tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37886248.post2809844455900451161..comments2024-03-22T00:35:19.082-07:00Comments on Casual Kitchen: A Fund For... Who, Exactly? Addressing the "A Fund For Jennie" ControversyDanielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02388302796031288076noreply@blogger.comBlogger60125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37886248.post-88240703351441431302013-04-29T18:59:54.824-07:002013-04-29T18:59:54.824-07:00Some of Shauna's own friends (Facebook and Twi...Some of Shauna's own friends (Facebook and Twitter friends, at least) post on The Island.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37886248.post-36207208539753216592013-03-29T10:01:15.034-07:002013-03-29T10:01:15.034-07:00I think the attacks on Shauna Ahern's appearan...I think the attacks on Shauna Ahern's appearance are because, if you read her blog or books, she makes some very derogatory comments on the appearance of others, such as "thin, wan girl with no discernable personality" or "women in high heels and sparkly dresses who laugh too much". There's one blog post where she admits her husband and her playing a "game" where they see what is in other shoppers' baskets or carts and then ridiculing the food choices with each other. Whether or not the responses are right, Ahern cannot seriously expect people to not give her the same treatment she gives others. <br /><br />I agree on commenting on her daughter though. Ahern shares information on her child to the point of it becoming potentially dangerous. I am a huge opponent to children having a lot of internet presece, especially children who have no say in what is being put up without their consent.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37886248.post-47835167653884988012013-01-14T20:11:56.258-08:002013-01-14T20:11:56.258-08:00Shauna Ahern may at one time been well intentioned...Shauna Ahern may at one time been well intentioned, now she is a desperate attention whore. She's an expert at claiming anyone who disagrees with her or calls her on her bs is a bully or jealous. This incident shined a bright light on who she really is. I live in Seattle and we have many mutual friends. It stuns me what people say about her behind her back. I met her at one food event and have steered clear ever since. If you have nothing to hide and if your actions are well intentioned, there is never any reason to delete anything. Now if you'll excuse me, I am going to joyfully dance around my kitchen and photograph my child's dirty foot next to the pie crust.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37886248.post-19948309613933125452011-11-05T13:59:27.618-07:002011-11-05T13:59:27.618-07:00I just noticed that Bloggers Without Borders remov...I just noticed that Bloggers Without Borders removed all comments from its Open Letter. Oh well. It's between them, JP and anyone who donated and contributed and isn't happy with how things played out. I was a mere observer. It was genuinely one of the strangest sagas to unfold online. JP is tweeting much less. Bloggers Without Borders has moved on to new projects.<br /><br />I wish everyone the best ...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37886248.post-10191948373575781582011-10-31T14:18:37.336-07:002011-10-31T14:18:37.336-07:00I know that when I first read of Jennie's plig...I know that when I first read of Jennie's plight that my first instinct was to donate some cash. However, I refrained, and decided instead to give (again) to a local cause that I support. My belief is that if you don't know the recipient, or the terms of the financial aid, don't donate. Fundraising within the blogging world, doesn't seem like an appropriate or transparent vehicle. But then donate some money, to something that you can verify or you hold close to your heart. If everyone did that, all charities would be well funded. LOCAL is the key.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37886248.post-46305549282771663542011-10-30T16:50:22.416-07:002011-10-30T16:50:22.416-07:00Diane - Jennie didn't spend the money on anyth...Diane - Jennie didn't spend the money on anything - she didn't even take it - the money was going toward her girl's college education. People are complaining that people were bidding on pizza parties for 1K and dinners made by bloggers etc. for high amounts to make money for "the fund". People are also complaining that while we were lead to believe that Jennie was suffering financially - which she denies - that she was eating at Grammercy Tavern, getting haircuts, tatoos, a new Mac - etc. Jennie has refused the money, BWOB is looking ridiculous and people are holding up torches and ready to storm the ? internet? It's all water under the bridge. Let it go - everyone will know better next time.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37886248.post-42883844723692314272011-10-30T08:42:08.691-07:002011-10-30T08:42:08.691-07:00All these comments about how the money was spent a...All these comments about how the money was spent are naive. What on earth did people THINK was going to happen? If you give money through a NON-official charity (with no one certifying how money is used) to ONE individual person (unlike a larger charity) then you are completely playing roulette. You don't have any control over how that one person uses the money. That risk is totally inherent in this structure of giving - and it's why charities usually aren't structured like this.<br /><br />Even a person who might actually be about to lose their house, given $75K, might have spent a bunch on stupid stuff aside from their mortgage. Unfortunately, once you give the money you don't get to say how it gets spent. If the charity is organized, they structure a gift to limit its mis-use, but if you just give an individual a whole pot of money it's completely potluck as to whether it gets used only for virtuous stuff (house, education) or for a bunch of stupid stuff ($1K pizza).<br /><br />I feel badly for people who gave, but this whole structure was fraught with the potential for abuse.Dianenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37886248.post-24161498201645168162011-10-30T06:25:41.189-07:002011-10-30T06:25:41.189-07:00It was $950 for a pizza dinner. This is JP's R...It was $950 for a pizza dinner. This is JP's RT. How she can saw she doesn't want the funds after she actively and public participated in the fundraiser is mystifying. Yes it's time to move on. This has been the strangest thing to unfold over the Internet!<br />http://www.twylah.com/JenniferPerillo/tweets/108387853003792384Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37886248.post-44334411957010690632011-10-29T15:39:21.540-07:002011-10-29T15:39:21.540-07:00I understand the aggravation - I didn't realiz...I understand the aggravation - I didn't realize she was stating that she didn't know the fundraiser was happening - I thought she was denying that she was crying poverty. I don't know and I don't care anymore. I have a life to get back to. What's done is done - we all learned a lesson - no good deed goes unpunished. I had an auction - I auctioned one of my Christmas gifts to help - I don't feel cheated - I did what I did and it's done - I also bid on auctions and won one but if you are going to pay $1000 for pizza - you need your head examined or Mario Batali better be making it for your whole family plus you get autographed orange clogs too! Anon at noon.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37886248.post-5984921516551158712011-10-29T14:53:05.796-07:002011-10-29T14:53:05.796-07:00Anonymous at Noon: I wish JP would take responsibi...Anonymous at Noon: I wish JP would take responsibility for retweeting tweets for auction items, people paying $1,000 for pizza, and spending money like it was going out of style AND TWEETING ABOUT IT. That's the only reason there's a scandal. If she'd shopped in private, and not trumpeted her lifestyle over Twitter, no one would have called her out on her finances. It's a shame she refuses to own up to her role here.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37886248.post-53498995536462955912011-10-29T14:07:23.036-07:002011-10-29T14:07:23.036-07:00Anon (the defender above)...you DO realize that th...Anon (the defender above)...you DO realize that through all of that grief, Jennifer was actively tweeting (multiple times a day, starting from HOURS after her husband died)? Blogging frequently? That she was returning tweets that promoted auctions and other fundraising efforts for "A Fund for Jennie"? To say that she wasn't involved online, or aware, is completely incorrect and the point that far too many of the people rushing to her defense seem to overlook far too easily.<br /><br />It's SO interesting that Jennifer has now deleted her tweets from that time - she may not realize that other people have screenshots, but they do. If she has nothing to hide, and can hold her head up about how she handled this whole thing, why go back and erase anything from that time. THAT's what stinks, THAT'S what supports what so many others are saying.<br /><br />You can't deny something is going on - Jennifer used to tweet voraciously with lots of people, and none of those people are conversing with her anymore (even those close friends, it seems). Things that make you go hmmm......Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37886248.post-62316644405199747982011-10-29T12:09:34.849-07:002011-10-29T12:09:34.849-07:00I totally agree with the above comment from Anonym...I totally agree with the above comment from Anonymous at noon.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37886248.post-76263834998176031742011-10-29T12:00:51.163-07:002011-10-29T12:00:51.163-07:00If you look on Jennie's facebook page - she di...If you look on Jennie's facebook page - she didn't promote the Fund for Jennie - other people did. There are no direct posts from her. She didn’t remove those posts – but she was in the midst of grieving and I’m sure not checking the internet every day for “updates” about a future windfall from the blogosphere. I don't think this is fraud - I just think it is massive confusion. We all make comments - how are we going to pay this bill – will we make the mortgage? We all worry about the future - and when your spouse dies suddenly - I'm sure those comments were made to friends and "the internet" without thinking about how they were being perceived. My SIL did the same thing and turns out her husband provided adequately for her and her children. Panic, grief, shock - everything is hitting Jennie - and now this? I don't think BWOB, Gluten Free Girl or Jennie did anything "intentional" to deceive people. I think it really was just a huge misunderstanding and I have asked that my donation be returned so I can see that it goes somewhere else where it is wanted – did I want it to stay with Jennie’s girls college fund – yes – it wasn’t that big of an amount – but since Jennie doesn’t want that because of all the stupid nonsense being spread – I will donate it where it can be used. I had an auction and bid on auctions and that money can be directed as needed because I can't get that back to redirect. I hope Jennie heals from this insanity and I hope people can stop making this a big “Madoff” scheme when it seems like it was a misunderstanding started because Jennie’s friends loved her and rushed to her aid.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37886248.post-33796297734055805752011-10-29T11:59:43.760-07:002011-10-29T11:59:43.760-07:00Not everyone who gave to BWOB did it to further th...Not everyone who gave to BWOB did it to further themselves.<br /><br />I did not "bake a pie for Mikey" and use it to promote my blog.<br /><br />I gave a very modest donation as anonymously as I could through paypal. (BWOB could trace me via my paypal email, I suppose.)<br /><br />I got a refund from BWOB; it was very graciously given.<br /><br />I have learned to be more careful with my charitable donations.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37886248.post-72515252472482494302011-10-28T20:11:15.104-07:002011-10-28T20:11:15.104-07:00Um, Shauna doesn't have haters just because of...Um, Shauna doesn't have haters just because of her appearance - there's a lot of other foodie bloggers who could get similar treatment. Shauna gets the massive hate because of her holier-than-thou attitude and willingness to lie and shift blame. And her godawful, adjective-laden prose isn't helping, either.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37886248.post-67538383726949728602011-10-28T08:25:29.934-07:002011-10-28T08:25:29.934-07:00Jennifer Perillo and Bloggers Without Borders need...Jennifer Perillo and Bloggers Without Borders need to settle this once and for all and issue a joint statement! It is not fair to folks who donated funds or items to have this dispute play out all over the Internet. It's really sad that both sides are not taking the high road here.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37886248.post-56387349652533971272011-10-28T07:02:27.420-07:002011-10-28T07:02:27.420-07:00This is exactly why I don't donate to stuff li...This is exactly why I don't donate to stuff like this (and ignored Shauna's postings on this issue). As with any charity, you need to do your research and find out where the money is going and what is truly going on. And with a group like this that is very hard to do. And an hard-sell emotional plea, while heart-wrenching, is no guarantee that the money will be used well. Caveat Emptor applies to charity as well as purchases.<br /><br />Every one of us has troubles and turmoil. The people who donated have big hearts and meant well, but the reality is that they might have done better to look around their own circle of neighbors and acquaintances and think about where that money could have been better used. A friend who needed a doctor's visit paid for? A family who can't afford to maintain their house needing some help?<br /><br />Unfortunately, this will make good people less likely to donate to good causes in future I think.Dianenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37886248.post-79668100796852580902011-10-28T02:15:11.831-07:002011-10-28T02:15:11.831-07:00I don't think food bloggers (or other bloggers...I don't think food bloggers (or other bloggers) should necessarily stick to cooking and avoid fundraising, but you are absolutely correct that it needs to be carried out with professionalism and integrity. BWOB was far too hasty in this situation and it makes me question their ability to raise funds competently in the future, sadly.<br /><br />I hope that there will be an open acknowledgement of the situation from Gluten-Free Girl as well. I think Brit is correct that she's targeted unfairly by some people who even criticize her kid, she seems to have the emotional level of a self-absorbed teenager. In this case I think she let emotion and the chance for lots of attention run away from her. She used to blog or tweet fairly constantly about Jennifer Perillo and the fund for Jennie. Now that the fundraiser has turned sour, she hasn't made any public acknowledgement, which I think is far more damaging to her brand than an honest, mature confession that she misled people--both donors and other bloggers--would do.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37886248.post-54781415985563196502011-10-28T00:41:54.836-07:002011-10-28T00:41:54.836-07:00The overwhelming sentiment that I am left with her...The overwhelming sentiment that I am left with here is "donor beware". BWOB is not the Red Cross, or the Susan G. Komen Foundation. It was a website without a credible history of charitable donations. By their own admission, they acknowledged they did not even have a Board of Directors when they launched the charity drive. Other comments have speculated that they were not even recognized as a charitable entity by the Federal Government. <br /><br />BWOB may have misrepresented Jennie's situation, which is totally not cool. Jennie may or may not have been aware of the donations, and I imagine is in a compromised state to deal with this kind of thing. I don't know anyone involved, so I just want to assume the best here.<br /><br />But each donator has the responsibility to check out the charities to which they donate. BWOB was an unproven entity - and contributors may have to sit with that fact. I think the people that donated are lucky in the sense that BWOB didn't pack up and run away - they are offering refunds. <br /><br />There were some great intentions here. But maybe the food bloggers should stick to cooking, and the professional non-profits should keep the fundraising efforts.Traceynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37886248.post-30808784834848565812011-10-27T22:34:49.389-07:002011-10-27T22:34:49.389-07:00I agree with Brit. People commenting about Shauna&...I agree with Brit. People commenting about Shauna's appearance or talking crap about her little girl is way out of line, and distracts her from the valid criticism of the online food world. She is always using other people to advance herself. She is always whining about "haters". She should write a post apologizing and saying she went overboard. However she thinks she is above reproach. Any comment left on her sycophantic website will be deleted as "trolling." I believe people who gave because of her deserve more.Sahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02765006976238866208noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37886248.post-81800700797217174712011-10-27T20:10:25.269-07:002011-10-27T20:10:25.269-07:00(In response to the comment above)
I have to say,...(In response to the comment above) <br />I have to say, Shauna does receive more hate mail and is the target of more intentionally cruel parody websites than most other bloggers. There are a lot of people who really do not like her. <br /><br />Personally, I think she is someone who is well-intended and who has a good heart. I truly believe that.<br />I also believe she behaves like a teenager a lot of the time-- name dropping, vying for attention, and becoming a victim when people don't agree with her. She seems to have a really difficult time taking responsibility for her role in things. <br /><br />One reason that people take issue with her is because when she doesn't like something, (reviews on Amazon, for example) she'll simply rally her troops around her and ask them to go and publicly defend her honor. Frankly, it's childish, and it has lost her a lot of friends--- not just "trolls", but actual friends.<br /><br />Personally, I take issue with her in this situation because, while BWOB had the courage to step forward and take a stand, Shauna is refusing to acknowledge her MASSIVE role in this.<br /><br />I have no doubt that Jennie knew about the fundraising-- it's been proven repeatedly in her tweets-- and that she could have stopped it any time. Her post today was dishonest, I am sure. But she is also grieving and probably a bit out of her mind.<br />That does not excuse anything, but it's a factor.<br /><br />Shauna, on the other hand, was tweeting to every single person about Jennie's personal situation well before the fund was ever established. Several of us in the blogging community were appalled-- it seemed as though it was another tactic for getting attention. How was Jennie's pain HER story to tell??? So when she started the fundraiser and used such extreme language to describe the situation, some of us took it with a grain of salt. <br /><br />I am certain that, in some ways, Shauna wanted to do something good for her friend. But I am also certain that she exaggerated the circumstances. She needs to own that part. <br /><br />BWOB was involved because of Shauna. Why is she pretending like she forgot that?Britnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37886248.post-71715854930506019292011-10-27T19:03:50.028-07:002011-10-27T19:03:50.028-07:00From Shauna's Facebook page today:
Gluten-Fre...From Shauna's Facebook page today:<br /><br />Gluten-Free Girl <br />Mary, the entire story is so horribly sad. We have been trying not to address it because we wanted to protect Jennie. I don't know why she is saying this. But I can tell you categorically that she was part of all of this. She and I spoke every day during those first weeks. And if she had ever asked us to stop, we would have stopped. All I know is that grief does wild things to people. We wish her peace.<br /><br />....Unfortunately, there has been so much nastiness with this. Some of the same people who have attacked me for years, which I wrote about recently, have seem to be spearheading this. It's bullying.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37886248.post-2724428693472204752011-10-27T15:04:50.299-07:002011-10-27T15:04:50.299-07:00Stay tuned for Shauna and her $0.02. Hopefully. ...Stay tuned for Shauna and her $0.02. Hopefully. And I echo one of the later comments on GOMI - I really, really WANT to give JP a free pass, but I can't. Grieving widow or not, she's culpable here. And I wish someone would just pull on their big girl pants and admit to doing something wrong. (sigh)Emmyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02100182709422069894noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37886248.post-52693282548011944882011-10-27T14:38:05.320-07:002011-10-27T14:38:05.320-07:00Readers: I've updated the timeline at the end ...Readers: I've updated the timeline at the end of the post above to include the response from BWOB and Jennie's responses. <br /><br />DKDanielhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02388302796031288076noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37886248.post-11837989629205576712011-10-27T13:19:20.780-07:002011-10-27T13:19:20.780-07:00Her tweet stream ends on October 1. Is that typica...Her tweet stream ends on October 1. Is that typical?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com