Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Internet Sensation Syndrome


Have you seen this?

Neil Berrett, 23, of San Fransisco, used a sheet cake to present to his boss as his letter of resignation.



Dear Mr. Bowers:
During the past three years, my tenure at the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard has been nothing short of pure excitement, joy and whim.
However, I have decided to spend more time with my family and attend to health issues that have recently arisen. I am proud to have been part of such an outstanding team and I wish this organization only the finest in future endeavors.
Please accept this cake as notification that I am leaving my position with NWT on March 27.


Sincerely,
W. Neil Berrett"


Berrett posted the picture on a Flickr photo-sharing site, which was then picked up and posted on the pop culture web site Boing Boing. The story then went on to become a sensation on foodie blogs and was picked up internationally by the Norwegian Newspaper Dagbladet and the Telegraph of London.
Berrett's Flickr page received over 200,000 visitors since the story broke and according to reports, some of the visitors were inquiring about how to apply for his old job. He even received a "lighthearted marriage proposal".

This got me thinking about the Internet Sensation Syndrome. Because of the media attention caused by Berrett's "sweet resignation", I wonder what other possibilities lie ahead for Mr. Berrett and if Mr. Berrett realized that his creative thinking could have possibly changed his life. In this media age, where fame is fast and fleeting, what other avenues could his new-found fame lead Berrett down?

Berrett reportedly quit his job to pursue his dream of becoming a professional photographer. Since a photo started it all, is there a dream job as a photographer waiting for him at Cuisine Magazine? It certainly gives him a jump to the head of the line with prospective employers. Will he meet the woman of his dreams? Sweet, thoughtful, optimistic and easily accessible, Berrett has unwittingly positioned himself to be open to offers. Will cake companies and bakeries realize the potential of an untapped market and begin a new line of resignation and resume cakes? Will they pay Berrett big bucks to be the spokesperson? Only time will tell as the offers come pouring in.

Berrett reported that his boss was "surprised" by his resignation but that eating the cake seemed to improve everyone's mood. One thing's for sure; he "raised the bar" when it comes to leaving your job on good terms.

16 comments:

Sass said...

The fact that he posted it on Flickr tells me that he absolutely knew and wanted the internet sensation factor.

I still think that's pretty durn cool.

How about a "Dear John" cake? How fab would that be??

Verdant Earl said...

I dunno how cool the cake is, but that guy can certainly rock the pink shirt, black (?) vest and white tie look. Not easy to pull that off.

Unknown said...

That's a great way to go out...if you like your job...Can't imagine what he would have done if he had hated his job.

Andy - Instafather said...

That sheet cake looks like it's about to flop over. Would he have still resigned if his notification was in pieces?
Did the boss eat the cake? I think he should have.

Joanie said...

I'm not sure if he wanted the internet sensation factor. Could be he just wanted to share a clever way to resign from his job.

will said...

Quitting a job he enjoyed so he could be a photographer? That's like jumping from an airplane without a parachute - and hoping you'll find one as you fall.

Dr Zibbs said...

I prefer pies. Then I smash them inthe jerk bosses faces.

Sassy Britches said...

I just had a "dang it" when I saw that B.E. Earl had already copped to the dapper outfit of the holder-of-the-cake!

In any case, I love how the media (and YOU) goes to town on speculation! The possibilities are endless.

Cora said...

Aww, crud - Sass beat me to it! I was thinking of a break up letter cake too.

"Dear Scumbag...."

Think the recipient would be brave enough to eat it? I wouldn't.

The Dental Maven said...

Okay, that's pretty fancy. But why the heck did he feel it was necessary to include his extensive return address on the upper left corner of the cake? Now, that's just weird.

slopmaster said...

he deserves the attention, it's pure genius. Do you ever get mad at an idea so good at so simple, you wish you would have done it yourself!

Cowguy said...

Great cake and an excellent way to resign and not piss anyone off.

Unknown said...

Next, resignation on a grain of rice.

Furtheron said...

I know one friend who when discussing his "resignation" told me that he had written it on his knuckles and that was why he punched the boss before leaving... :-)

katrocket said...

Man, I wish I had thought of that! I hope the trend catches on, because there's high employee turn-around at my workplace, and boy, do I love me some cake.

MJenks said...

That cuts it. Dr. Zibbs should make us all a damned cake since we've made him into an Internet Celebrity.