# What do you do when invited to a direct marketing home party? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 23, 2010, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-when-invited-to-a-direct-marketing-home-party/530060 "2010-02-23T01:26:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2010, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-when-invited-to-a-direct-marketing-home-party/530060/21 "2010-02-23T14:42:23Z")
> [@toofs](#): > > It is similar to the birthday party my wife’s friend had for her one year old daughter. Stupid. 😕 > [@Sigmagirl](#): > > My former boss used to have Longaberger parties once a year and I would go to those and buy one small basket; my current boss had a jewelry party last year which I declined but bought a necklace for political reasons. It’s totally inappropriate for a supervisor to invite subordinates to this sort of thing. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2010, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-when-invited-to-a-direct-marketing-home-party/530060/22 "2010-02-23T14:43:57Z")
> [@LurkerInNJ](#): > > I say “No thank you” and leave it at that. Probably this. If they said upfront that this was going to be a sales presentation, and I was interested in the product, I’d go. But I’d be clear that it was business, not personal. I did get sucked into an Amway presentation once, but it was fraudulently presented as something else, and totally destroyed any trust I might have had in the person. On the other hand, that person wasn’t a friend, just an ex-co-worker, so it wasn’t a big loss. ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2010, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-when-invited-to-a-direct-marketing-home-party/530060/23 "2010-02-23T15:08:04Z")
> [@Green\_Bean](#): > > 😕 > > It’s totally inappropriate for a supervisor to invite subordinates to this sort of thing. I agree. I didn’t feel at all pressured with my former boss, but with my current boss I definitely did. There would have been some subtle punishment if I’d failed to comply. At my previous job, no problem. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2010, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-when-invited-to-a-direct-marketing-home-party/530060/24 "2010-02-23T15:18:43Z")
Ugh, I’ve been invited to a “pleasure party” and responded with, “No, thank you,” because it was more polite than saying, “I can’t think of anything less enjoyable than being around a bunch a giggling, middle-aged, Midwestern women whose husbands don’t fuck them properly, getting their skirts all itchy about sex toys. I masturbate in private like a normal person, don’t really talk about it, and don’t want to think of you creepy old bags putting vibes up your cooters. But thanks!” Also, I voted for the first option, but now that I think about it, it actually depends. I went to a bra fitting party once because I am quite hard to fit, and I was actively looking for a place to buy bras from when the person brought it up. So 99% of the time, I’m not interested in your stupid marketing party, but every now and again, there might be one for something I need. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2010, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-when-invited-to-a-direct-marketing-home-party/530060/25 "2010-02-23T15:24:20Z")
> [@MeanOldLady](#): > > Ugh, I’ve been invited to a “pleasure party” and responded with, “No, thank you,” because it was more polite than saying, “I can’t think of anything less enjoyable than being around a bunch a giggling, middle-aged, Midwestern women whose husbands don’t fuck them properly, getting their skirts all itchy about sex toys. I masturbate in private like a normal person, don’t really talk about it, and don’t want to think of you creepy old bags putting vibes up your cooters. But thanks!” Love you too. 😛 Oh wait, I wasn’t middle-aged then - yay! ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2010, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-when-invited-to-a-direct-marketing-home-party/530060/26 "2010-02-23T15:24:30Z")
There appears to be no option in this poll for “I have a penis.” ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2010, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-when-invited-to-a-direct-marketing-home-party/530060/27 "2010-02-23T16:05:50Z")
> [@Enderw24](#): > > There appears to be no option in this poll for “I have a penis.” I think it’s understood in some of the answer options. I recently discovered one of the (surprisingly many) perks of my sister not talking to me - I didn’t get invited to her Pampered Chef party. Awww. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2010, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-when-invited-to-a-direct-marketing-home-party/530060/28 "2010-02-23T16:10:23Z")
> [@Ferret\_Herder](#): > > Love you too. 😛 > > Oh wait, I wasn’t middle-aged then - yay! I meant that with love, of course. Always love, except for with some light hate interspersed. ---
**Author:** ![WolfpackJeep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpackjeep/32/2921_2.png) [@WolfpackJeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WolfpackJeep)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2010, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-when-invited-to-a-direct-marketing-home-party/530060/29 "2010-02-23T17:36:23Z")
I’ve never gone to one of these things…they sound like they would be so awkward. I have bought PartyLite (sp) candles and Pampered Chef stuff from relatives, but that was through a catalog rather than a presentation. One of my mom’s best friends works out of the home, and has been after Mom to sign up for a greeting card thing. Mom doesn’t understand the website, I don’t have time to look at it right now, and neither one of us is very interested. I think Mom is finding it increasingly difficult to explain to the friend why she hasn’t shown an interest in the product yet. ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Woodhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@Miss\_Woodhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Woodhouse)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2010, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-when-invited-to-a-direct-marketing-home-party/530060/30 "2010-02-23T18:05:50Z")
I don’t attend very often, but every once in a while someone tries to invite me. I ignore the card (because it’s always a postcard, never a phone call) and just go about my day. However, when my SIL joined Usborn as a seller I felt family pressure to have a party. I did it for my mother’s sake and have not had another party since then. The books are fine, but I sure felt like I got a bait and switch when I was offered “free” books I still had to pay money to get shipped to my house. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2010, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-when-invited-to-a-direct-marketing-home-party/530060/31 "2010-02-23T21:39:07Z")
Depends what they are. Amway is a definite no - although I used to like some of their products, I despise the business model and the borg-like recruitment ethic. Basically, if someone you know starts selling Amway, and you don’t want to sell it, your friendship with them is doomed. They just won’t be able to live and let live - in my plentiful and unfortunate experience, it’s worse (in practice, I mean) than a religious cult, because it combines indoctrination with an appeal to greed. Pampered Chef is OK with me - Some of their products are great (the big glass jug with the clip on plastic lid), others are utter rubbish, or solutions looking for a problem (the one-handed rolling pin), but the main thing is that it seems to be just fine if you only ever want to be an occasional customer - there is no pressure to be assimilated. ---
**Author:** ![dan1500](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/34f0e0/32.png) [@dan1500](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dan1500)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2010, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-when-invited-to-a-direct-marketing-home-party/530060/32 "2010-02-23T22:28:18Z")
> [@Enderw24](#): > > There appears to be no option in this poll for “I have a penis.” Yes I thought about limiting it to those without penisis since that’s what most of them are geared to but I figured Amway and other investment type ones were fairly penisr neutral. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2010, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-when-invited-to-a-direct-marketing-home-party/530060/33 "2010-02-23T22:35:01Z")
> [@Enderw24](#): > > There appears to be no option in this poll for “I have a penis.” Because nobody with a penis would ever want to spend an evening with a roomful of women. ---
**Author:** ![CrazyCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CrazyCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrazyCatLady)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2010, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-when-invited-to-a-direct-marketing-home-party/530060/34 "2010-02-23T23:51:20Z")
It depends, but I’ll usually go if there’s nothing more pressing to do. Yeah, the sales pitch is pretty dull and I’m generally not interested in the products, but my friends typically have killer party snacks and Og knows they’ve all spent oodles of time doing less-than-entertaining stuff for me over the years. I figure a couple hours helping them get a discount on something they like and want is the least I can do. ---
**Author:** ![beagledave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6de8d8/32.png) [@beagledave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beagledave)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2010, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-when-invited-to-a-direct-marketing-home-party/530060/35 "2010-02-24T00:25:43Z")
I’ve always perceived these events as zero sum events. If I come to your Pampered Chef party and spend $$…aren’t you “obligated” to come to my Sentsy party to spend $$? If it’s all about socializing…why not cut out the middle man of commerce and drink wine, play board games or cards…something along those lines? I’ve had more than woman just roll her eyes at me while muttering that I just don’t get it 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Eleanor\_of\_Aquitaine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a88e4f/32.png) [@Eleanor\_of\_Aquitaine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleanor_of_Aquitaine)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2010, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-when-invited-to-a-direct-marketing-home-party/530060/36 "2010-02-24T01:08:57Z")
> [@beagledave](#): > > If it’s all about socializing..why not cut out the middle man of commerce and drink wine, play board games or cards..something along those lines? > > I’ve had more than woman just roll her eyes at me while muttering that I just don’t get it 😉 We do - it’s called “Bunco”. I’ll go to one of those marketing parties only for a friend, and I usually buy something that I could have gotten for half the price somewhere else. ---
**Author:** ![Gruntled](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/34f0e0/32.png) [@Gruntled](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gruntled)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2010, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-when-invited-to-a-direct-marketing-home-party/530060/37 "2010-02-24T01:41:01Z")
I went to a pampered chef one once. there was tons of great free food and booze. I did legitimately peruse the catalog, saw that it was all overpriced crap and didn’t buy anything. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Woo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7c8e57/32.png) [@Dr.Woo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Woo)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2010, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-when-invited-to-a-direct-marketing-home-party/530060/38 "2010-02-24T02:22:59Z")
I say “no thank you”. If necessary, I join the federal witness protection program to avoid them. ---
**Author:** ![Rand\_Rover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/db5fbb/32.png) [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2010, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-when-invited-to-a-direct-marketing-home-party/530060/39 "2010-02-24T03:05:21Z")
> [@MeanOldLady](#): > > creepy old bags putting vibes up your cooters Band name!? ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2010, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-when-invited-to-a-direct-marketing-home-party/530060/40 "2010-02-24T03:32:44Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > Because nobody with a penis would ever want to spend an evening with a roomful of women. You left out a significant piece of information. It’s not that we don’t want to spend an evening with a roomful of women, it’s that the roomful of women _is shopping, while talking about shopping_. That’s Fourth Circle of Hell stuff right there. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-when-invited-to-a-direct-marketing-home-party/530060.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-when-invited-to-a-direct-marketing-home-party/530060.md?page=3)