The Bidet Shoot, sponsored in part by...

Countdown to the Bidet Shoot:  Day 5

As I began to ponder the logistical quandaries of attending my first-ever blogshoot, I came to the undeniable conclusion that holy crap I cannot afford this. And yet, I still wanted to go. I wanted to go really, really badly. In fact, I wanted to go so badly that, out of sheer desperation, I tried something which I was certain would not work:  I asked for corporate sponsorship to attend.

But before I asked, I had a good long think about who, exactly, I should ask. I didn't want to ask a company whose products I had reviewed, because that would make it seem like they were paying me for a good review, and it might compromise my objectivity in later reviews. But I couldn't very well just ask a company who didn't know me, because the result would likely be either deafening silence or "Go away, kid, you bother us."

And then I had a notion. This notion said "Hey, Erin, you happen to know a company that likes you enough to ask you to review something, but doesn't actually make those things themselves. They're just a clearinghouse.They don't care if you like or hate the stuff they sell."  I thought this was a great idea, and so I asked Lucky Gunner for sponsorship to attend the blogshoot, figuring they would say no.

They said yes.

Look, I'm as shocked as you are.

I thought for sure they would have said "Sorry, Erin, we really don't see what's in it for us," but they didn't. Instead, I was given some money for food, gas, ammo and a hotel room. In addition, they are donating some .223 ammunition and -- get this -- an actual bidet for us to shoot.

All because I asked.

No, I still don't get how it worked.

Anyway, after I picked my jaw up from the floor, I asked what I needed to do or say to pick up my end of the deal. Did I need to blog about it? Hand out tee shirts to the participants? Otherwise debase myself in some way?

"Get us some footage of you guys blowing the crap out of the bidet," I was told. "That's all."  Apparently, "For the lulz" is an acceptable reason for a tax write-off.

So I want you all to know that me writing this, right now, is completely voluntary. The gang at Lucky Gunner has been incredibly generous to me, and has enabled a bunch of weird gunnies to realize their fetish of demolishing innocent bathroom appliances via high-caliber means. Plus they gave us ammo, which is probably worth its weight in gold at this point.

And so because of this, I'm going to be running a commercial banner for them for a while as a means of saying "Thank You."  It's the least I could do under the circumstances.

Some of you may think I've sold out. I disagree, as I've taken great pains to acquire a sponsorship that is compatible with my ethics as a blogger and a reviewer. However, I cannot stop you from thinking this way. If you truly feel I have sold out and compromised my integrity, then I direct you here.