It all started out so innocently. I went to visit one of my favorite dailies, {Heather}, and saw that she was going to be on ABC World News Tonight! Tonight! But alas, it was already PAST the time that World News airs here! Damnit! Nevermind, I assured myself, the internet has EVERYTHING. Surely, some dooce fan taped it and put it online? Please?

But I thought I would start with the source, the World News Website. I found the segment in question rather easily, and was dismayed to find the video segment was in RealPlayer format. I’ve always had bad experiences with RealPlayer in the past, but I was desperate. I really wanted to see this segment. So I consented to deal with the evils of Real.

Right when I thought it was going to show me the segment, the little player informed me that it was checking for my membership status. Poop. No, I was not a Real Superpass member, a qualification necessary for viewing the video. But look! A free 14 day trial! I can sign up for this, watch the video, then cancel my account! Genius Erin, genius!

So I signed up, and begrudgingly gave up my credit card information. Success! I watched the video, and it was SO worth all the trouble! Yayyy for seeing Heather on TV! Almost! Until I went to cancel my account.

They are going to make me call their 800 number in order to cancel my account!! What the hell? I’m quite upset. My belief that Real is inherently evil is now proved. Now I have to wait until their business hours, call them, probably answer a load of uncomfortable questions, be uncomfortable anyway because I HATE using the telephone, all to do something that could have EASILY been automated online. But because Real is EVIL, YES I AM TALKING TO YOU REAL NETWORKS, they want to make it as hard as possible for me to cancel my account so they can suck money out of my credit card. Well I have news for you, Real…

SUCK IT!