For the December 25, 2003 issue of Creative Loafing, I reviewed a Kmart. By the way, my dad really did buy me a vacuum that year.
As part of its effort to emerge from the K-Hole of bankruptcy, Kmart is testing out a nifty publicity scheme to get folks back into its stores called the Kstage. The Kstage is an actual stage in the back of the stores that hosts gurus who’ll help you improve your life — presumably via shopping at Kmart.
On Saturday, I visited the Kstage at the Mableton Kmart store. Instead of obvious gurus like Sri Lahiri Mayasaya or Sri Paramahansa Yagananda, the Kstage people went a little left field and brought in Robyn Freedman Spizman.
Spizman was on hand to discuss her book on gift-giving, The GIFTionary. The GIFTionary‘s premise is simple — give gifts based the recipients’ hobby interests or your feelings for the person, then mar the gift with a really bad pun in the note.
For example, give your friend a deck of cards with a note telling them that they’re the “real deal,” or your lover a pack of mints with a note saying “We’re mint to be.”
My dad just told me he’s getting me a vacuum cleaner this year. I hope he doesn’t include a note telling me that I suck.
