Sure, the clipboard crews are connected to worthwhile causes, but let's be honest: When you're strolling through the picture-perfect pedestrian heart of Boulder, the last thing you want to hear about is the plight of the endangered speckled penguin. "Excuse me, sir," the canvassers ask so innocently, "Do you care about the environment?" Yes we do care about the environment, you manipulative little Debbie Downer, but honestly, not as much as we care about the overpriced cocktail waiting for us at Hapa Sushi.
Of course, you can't actually say that to those bright-eyed little whelps. Then you would come off as the big, shallow asshole you really are. What do you do instead? Mighty Fudge Studio has the answer -- in the form of fake clipboards that they've hung on the door to their office at 1017 Pearl Street, part of the old Bart's CD Cellar, that pedestrians are free to borrow and use as a talisman of sorts to ward off the real clipboard wielders. After all, canvassers aren't about to bug other canvassers -- so why not fight fire with fire.
If the clipboarded do-gooders don't fall for it, the Mighty Fudge clipboards also offer survival tips for navigating the gauntlet of groveling: Avoid eye contact. Pretend you have an infectious disease. Stand completely still, since canvassers can't see you if you're not moving. (Actually, the last one comes from Jurassic Park, but we're pretty sure it works on activists, too.)
Finally, Mighty Fudge is also handing out buttons that tell activists flat-out, "No! I don't have a minute." Sure, you might come off as a big, shallow asshole, but when you're walking down Boulder's Pearl Street Mall, you should be in good company.
Look below to check out a Daily Camera video about the campaign.
More from our News archive: "Denver Zoo death: Of course there's a digitally animated version of the incident."