For the record: I like Buzzfeed. I follow a number of their writers and editors on Twitter. They have solid reporters who teach me about vegan strip clubs (NSFW) and they put together amusing lists about how kids who grew up in the 90s and the 80s are different. Their pieces are usually entertaining and informative!
And then there's this piece, by Rachel Zarrell, which combines lazy mockery (and gifs!) with factual errors and a pointed refusal to actually consider what the subject of the piece is saying.
First, the factual error: Rob Schneider was the "you can do it!" guy in The Waterboy. Not Happy Gilmore. He was not in Happy Gilmore. Here's his IMDB page. Check it out, you might learn something. Allow me to demonstrate this in .gif form:
As you can see, that is him uttering the line in The Waterboy. Note the bayou hicks and pointed lack of golf courses.
Zarrell then mocks Rob Schneider for his choice of roles. Fine, whatevs. There's no accounting for taste. But Zarrell completely ignores the point that Schneider was making, namely that California's economy is struggling because of taxes and regulation and such. Because, hey, GIFS R FUNNEE AND SCHNEIDER IS TEH DUMBZ. A derp a der.
So allow me to present five reasons why Rob Schneider is smarter than Buzzfeed when it comes to the California economy.
1. California's Unemployment Rate Is Really High
Way higher than the national average. Here's a chart!
A derp a WHOA!
2. Businesses in California Are Disappearing
Here's Businessweek:
There were 1.3 million businesses in California at the end of 2012, 5.2 percent fewer than in the previous year (that’s about 73,000 fewer). To put that in perspective, Massachusetts lost 5,200 businesses, the second-highest amount, and Kansas had 3.1 percent fewer businesses in 2012 than in 2011, the second-highest loss rate. Nebraska added businesses at 11.9 percent, the fastest rate. Because BLS releases the data on a lag, the end of 2012 is the latest date for which numbers are available.
A derp a HUHHH?
3. California Has the 48th Worst Business Tax Climate of Any State
From the Tax Foundation:
California ranks 48th in the Tax Foundation's State Business Tax Climate Index. The Index compares the states in five areas of taxation that impact business: corporate taxes, individual income taxes, sales taxes, unemployment insurance taxes, and taxes on property, including residential and commercial property. The ranks of neighboring states are as follows: Oregon, 13th, Nevada, 3rd, Arizona, 25th, and Hawaii, 37th.
A derp a WHAAAAA?
4. California Is Shedding Population to States that Are Far Friendlier to Businesses
From the Manhattan Institute:
For the past two decades, California has been sending more people to other American states than it receives from them. Since 1990, the state has lost nearly 3.4 million residents through this migration. ... The data show a pattern of movement over the past decade from California mainly to states in the western and southern U.S.: Texas, Nevada, and Arizona, in that order, are the top magnet states. Oregon, Washington, Colorado, Idaho, and Utah follow. Rounding out the top ten are two southern states: Georgia and South Carolina.
A derp a NO WAY BRO!
5. Movie and TV Productions Are Fleeing California
From 2012 story in the Los Angeles Times:
Just two of the 23 new fall and midseason shows will be shot in Los Angeles County, as cost-conscious producers seek tax-friendly production havens in New York, North Carolina, Georgia and other states.
The exodus has been going on for years, especially in feature film production. But television dramas such as"CSI,""Criminal Minds"and"Desperate Housewives"have long been anchors of Los Angeles' entertainment economy, helping to offset the decade-long slide in moviemaking. One 22-episode-a-year network series has a budget of $60 million and generates 840 direct and indirect jobs, according to the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp.
That economic bang is beginning to fizzle. Fewer than 10% of new network dramas this season are based in Los Angeles, down from 50% in 2010 and nearly 80% in 2005.
A derp a OMG ROB SCHNEIDER WAS RIGHT!
Oh, you're a pretty, pretty princess alright. Keep on keepin' on, Rob Schneider.