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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2009
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Webcasts Draw Donors to 'Pimp This Bum'

Advocates say site exploits homeless Houston man

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(Newser) – An online plea to "Pimp this bum" is upsetting advocates for the homeless and inspiring hope in one man on the streets, the AP reports. Tim Edwards, who lives under a Houston underpass, is the star attraction on pimpthisbum.com—a site devoted to funding his recovery. A marketing specialist and his son started the project to promote their business and do a good turn.

On regular webcasts, Edwards fields questions about his descent from alcoholic office manager to outcast. "I'm the world's first online bum," quips Edwards, 37. "I'm the pioneer, but I've got friends behind me." Not everyone is amused. "He is a person. His name is Tim," said one advocate for the homeless. "And to pimp anyone is not something I would endorse."

Tim Edwards smiles while sitting outside a Waffle House restaurant on Friday, Feb. 27, 2009 in Houston.
Tim Edwards smiles while sitting outside a Waffle House restaurant on Friday, Feb. 27, 2009 in Houston.   (AP Photo/Pat Sullivan)
Tim Edwards smokes a hand rolled cigarette sitting outside a Waffle House restaurant on Friday, Feb. 27, 2009 in Houston.
Tim Edwards smokes a hand rolled cigarette sitting outside a Waffle House restaurant on Friday, Feb. 27, 2009 in Houston.   (AP Photo/Pat Sullivan)
Tim Edwards, left, talks with Kevin Dolan, center, and his son Sean outside a Waffle House restaurant on Friday, Feb. 27, 2009 in Houston.
Tim Edwards, left, talks with Kevin Dolan, center, and his son Sean outside a Waffle House restaurant on Friday, Feb. 27, 2009 in Houston.   (AP Photo/Pat Sullivan)
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Tim Edwards talks on PimpThisBum.com.   (YouTube)

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3 comments
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chicken
Mar 7, 09 7:26 PM CST
3rd picture he's showing off his $115 pair of New Balance 991's Reply
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NutsInNY
Mar 7, 09 8:23 PM CST
The marketing guys behind this talk a good do-gooder game on their website, but it's striking how they keep talking about the circumstances and needs of homeless people PLURAL, belying the fact that they're helping just one guy, while they're getting one hell of alot of media attention from it -- e.g., Rachel Ray and Fox & Friends. Seems like they ripped off the idea from the Will Smith film "Hancock", where a struggling marketing guy tries to make a name for himself by giving a homeless-like, unpopular, alcoholic superhero a makeover, after which he proceeds to strategically market him. Reply
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riffran
Mar 8, 09 3:06 AM CDT
Ill help...lets start with a bath and a shave...lol....You know...in the first picture he could almost double for Paul Giamatti...doing a bit as a hermit or something Reply
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Tim has made $300 from the site
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