Comments on: Edinburgh Fringe show asks audience to shred banknotes

By: Thebes

Thebes — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 08:46:00 +0000

Spread the Wealth – Burn the Money

By: RyanMcFitz

RyanMcFitz — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 17:38:00 +0000

Burn expensive things that matter to you… Wait a minute — didn’t Savonarola pull this stunt a while back…?

By: Cookie Monsta

Cookie Monsta — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 16:04:00 +0000

Chicago Fringe is September 1st – 11th, can’t wait.

By: Mister44

Mister44 — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 15:20:00 +0000

I was thinking the same thing. Similar to the ‘money machine’ con artists and magicians have been using for years.

By: phaedral

phaedral — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 14:37:00 +0000

Think twice before doing this in the U.S.. Can’t say for the U.K., but we’ve got laws against that sort of thing: “In the United States, burning banknotes is prohibited under 18 U.S.C. § 333: Mutilation of national bank obligations, which includes “any other thing” that renders a note “unfit to be reissued”"(courtesy of wikipedia)

By: technogeekagain

technogeekagain — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 14:20:00 +0000

Were I doing this show, I’d have been really tempted to set up the “shredder” to capture the bills and dispense fake shreddings. Instant bonus payment.

By: swithuncrowe

swithuncrowe — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 14:13:00 +0000

Most Edinburgh fringe shows cost a lot more than these people shredded. And this show was free (for both artist and audience) thanks to the Forest, Edinburgh's main alternative arts space. If anyone feels that money is better given to a good cause than put in a shredder, then the Forest (charity number SC038234) is raising money to find a new home, as PricewaterhouseCoopers, the building's receivers, want the Forest out of its current location. Interestingly, the main creditor for the Forest's bankrupt landlord is the Royal Bank of Scotland, run by Fred 'the Shred' Goodwin, until it had to be rescued by the taxpayer.

By: pkpk

pkpk — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 14:07:00 +0000

white people are crazy.

By: mr_subjunctive

mr_subjunctive — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 13:49:00 +0000

“Slithers” of paper? Really?

By: jennybean42

jennybean42 — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 13:40:00 +0000

He needs to get together with Reverend Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping.

By: mat catastrophe

mat catastrophe — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 13:27:00 +0000

Pfft. Amateurs.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K_Foundation_Burn_a_Million_Quid

By: Jordan Pez

Jordan Pez — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 13:08:00 +0000

Don’t you hate pants?

By: ryhntyntyn

ryhntyntyn — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 13:06:00 +0000

Whisky & Bears and Dying to Help were much better shows than this.

By: Glippiglop

Glippiglop — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 13:00:00 +0000

Destroying things that you have an attachment to, or that you see as valuable, can be very liberating. Simple example – I once destroyed a packet of cigarettes by hand to demystify my curiosity, and have since never had a desire to try one. I’ve also destroyed art that I’d spent weeks on – I didn’t like the final result and felt that I should it to smash it to bits to move forward. I now create better art.

More obvious example – destroying stuff that was given to you by your ex.

If you don’t understand why, then you really need to try it. Ideally you should have a reason and purpose in mind when you do it though.

By: niro5

niro5 — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 12:46:00 +0000

How about we just say we shredded that money and give it to a worthy cause instead.

By: adonai

adonai — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 12:42:00 +0000

Eh, Krusty already did it.

By: Neal Ross Attinson

Neal Ross Attinson — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 12:14:00 +0000

Bah. Back in the day, burning $1 for “Bob” got us just as high, and we didn’t have to fly to Scotland to do it.

By: Rajio

Rajio — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 12:09:00 +0000

Step 1: Build trick shredder that outputs pre-shredded-strips and stores input in hidden compartment.

Step 2: Call it art

Step 3: Profit