It all began a while back with people on Facebook trying to get everyone to join stupid groups with names like “I bet my buddy I could make 10,000 people join my group.” Then the hivemind mentality gelled around supposedly charitable or activist causes requesting everyone copy and paste the same status messages (remember when all your weak-willed friends suddenly changed their Facebook middle name to “Hussein”?). More recently, the idiots changed their picture to that “I'm With Coco” flyer, and later to pictures of the celebrity they think they look like (i.e., that girl you accidentally friended once who looks like Andy Serkis in a wig? In her mind she looks like Julia Stiles!)

It was just a matter of time before the advertising gurus realized that all this Facebook groupthink could be manipulated for their own fun and profit. Check out the latest asshattery courtesy of the dying recording industry [emphasis added]:

Help celebrate Johnny Cash's 78th birthday, the release of his final album on Lost Highway (American VI: Ain't No Grave), and the enduring voice he gave to the poor and beaten down, livin' in the hopeless, hungry side of town. Please Wear Black for Johnny on Friday, February 26th and post to this FB event page.

Johnny's final album on Lost Highway, American VI: Ain't No Grave, was recorded in the months before his passing with producer Rick Rubin. American VI will be released on Feb. 23rd 2010 by American/Lost Highway Records.

Join us in celebrating the life of Johnny Cash by posting pictures of yourself wearing black beginning on Friday, Feb 26th. Participants will be eligible to win a copy of his new album, American VI: Ain't No Grave along with his amazing 5-CD box-set, Unearthed. The lucky winner will be chosen at random on March 12th.

“The poor and beaten down, livin' in the hopeless, hungry side of town”????? That's from Johnny's single “The Man in Black” explaining why he wanted to wear black (complete lyrics after the jump). We don't recall him saying anything about sheep-minded social networkers.

“Man In Black” (Johnny Cash)

Well, you wonder why I always dress in black,

Why you never see bright colors on my back,

And why does my appearance seem to have a somber tone.

Well, there's a reason for the things that I have on.

I wear the black for the poor and the beaten down,

Livin' in the hopeless, hungry side of town,

I wear it for the prisoner who has long paid for his crime,

But is there because he's a victim of the times.

I wear the black for those who never read,

Or listened to the words that Jesus said,

About the road to happiness through love and charity,

Why, you'd think He's talking straight to you and me.

BONUS MARKETING IDIOCY:

Cashin' in: Johnny Cash Infant One Piece, courtesy of Baby Wit (a REAL item you can buy for your badass baby)

Cashin' in: Johnny Cash Infant One Piece, courtesy of Baby Wit (a REAL item you can buy for your badass baby)

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