is consumer spending but, somehow, I’m pretty sure this is not what they had in mind.

FILED UNDER: Humor, Popular Culture, US Politics, ,
James Joyner
About James Joyner
James Joyner is Professor and Department Head of Security Studies at Marine Corps University's Command and Staff College. He's a former Army officer and Desert Storm veteran. Views expressed here are his own. Follow James on Twitter @DrJJoyner.

Comments

  1. yetanotherjohn says:

    Hey, 18 year old American girls need money too.

  2. William d'Inger says:

    I’m pretty sure this is not what they had in mind.

    Well, what do you think they had in mind?

    My best guess is the porno claim is a politically motivated smear job.

    Most of that money is likely going to be spent on Chinese imports, with a good percentage returning to federal and state coffers via gasoline taxes.

    Just be thankful the relief wasn’t promulgated by a Democrat administration lest it be mandated to be spent on public transportation bus rides and solar hot water heaters.

  3. Floyd says:

    Did you mean George “Bush”???

  4. legion says:

    a non-trivial amount of the Bush tax relief checks were spent on adult web sites,

    For a brief, shining moment, I thought you were saying someone had tracked George Bush’s own personal spending on porn sites. That would have made me laugh my ass clear off.

  5. Hal says:

    My best guess is the porno claim is a politically motivated smear job.

    WTF? Geez, is there nothing that you don’t see liberal conspiracies in?

    Many of the sites we surveyed have reported 20-30% growth in membership rates since mid-May when the checks were first sent out, and typically the summer is a slow period for this market.”

    It’s like y’all are Birchers now – or always were.

  6. James Joyner says:

    I thought you were saying someone had tracked George Bush’s own personal spending on porn sites. That would have made me laugh my ass clear off.

    I’m guessing Bush didn’t qualify for a rebate.

  7. Richard Gardner says:

    William d’Inger:

    My best guess is the porno claim is a politically motivated smear job.

    Nope, just good marketing by the adult film industry trade group (non-profit). This story will likely get, um, inflated with the telling but in the vein of any publicity is good, this trade organization is justifying its existence to those that pay its bills.

    BTW, threadpit.com t-shirts are showing as a moving ad here on OTB as I’m typing this: women in t-shirts and skimpy underwear briefs holding champaign bottles (slowing my typing). Sex sells, even in a supposed era of free internet porn.

  8. Floyd says:

    Hey legion…. If you actually laughed your “ass” off, would you then become a RepubliCAN??[lol]

  9. William d'Inger says:

    … just good marketing by the adult film industry trade group …

    Well yeah, Richard, that too. I suppose my point hinges on what the definition of “non-trivial amount” is. Compared to the amount that will be spent on Chinese imports, I’m guessing the porn take will be trivial.

    As for myself, I won’t be spending one red cent of my relief check on either adult web sites or imports.

  10. Hal says:

    As for myself, I won’t be spending one red cent of my relief check on either adult web sites or imports.

    And believe me, all of us are relieved to hear this.

  11. FireWolf says:

    Most of that money is likely going to be spent on Chinese imports

    Would that import be chinese porn then?

  12. DL says:

    I often wonder why they call those things “Adult?”

  13. William d'Inger says:

    As for myself, I won’t be spending one red cent of my relief check on either adult web sites or imports.

    And believe me, all of us are relieved to hear this.

    And I would be relieved if you would commit to the same strategy.

    Actually, I don’t care if you spend your relief check on “adult” entertainment so long as it’s domestic. The goal (IMHO) is to stimulate the U.S. economy.