Archive

Say What? Archive

TWO DECADES OF WTF

Welcome to the world's largest and most up-to-date collection of insane, tragic, misguided, dishonest, inexplicable, and darkly hilarious comments by public figures. This is where reality comes when it wants its mind blown.

  • August 10, 2012

    "Do not bring up the subject again unless they do."
    -- National American University training materials, instructing recruiters to deflect questions about tuition costs

  • August 09, 2012

    "Welfare Mom w/Kids. Pregnant Ladies. Recent Divorce. Low Self-Esteem. Low Income Jobs. Experienced a Recent Death. Physically/Mentally Abused. Recent Incarceration. Drug Rehabilitation. Dead-End Jobs-No Future."
    -- Vatterott's internal "Student Profiles", detailing the demographic subgroups it targets for enrollment

  • August 08, 2012

    "It's a boiler room…selling education to people who don't really want it. If we don't have a degree they want, we are supposed to convince them that one of ours will work for them anyway."
    a former Bridgeport recruiter

    "DO NOT GIVE TOO MUCH INFORMATION." (emphasis in original)
    Career Education Corporation instructions to recruiters

  • August 07, 2012

    "KEEP DIGGING UNTIL YOU UNCOVER THEIR PAIN, FEARS, AND DREAMS. IF YOU GET THE PROSPECT TO THINK ABOUT HOW TOUGH THEIR SITUATION IS RIGHT NOW AND IF THEY DISCUSS THE LIFE THEY CAN'T GIVE THEIR FAMILY BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE A DEGREE, YOU WILL DRAMATICALLY INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF GAINING A COMMITMENT
    FROM THE STUDENT!" (emphasis in original)
    -- from Kaplan University recruiter training materials

  • August 06, 2012

    "When your degree hangs on the wall in a few years, will you tell your friends and family you bought the cheapest degree you could find?"
    what recruiters at University of Phoenix were instructed to say if a student prospect questioned the cost

    "Why would you not want to invest in yourself?"
    -- another prompt from the same recruiter's manual

  • August 03, 2012

    "I know who you are. You ruined our country!"
    -- A neighbor of Karl Rove, when Rove introduced himself on the street

  • August 02, 2012

     

    "32,229." -- Number of reported UFO sightings, 2000-2007

     

    "352." -- Number of deaths caused by lightning, 2000-2007

     

    "9." -- Number of possible occurrences of voter impersonation, 2000-2009

  • August 01, 2012

    "Harry, he didn't pay any taxes for 10 years."
    -- Senator Harry Reid, quoting a Bain investor about Romney

  • July 27, 2012

    "It is more likely that an individual will be struck by lightning than that he will impersonate another voter in the polls."
    -- from a Brennan Center of Justice report

  • July 26, 2012

    "An enormous and growing problem."
    -- Karl Rove, on illegal voting

    "Our democracy is under siege from an enemy so small it could be hiding anywhere."
    -- Stephen Colbert