Billion-dollar company does math wrong.
Grade 6 student, Edweenaa Wrongg calls them on it.
Before I get to today’s post a quick word that Math by Edison and I will be taking a break for the summer months (July & August). Chance for me to take a step back, exhale and reassess the first 15 months of Math by Edison, and decide where I want to take it next.
Today’s post has math but is a little different – here’s the back story: I was on my TV flipping around between streaming services and read a Disney Plus ad and saw a math error they made. I immediately thought of sending Disney an email to let them know*, but then a moment later the thought popped into my head, what if I could turn this ‘math’ into something funny – funny as in a smile or a ha-ha or a chuckle or a laugh (a way of merging Math by Edison and my 2024 Resolution, to write funny). So after working on this for the last three weeks - here’s my stab at funny.
Objective is to make you smile or chuckle or laugh. I smiled nine times 😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊 and had a couple of chuckles. Let me know how many times it made you 😊.
Edison here. On June 2, 2024 I saw the main subscribe page on Disney + (Plus) streaming channel and noticed that their math was wrong. Everything below is fictional, except the Disney Plus advertisement that shows up on their main page … it has math errors. Picture of ad is below and here’s the ad:
Subscribe for $7.99/month or save 16% when you sign up for a year, just $119.99/year.
Characters: Edweena Wrongg, Precocious, 12-year-old, grade 6 student. Daughter of Ms. Wrongg.
Setting: Edweenaa calls Disney Plus to let them know their math ad is wrong. Phone conversation ensues
Ring ring …
DISNEY PLUS SUBSCRIPTIONS DEPARTMENT: Disney Plus Subscriptions department, where subscribing opens up a whole new world! How can I open your world today?
EDWEENAA: Hello, I’m calling about your Disney Plus streaming subscribe ad …
DISNEY PLUS SUBSCRIPTIONS DEPARTMENT: Wonderful, so you want to subscribe?
EDWEENAA: No, no ... I’m calling to tell you about a math error you made on your Disney subscription ad. A math error!
DISNEY PLUS SUBSCRIPTIONS DEPARTMENT: Sorry we don’t do math error help in Subscriptions Department. But you know what, let me transfer you to our Complaints department they’ll be able to help.
EDWEENAA: No, no it’s not a complaint it’s just to let you know …
COMPLAINTS DEPARTMENT: Hello Complaints department here, where no complaint is too big. What’s your complaint?
EDWEENAA: I don’t have a complaint Complaints. I’m Edweenaa, I’m 12 years old and in grade 6 and I wanted to let you know your ad is wrong. There’s a math error in it.
COMPLAINTS DEPARTMENT: Math error? Okay, I’m not trained for this type of complaint. Let me send you over to Accounting Department as they’re the experts on numbers.
EDWEENAA: Wait! What’s $119.99 divided by 12?
COMPLAINTS DEPARTMENT: What’s $119.99 divided by 12 you ask … Well, umm … just a sec, Accounting will pick up in an instant.
EDWEENAA: I don’t want Accounting I only want to …
Subscribe for $7.99/month or save 16% when you sign up for a year, just $119.99/year.
ACCOUNTING DEPARTMENT: Hello this is the Accounting department, where we make your numbers sing! How can we help your numbers sing today?
EDWEENAA: Isn’t Disney Plus a billion-dollar company?
ACCOUNTING DEPARTMENT: Yes! We are and we’re proud of that number. And we aim to strive higher.
EDWEENAA: Okay. My name is Edweenaa and I’m 12 years old and your billion dollar company made a math mistake on the ad on your main page. I’m just calling to let you know ... What’s $120 divided by 12?
ACCOUNTING DEPARTMENT: What … okay listen we in Accounting didn’t design the ad, that’s the Advertising department - they can help you. Gimme a sec.
EDWEENAA: wait wait ... please don’t transfer me …
ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT: Advertising here, Where we make Disney ads memorable. How can we make your day memorable today?
Edweenaa exhales
EDWEENAA: Advertising person, here’s the thing, my day isn’t memorable so far. You made an error in your ad on the main page it says $7.99/month and … Actually, here’s what I’m getting at – What’s $7.99 x 12?
ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT: …
EDWEENAA: Hello, advertising person ... are you still there?
ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT: …
EDWEENAA: Hello, Hello.
ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT: … Thanks for bringing this to our attention. Let me transfer you to the Finance department – they’ll be able to answer your money question.
EDWEENAA: Please don’t do that. I don’t want to be transferred. I just want …
1- DISNEY PLUS SUBSCRIPTIONS DEPARTMENT: This is getting interesting.
2- COMPLAINTS DEPARTMENT: What you’re still on the call?
3- ACCOUNTING DEPARTMENT: Accounting on call too - I want to see how this plays out.
4-ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT: What! Is this a conference call now??
5 FINANCE DEPARTMENT: Finance department here, where money makes us tick. How can we make you tick today?
EDWEENAA: I don’t want to be ticked today. … I’m only calling to let you know that you made an error. To help you understand the error - okay here’s what I’m getting at, What’s $8 x 12?
FINANCE DEPARTMENT: Okay, okay, I see what you’re asking, you need some math help. That’s a Marketing Department problem, not a Finance problem. They will have the correct answer for you. Just a moment …
EDWEENAA: What I’m getting transferred again? I just wanted to ..
MARKETING DEPARTMENT: Marketing department here where we make Disney hummm. How can we make you hum today?
EDWEENAA: Hum? No I don’t want to hum today. You see Marketing person on your streaming site it says $7.99/mth and then it says $119.99/mth. Explain to me How $119.99/yr is a savings over $7.99/mth?
MARKETING DEPARTMENT: Wait a second, you said ninety-nine cents?
EDWEENAA: Yeah ... but I’m not asking about the ninety-nine cents. I’m …
MARKETING DEPARTMENT: You know … I’ve always wondered why they do that ninety-nine cents thing on ads I think Psych.ology Department would know I’ll get them on the call.
EDWEENAA: What? Wait! No, no … I’m not asking about the ninety-nine cents all I want to tell you is you made a math error and … What is going on here? Stop!
PSYCHOLOGY DEPARTMENT: Hello Psychology Department here, where we aid you to understand you better. How can I aid you today?
EDWEENAA: Aid? I don’t need any aid. All I want to know, … actually I just want to tell you that you made a math error on your streaming and …
PSYCHOLOGY DEPARTMENT: And it traumatized you …
EDWEENAA: No, no what? What? Who said anything about trauma?
PSYCHOLOGY DEPARTMENT: Well, you did call the Psychology department and we’re here to aid with everything ... even with problems you have but don’t know you have.
EDWEENAA: I don’t have a problem!
PSYCHOLOGY DEPARTMENT: Well, you did call with a problem, no?
EDWEENAA: Okay Psychology person, here’s a question that’s troubling me deeply - is $119.99/yr a 16% savings on $7.99/mth?
PSYCHOLOGY DEPARTMENT: ……
EDWEENAA: Psychology person are you there??
COMPLAINTS DEPARTMENT: Yeah, Psychology can you answer the little girl’s question!
PSYCHOLOGY DEPARTMENT: Who just spoke?
COMPLAINTS DEPARTMENT: It’s the complaints department waiting to see how this problem gets resolved.
ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT: Yeah. Advertising on the call too, Psychology just answer the girl’s question.
DISNEY PLUS SUBSCRIPTIONSDEPARTMENT: Subscriptions on here too, Psychology we’re all waiting.
PSYCHOLOGY DEPARTMENT: Look this is too much pressure. This is stressing me ... let me get Human Resources Department on the phone as they will know. No, maybe Animation Department might be better ... wait ughh. I don’t know .. I’ll go with Live Action Department or no Acting Department. No … now I’m not sure … Auditions Department …
EDWEENAA: I can’t believe this is happening … How old are you people? All I wanted to tell you was ... Is there ANYONE who can at least acknowledge there’s a math error.
MARKETING DEPARTMENT: Psychology, you know what I think ... I have a feeling that Quality Control department can help.
FINANCE DEPARTMENT: Yeah, Quality Control always know what to do. They’re the crème de la crème of Disney+.
EDWEENAA: Doesn’t anyone know grade 6 math here?
DISNEY PLUS SUBSCRIPTIONS DEPARTMENT: Sorry grade 6 was a bad year for me.
COMPLAINTS DEPARTMENT: I was home schooled that year and we didn’t do any math.
ACCOUNTING DEPARTMENT: I skipped grade 6. Went from grade 5 to grade 7 … very proud of that.
FINANCE DEPARTMENT: My French teacher taught us math in grade 6 and all I remember is … well actually I don’t remember much …
ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT: Grade 6 math brings back bad memories – fractions, percents ...
PSYCHOLOGY DEPARTMENT: Advertising, then don’t go there – don’t revisit that memory, just …
QUALITY CONTROL DEPARTMENT: Good day Quality Control Department here, where our slogan is to find the errors before you find them. What’s your error today?
EDWEENAA: OMG! Finally, someone that can help me! Well Quality Department there’s a math error on your ad. You see it says …
QUALITY CONTROL DEPARTMENT: Well, whoever you are that’s impossible as we don’t make errors, and if we did, we would find it before you did.
EDWEENAA: But don’t you see the error with your ad, Here’s what I mean: If you’re buying a $120 phone and there’s a discount of 16%, how much will it cost to buy it?
QUALITY CONTROL DEPARTMENT: …
FINANCE DEPARTMENT: We’re buying a phone? I thought …
EDWEENAA: Quality Control are you still there? You said your slogan was to find errors before I find them. And I found …
QUALITY CONTROL DEPARTMENT: Yes, I know what I said but you know what … if it’s a math error then Problem Solving Department is who you want to speak to. They will help you. I’ll transfer you.
EDWEENAA: What? Another transfer? No, no, no, no more transferring. Please!
9 COMEDY DEPARTMENT: Comedy department here, where we bring the fun to people. How can I bring fun to you today?
COMPLAINTS DEPARTMENT: Quality Control, what the, you made an error – you transferred the kid to the wrong department?
PSYCHOLOGY DEPARTMENT: Yeah why would you do that?
QUALITY CONTROL DEPARTMENT: No, I didn’t transfer her to Comedy.
MARKETING DEPARTMENT: Yes you did.
QUALITY CONTROL DEPARTMENT: No. I couldn’t have. Impossible. I didn’t. We don’t make errors. Wait let me double-check something …
COMEDY DEPARTMENT: Doesn’t sound like we’re having fun today people. How can I bring fun to whoever is on this call?
EDWEENAA: Well, you see funny person, there’s a math error on the ad on your website. Here’s what I mean What’s 16% of $120? Or a better question is, What’s 84% of $120?
COMEDY DEPARTMENT: Stop right there. Sorry we … don’t do math in Comedy. I mean we could and we'd make it fun and you’d laugh and smile and ... but doing math not in our mission statement, so not allowed to help you. Let me transfer to the Math Department.
EDWEENAA: You have a Math Department. Why didn’t someone tell me that? … oh my that's wonderful news … finally … someone that can help. Please, yes please transfer me.
…
COMEDY DEPARTMENT: Just kidding kid. No Math Department … just messing with you.
COMPLAINTS DEPARTMENT: Comedy! You’re doing sarcasm with a 12-year-old kid?
PSYCHOLOGY DEPARTMENT: Why would you do that?
COMEDY DEPARTMENT: No, I am not ... I was just trying to lighten the mood of this very serious math error. I think I’ll transfer her to …
EDWEENAA: STOP! NO. No more transferring! Please, okay?
Edweena is beyond frustrated
EDWEENAA: Quiet. LISTEN PEOPLE! Your ad on your site says.
“Subscribe for $7.99/month or save 16% when you sign up for a year, just $119.99/year.
EDWEENAA: Doesn’t anyone not see the math error in that ad? Okay I’ll make it easier - What’s $7.99/month per year? How is that a 16% savings on $119.99/year? or I’ll go easier - which is a better deal $8/month or $120/year?
Silence, crickets …
EDWEENAA: Can someone please answer?
Then the clicks begin …
2 COMPLAINTS DEPARTMENT: click
3 ACCOUNTING DEPARTMENT: click
EDWEENAA: What is happening? Are you hanging up on me? You can’t do that! What’s $8/month work out to per year?
4 ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT: click
5 FINANCE DEPARTMENT: click
Edweenaa starts to panic.
EDWEENAA: Hello, hello is anyone there. What’s a 16% savings on $120/year?
6 MARKETINGDEPARTMENT: click
EDWEENAA: How is $119.99/yr a savings on $7.99/yr?
8 QUALITY CONTROL DEPARTMENT: click
EDWEENAA: Which is better, $7.99/month or $119.99/yr?
1 DISNEY PLUS SUBSCRIPTIONS DEPARTMENT: click.
9 COMEDY DEPARTMENT: click
…
EDWEENA: Is anyone still there?
…
DISNEY OPERATOR DEPARTMENT: Hello Disney operator department here, where we’ll transfer you to the world. Who in the world can I transfer you to today?
EDWEENAA: …
DISNEY OPERATOR DEPARTMENT: Hello, Hello …
DISNEY OPERATOR DEPARTMENT: Who can I transfer you to today?
EDWEENAA: I don’t know. I’m not sure.
PSYCHOLOGY DEPARTMENT: click
DISNEY OPERATOR DEPARTMENT: click
EDWEENAA: What? Anyone there? Anyone? … I was just trying to tell you that you made an error and …
…
EDWEENAA: click
…
…
MATH DEPARTMENT: Math department here, where we can answer any math question. Did someone call with a math question?
END
Subscribe for $7.99/month or save 16% when you sign up for a year, just $119.99/year.
*When I checked the Disney Plus site on June 11, the ad had changed and removed the error (see image below):
Get Disney+ starting at $7.99/month.
Edison 👨🏽🏫
Edison’s Math School 🏫
… making math easier❗