Program Board deceptively advertising

March 27, 2006 —

I'm declaring shenanigans. My target: the deceptive advertising of Program Board.

You may have heard that "Dashboard Confessional" is coming to campus. Even if you haven't, you probably still received spam e-mail like I did from Program Board telling you that "Dashboard" is coming to campus on April 22.

Except for one tiny, factual error - Dashboard Confessional is not coming to campus. "Dashboard Confessional in a solo acoustic concert by Singer/Songwriter Chris Carrabba" is coming to campus. That would be "Dashboard Confessional" in extremely large type font, with the accompanying title much smaller and subdued. Somehow, Carrabba in Concert doesn't have quite the same appeal as Dashboard Confessional, I admit. But, what's in a name, other than any advertising honesty?

Never mind that I would rather spend a year at Bible Boot Camp than actually listen to Dashboard Confessional, I respect the right of students to listen to bad music. I mean, bad music is practically an SVSU tradition - we've had Ludacris spread the gospel of hate and hoes; we've had faux-punk Simple Plan jump up and down for no particular reason; we've had Jason Mraz ... I'm not going to lie, I have no freaking idea who Jason Mraz is.

However, I draw the line when music - or anything - is deliberately advertised as something it is not. I can only imagine 30 years ago, my dad going to an Eagles concert and realizing it's simply Don Henley singing an early version of "Boys of Summer." While their pedigrees compare up, I would be mad if I went to either concert and was rewarded with a solo performance.

How many people - SVSU students or not - have purchased tickets thinking they are actually going to see Dashboard Confessional? The radio station 102.5 is telling listeners that Dashboard Confessional is coming to SVSU. I don't know if this is paid advertising or if the radio station is simply promoting Chris Carrabba, but one thing's for sure, the truth isn't being told.

Some might say my complaint is little more than sour grapes over a band I don't care for. Some might say that many SVSU students love listening to the introspective lyrics of Dashboard Confessional, and that I should keep my nose out of this. While I freely admit that I am not "emo," as Dashboard fans supposedly tend to be, I also admit that I am not sure what "emo" is. If it's "emo" to whine about your girlfriend and parents hating you, then I am not "emo." At the same time, I don't see too many stereotypical "emo" kids around campus, although I suppose they may be in their closets, writing bad poetry and sobbing softly.

I wouldn't be writing this article if Dashboard Confessional was actually coming to campus. But it's not - and Program Board is facilitating that lie through all of its advertising.

I call on Program Board to do the honest thing and amend all of its advertisements to clearly state Chris Carrabba, singer/songwriter of Dashboard Confessional, is coming to campus. Is deliberately misleading the public the only way a few tickets will be sold? If it is, then Program Board should never have brought Chris Carrabba to campus.