via Kickstarter

Comedian and rabble-rouser Eric Moneypenny decided to follow the grand tradition of McSweeney's satirical Kickstarter for Greece, by starting his own Kickstarter . . . to buy Kickstarter. Get it?

The project, called "I Would Like to Buy Kickstarter," aims to raise $19 million based on its value on WorthofWeb.com. Donors who pledge $10,000 or more are entitled to a: "Pizza Party! With me, Eric Moneypenny, the new owner and CEO of Kickstarter." Donors pledging $10 or more get a much more raw deal:  a free Kickstarter account to launch their project. Guess under Mr. Moneypenny's regime, the crowdfunding platform will start charging for its services.

Sadly, Mr. Moneypenny misses the opportunity for true satire by low-balling the zeistgeisting startup. With cofounder Yancey Strickland boasting that Kickstarter's poised to give out more funding than the NEA  and a steady stream of headlines like "How Double Fine Raised $3.3 million on Kickstarter and Changed Game Financing Forever" (the !!!!!! is implied) and a crowdfunding bill on the way in the Senate, a true lampooning of these bubbilcious times would have put Kickstarter's valuation closer to, oh, let's say $1 billion. We hear it's getting to be a popular club.