Spyware Sucks

Put this one down to very very VERY bad judgment on the part of whoever it is who designs advertising campaigns for realestateonline.com.au.

I'm sure many of you have heard about the now infamous Melbourne teenager Corey Worthington Delaney who got into so much trouble after hosting a party, without his parents permission, while his parents were away on holidays in another State.

Corey, demonstrating staggering naivity, stupidity, disrespect and a total lack of community regard:

1. advertised his party on MySpace
2. lost control when over 500 strangers turned up and started trashing the house, the street and police and neighbours' property
3. thumbed his nose at the police and his neighbours
4. bragged about his exploits
5. said he was going to do it again
6. was trailed by cameras from channels Seven, Nine, Ten, the ABC and Sky News
7. was apparently offered a $20,000.00 promotions gig
8. was offered a hosting role with Australia's Big Brother
9. has apparently signed an deal with the magazine Zoo Weekly
10. was interviewed by A Current Affair
11. was interviewed by FoxFM (and walked out in a huff after a radio jock tried to remove Corey's yellow McDonalds Happy Meal sunglasses, only to return to pick up his "fee")
12. was denied a page on Wikipedia
13. refused to go home and face up to his parents and didn't take their phone calls.

Now, in the midst of all the carry-on, I was dismayed to see that a reputable website, realestateonline.com.au had decided to run a campaign featuring Corey on news.com.au.  I don't know how many people complained about a 16 year old's image being used in such a way, but I certainly did.

1. I sure as heck hope that kid didn't receive a payment for that advertising campaign
2. Does whoever it was that thought up that campaign really think it is a good idea to encourage Corey's delinquency by giving him even more 'fun' attention?
3. Does whoever it was that thought up that campaign really think it is a good idea to hold up Corey as somebody that people don't want to have as a neighbour?
4. In the end, this boy is just 16 years old - an overconfident, naive 16 year old who really does not understand just what he is dealing with
5. Some facets of the press whirlpool around him smacks of opportunism and, dare I say it, exploitation.

I have no idea if the campaign I highlight above has been pulled from circulation, but for realestateonline.com.au's sake, I certainly hope so (bear in mind it was the only advertisement featuring Corey that I saw - for all I know, there may have been others).  You see, it turns out that Corey is now facing child porn charges.  The silly boy was stupid enough to take "lewd" photographs of semi-naked girls playing twister with his mobile phone.

I suspect that whoever it was that dreamed up the realestate.com.au advertising campaign is no longer laughing...

As for all the rest of it, here's hoping the deals dry up, that the executives behind Big Brother come to their senses and that Corey finally wakes up to himself, goes home to his parents, and starts professional counselling sessions. Corey could be in some serious trouble now.