Sure, it's easy to laugh at the greedy, clueless, entitled people who attempt to "crowdfund" various non-charitable self-serving endeavors. But who is really to blame?

Is it the people, like those profiled in this Wall Street Journal piece [DISCLAIMER: This qualifies as a "too easy" story that is "just asking for" a lazy blog write up such as this one, yet we did it anyhow. So sue us] about people using crowdfunding techniques not for feeding the hungry or housing the homeless, but for totally mundane personal wishes, such as tuition to attend circus school? I would argue that, in fact, the people to blame for the persistence of these laughable paeans to blind greed are the donors, who make it possible for people to claim success for these endeavors. You are under no obligation to give your hard earned money to someone just because they are your "friend," if they want to use that money to—for example—take a weeks-long trip to Italy to recreate "Eat, Pray, Love" after being laid off. No matter how convincing their excuses may sound:

Some parts of the project might look like a fun vacation, she allows, such as visiting Gore Vidal's Amalfi Coast mansion and traipsing beneath grape-covered pergolas in the countryside. But the core of the trip has been her search for what's next, she says. She has been taking notes, may write a book and has connections with journalists in Florence and Rome, she says.

Oh... taking notes... "may" write a book... "connections" with journalists. Yes.

Every freelance writer in America would also like $6,000 to go to Italy, in that case.

[Pic via. I could really use a trip though. Please give generously.]