Not too many months after beginning my Facebook account, I conclusively decided that well over 90% of the third-party applications were utterly worthless.  So I deleted them like crazy and consistently turn down requests.  I removed several apps that were mundane and harmless, but absolutely worthless.

Today, I read about a Facebook app that’s not merely worthless – it’s downright mean!  WhopperSacrifice.com is offering free burgers – the only catch?  Install their Facebook app and start removing your friends.  For every 10 friends you delete, you get a free Whopper.

What is the point?  What are they trying to do (other than get a few laughs, some cheap advertising and a little more business)?  I find it unsettling that people are so cavalier about dropping ‘friends’ for some free meat.  Perhaps it testifies to the shallowness of our culture.  Either people are so shallow that they’ll actually sacrifice friends for Whoppers, or people have so many shallow casual Facebook connections that dropped ‘friends’ never get noticed.

Moviegoers were recently shocked to see the Joker force Gotham City’s citizens to sacrifice one another for the sake of hospitals or for their own lives.  But take away the real death and throw in lettuce, tomato and a pickle slice or two – it’s just a joke now.  Are we starting to imitate what we’ve seen on the silver screen?

Of course, I could be taking this thing far too seriously.  I mean, hey, I’ve been meaning to clean up my friend list anyway and, after all, who doesn’t like free food?  This isn’t really another mark of America’s widespread selfish superficiality, is it?  All I have to say is this: if you used to be on my friend list, I’m sorry but don’t take it so personally – I was hungry.