The American Society of Shitcanned Media Elites (Assme) offered a happy hour to journalists at Lower East Side bar Fontana's Wednesday night, when the tongue-in-cheek support group for recently laid-off journalists hosted a small fund-raiser for HIV and AIDS nonprofit Housing Works. All guests needed to gain entrance was a piece of unwanted promotional swag (or a $5 donation) that Housing Works could sell off in one of its local thrift stores. We chatted up a few attendees to learn more about what they brought and their memorable swag—good and bad—from events past.
What's one of the strangest pieces of swag you've gotten in the past?
“At my old job, I got this promotion from Subway. It was Jared’s fat pants."
—Erin Clements, Elle.com
“When I worked for Atlantic Records, for Valentine’s Day, Kid Rock sent everyone in my department a white terrycloth button-down long-sleeved shirt with his name embroidered on the back, as well as white sweatpants made out of terrycloth. It was also accompanied with a card, and it said, ‘Happy VD.’”
—Carolyn Glass, Turner Broadcasting
“When I worked for Disney, I got a Mr. Potato Head doll.”
—Chris Astillero, More magazine
What did you donate this evening?
“I am a bobblehead doll provider. Tonight I brought Jim Cramer [from Mad Money]. He says something like, ‘Mad Money, Mad Money!’ It came from NBC.”
—Carolyn Glass
"A True Blood vial of blood. I don’t know what’s in it. It’s red.”
—Clyde Brown
“An XXL white T-shirt with a big steering wheel on it. I have no idea where it came from.”
—John Bissert, Nickelodeon
“Balls of Fury on DVD. Everyone needs a laugh. And one of the best CDs ever made, Guns N' Roses’ Chinese Democracy. It broke my heart to part with it.”
—Kevin Foghorn
“I brought a Jonas Brothers CD. I don’t know which one it was. I was going to bring an American Gladiators workout DVD and The Biggest Loser yoga DVD, but I forgot them.
—Emily Hebert, Elle.com
“The Antonio Banderas fragrance, Blue Seduction. It’s for women.”
—Erin Clements
