In the New York Times, Gay Talese helps the homeless people of New York City by writing their signs for them:

I dropped a dollar into his container, but at the same time thought that the sign might benefit from updating — it needed a touch of stimulus, that word that dominates the headlines. “I assume you’ve been reading and hearing about the financial crisis, yes?’’ He nodded. He was younger than the other fellow, and appeared to give me his full attention. “Maybe if you’d change the words on your sign you’d get more attention in the street, and people will donate more money…’’

I stopped talking and reached into my pocket for one of the strips of laundry board on which I make notes when I’m interviewing people. On one strip of laundry board I wrote: “Please Support Pres. Obama’s Stimulus Plan, and begin right here … at the bottom … Thank you.’’ I handed it to him, and he said he’d copy the words on his sign and have it on display the following day.

Later that afternoon I returned home and printed those words in large type on my computer. After printing out two dozen copies, I taped each page onto separate pieces of laundry board (14 by 8 inches) that the dry cleaner sends home with my shirts.

The next day, on Sunday, and during the Monday holiday as well, I handed out these boarded messages at random to people who approached me for money, explaining why I thought their economy would be stimulated by my street signs.

I ordinarily like Gay Talese’s writing a lot, but this is embarrassing on so many levels.

20 replies on “Today in Smug Self-Satisfaction”

  7. How is this embarrassing?

    Maybe it’s just me, but the excerpt quoted above doesn’t feel smug or self-satisfied. If anything I find it to be a bit tongue-in-cheek and also topical. I rarely give money to people on the street, preferring to donate to shelters and food banks, but when I do I tend to pick a person with a clever sign, something other than “I won’t lie I want a beer,” or something about pot would catch my eye and prod me to drop a few coins or a dollar.

  11. I rarely give money to the sign holders. I decided long ago that giving to Food Banks and Homeless Shelters was a better way to apply money than using it to support someone’s habit. I will say that saddest sign holders are the ones that hangout outside of my neighborhood liquor store.

  14. I’ve thought about helping quick-change-artists on Seattle’s Broadway to make better signs – but how patronizing would that be? They should just wear suits and appear to be unneedful of my largesse – like the thieves and beggars on the other Broadway (lower Manhattan) who have not even deigned to beg.

  17. It truly is a shame that Gay Talese is such a n00b he doesn’t know this is one of the easiest rackets and he’d be better off giving money to a homeless organization (food, shelter, work training) instead.

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