Gunsamerica.com & Paul Helinski. Where ignorance meets arrogance.

First off, be advised that if you're reading this, you're basically an idiot according to Paul Helinski, CEO of something or someplace called "Gunsmaerica.com"

I went to check it out and it just looks like a big electronic bidding house or auction place for guns, and it's on the internet.

The same internet Helinski seems to think he should own when it comes to guns and serious gun talk.

There are some serious ironies going on here, but first--as journalists would say--a little background. In fact, I'm going to do the background as a direct quote from Mr. Helinski regarding his view of blogs, those who read blogs, those who sponsor blogs, those idiotic gun manufacturers, dealers, suppliers who like or advertise on blogs, etc.

Ready?

"Now the question is when you are going to start qualifying internet media? We have to crawl over nobodies who can install wordpress and have nobody reading anything they write, It isn't so hard to qualify internet media using Alexa.com and Compete.com. Why do you waste the manufacturers' time and make the real internet media have to deal with wish I were internet journalists who are just using your stamp of approve to solicit review guns and accessories? You've created this giant gorilla in the room and we all have to deal with it, and you may think the industry takes your numbers seriously, but everyone sees things for what they are. If you are serious about bringing value to your exhibitors, you need to vet the press list."

"There is nothing like killing yourself for ten or fifteen years to have to wait for a guy to shoot his video for Colt on his cellphone at media day."

"You are a wanna be internet media professional. Why don't you go into Compete.com and compare gunsamerica.com to any other gun website, not just blogs. You've never heard of us, and we are the industry leader in internet readership, after 15 years of hard work and dedication. Why should I have to wait for you to finish taking a video with your phone at range day?"

Why isn't that sweet?

I liked the "wannabe" as it kinda reminds me of when Helinski was trying to get in the gun business. He used to be an IT guy. Translation: computer nerd. While I have no way of knowing it to be a fact, I would presume due to Mr. Helinski's elitist attitude that he was probably one of the top nerds at Apple or Microsoft, literally hovering just underneath the shadows of Steve Jobs or Bill Gates.

After all, he seems to have so much contempt for "wannabes" that there is simply no way he himself could've ever started something outside the IT (computer nerd) world unless he was the bona fide real deal. Right?

Secondly, I find it ironic as hell that in the early days of his Gunsamerica.com thing, Mr. Helinski lowered himself to the depths of "wannabes" in the form of gunnuts.com, a blog and podcaster, and actually gave a podcast talk in which he kind of rebuked folks who ordered or bought direct--bypassing the "stocking" dealers as he referred to them.

But Gunsamerica.com is kind of a bypass of "stocking" dealers, isn't it?

I guess once you sail past "wannabe" status and into "CEO" status, the criteria by which you judge yourself changes.

Didn't we see that with a less-than-reputable self-pronounced CEO of some scam called "Gunpal" that later morphed (and crashed) as "Gpal?"

So Mr. Helinski falls into the same trap he bitches at others for--becoming an electronic CEO.

Oh, but he's legitimate because he says he is. The rest of us aren't, because he says we aren't.

Seems he isn't making too many friends in the gun industry now that he's come out of the "anti-everyone-but-himself-as-a-serious-blogger" closet.

Here's a big clue for you, Mr. Helinski: You don't own the SHOT Show. The vast majority of manufacturers would much rather have 450 electronic journalists/bloggers pitching their goods honestly and unbeholden to paying advertisers rather than less than a dozen dying paper & ink rags.

Oh, and there have been a few other intellectually-challenged folks like you in the gun world make disparaging remarks, and their booths at SHOT Shows and NRA annual meetings stayed pretty danged empty.

Conclusion? Dumb move, dumb statements and dumb attitude for Mr. Helinski to have.

Only thing he could do dumber would be to sign up Gpal as a payment service.

And it wouldn't surprise me if he tries.