Yeah, I got a bit inspired by the recent Gwyneth Paltrow article, where she's using her Oscar as a doorstop.
I've also been thinking about all the trophies and awards I have never won, but see lining up the shelves in the thrift store I work at. All are donated by people who once won them for doing something they worked long and hard at.
The more I think of it, the less motivating it is to practice, practice, practice at a sport, a craft, anything, for a plastic, fake gold or whatever, object that's just going to be a dust collector until it either goes in a landfill or be given away.
What would be a more meaningful reward? Advancements to the next level. Photos with teammates and good memories. Something worthwhile I can use with a commemoration logo.
Well, I guess an Oscar can be served with a purpose. But many trophies are breakable things and made with cheap materials.
But now how about those sticker rewards we got as kids? Was it really worthwhile to get a gold-colored star on the work that we poured so much time into completing?
#1
My COVID hero keychain for working at 711 through the pandemic
7points
#2
At my previous job, the best salespeople got medals. Plastic medals and a paper diploma, like you get on school sports day. No additional raise of bonuses or anything (the comission was pretty low). Those people in combined brought them at least 2mil monthly in sales. And they got a freaking plastic medal and a diploma...
6points
#3
One year a hospital I were worked at showed their appreciation of their nurses on Nurse’s Day by giving us each a very small box of bandaids. The bandaids weren’t useless, but it was an insulting gesture.
6points
#4
Back in the 90's, there was a competition in our town to design a mural for the local council offices. The whole thing was sponsored by an international luxury car manufacturer that was going to be giving away 'their latest model' as the top prize.
My friend was a hobby artist and decided to enter because, "why not?"
His design was selected as 1st place! But due to a change in planning law, they were no longer going to be doing the mural.
He did however receive a model of a car..... A 4 inch scale model.
5points
#5
I got a water bottle once for winning an engineering challenge at camp. It somehow DISSOLVED in the dishwasher (it was labeled as safe)
4points
#6
In Australia, our version of the Oscars are called the Logies. Anyway, I was working as a Bike Courier in Sydney in the mid 90’s, and the blokes from the Andrew Denton show were down at Circular Queue handing out fake awards and taping people’s reactions for the show. I ended up getting one of the awards, they showed it on the telly, and I rode around Sydney for the next week with a foam Gold Logie strapped to my Bike Helmet.
3points
#7
Every ribbon, medal and "Atta boy" I got in the Air Force. Those and $5.00 will get you a cup of coffee
2points
#8
Not worthless by any means but kind of strange. I won an award for physics achievement in high school and I went up to the stage to get it, expecting it to be a tiny plaque or something similar, and the physics teacher handed me a book of scientific papers with a sticker inside saying I won the award. Also, the papers had pretty much nothing to do with physics. I'm pretty sure the first one was something to do with the reproductive system of a sea cucumber...
2points
#9
Virtual applause in company's "team recognition" application. According to management's instructions, these should have turned into paid time off. However, local managers stepped in and refuse to approve it, because "we need people to work, not to take days off".
1point
#10
NSHSS. Seems pretty legit and IS legit, it's just so common that it doesn't have that much value.
Also, AP Scholar Award, for the same reason. While we're at it, College Board is a scam. It cost me $90 to send 3 AP Exam scores to 6 universities, along with that stupid award that they charge to send but doesn't mean anything anyway. Hand over $10 for each exam score you DON'T want to send. I've taken AP Exams throughout high school, and from my 9th to 12th grade, the price of one AP Exam has gone from $96 to $98. Deciding late and canceling late all have you pay, around $40 if I remember right. $55 per SAT, the price is more if you want to also do the optional essay section. Not to mention the loads of money they get from selling your information (contact details, academic interests) to universities. To be fair, you CAN opt out of that last one, but still! They cherry on top is that because of all the loopholes that company is built upon, they're technically a non-profit. And even if someone wants to avoid all of the College Board stuff, it's so cemented into the college application system that getting into even an ordinary college is hard without having taken an AP Exam or SAT. THIS my friends, THIS is what happens when colleges are run as businesses instead of institutions for higher learning.
0points
#11
My reward for exceptional behavior and honor roll was being cast as of The Ghost of Christmas Past in the 4th grade play. I was painfully shy and hated every second of it. To ad insult to injury, we were really poor and my mom had to make the costume even though she couldn’t really afford the time or money so I was also rewarded with guilt.
0points
#12
If you think about it, nothing you receive is ever really worthless.
-4points