giving
America, it seems, is in a giving mood these days. A few days back, Fox held its 2nd annual Idol Gives Back show, with this season's top 8 contestants and a shitload of celebrities, and today (Sunday) Comedy Central holds its own annual show called "Night of Too Many Stars". While Comedy Central's cause was for autism education, American Idol's cause was "to help people across the United States and Africa".
There's something not quite right about these type of shows -- the richest people on showbiz stand on a stage, urging ordinary people to reach deep into their pocket and donate. The cause is worthy, no question about it, although there is something to be said about cleaning your own back yard before start dealing with your neighbors', but never mind that, but there is still something that bugged me watching Whoopie Goldberg, for example, telling people "you know you don't need your money, so donate" or Ellen DeGeneres , I think it was, telling kids to go break their piggie banks. It's kind of like having former New York governor Eliot Spitzer telling you how important fidelity is, or how morally wrong prostitution is. This whole celebrity panhandling walks on a thin, thin line. On one hand I want to see every celebrity that goes on stage, looking directly at the camera and ask from ordinary Joes their hard-earned money to say "I, personally, am pledging so-and-so". On the other hand, I know that many of these people are into charity regardless of network television whether it is because they believe in the goal and feel they want to do something or if only for the tax deduction, and that it is non of my business getting in their pocket. On that same first hand, I want to know that these people, who earn ridiculous amounts of money for what they do, give their share back and not only taking part in the show for the free PR, and on the same other hand I feel that charity is something you do away from the media.
Idol Gives Back also featured all 3 top presidential candidates - McCain, Obama and Clinton, and making a guest appearance, the British Prime Minister Gordon Brown. Mr. Brown pledged $200mil worth of supplies for fighting Malaria in Africa, and said he would "urge other world leaders to give their part".That was the part where I just started at the TV and blinked. NPOs of this sort exist to either take care of local issues a big government simply overlooks or to cover up massive governmental blunders. I cannot fathom why a Mr. Johnson from downtown Louisville, KY or Casoer, WY should donate in order to eradicate Malaria in Africa. How is it not the role of governments? How did we get to the point that we have given up on governments to do what is right and humane? Surely it is all a question of money -- let's say $100 billion to eradicate Malaria in the whole wide world. Set a time frame, get the money in easy yearly payments from, let's say, the top 20 industrial nations, and presto - 5 years, 10 years, 15 years later -- no more Malaria. Thing is that no one in these governments or in the UN has a genuine interest in solving this situation. Sure, they all speak nicely to the camera, pout their lips and wipe the corners of their eyes, but in real life, apparently, people in Uganda, Zambia and Angola needs NPOs and "Idol Give Back"s in order to get their $10 worth of mosquito nets and Anti-Malaria pills.
And maybe, just maybe, if I let go just for one minute of my innate cynicism, the bottom line is that this kid in Zambia doesn't really care who gave the money so he can live. Maybe it is "saving the world one step at a time" and maybe it is just giving because it is the right thing to do, and not so one could later feel superior.
Man, it's not easy letting go of this cynicism, not even for a minute.
There's something not quite right about these type of shows -- the richest people on showbiz stand on a stage, urging ordinary people to reach deep into their pocket and donate. The cause is worthy, no question about it, although there is something to be said about cleaning your own back yard before start dealing with your neighbors', but never mind that, but there is still something that bugged me watching Whoopie Goldberg, for example, telling people "you know you don't need your money, so donate" or Ellen DeGeneres , I think it was, telling kids to go break their piggie banks. It's kind of like having former New York governor Eliot Spitzer telling you how important fidelity is, or how morally wrong prostitution is. This whole celebrity panhandling walks on a thin, thin line. On one hand I want to see every celebrity that goes on stage, looking directly at the camera and ask from ordinary Joes their hard-earned money to say "I, personally, am pledging so-and-so". On the other hand, I know that many of these people are into charity regardless of network television whether it is because they believe in the goal and feel they want to do something or if only for the tax deduction, and that it is non of my business getting in their pocket. On that same first hand, I want to know that these people, who earn ridiculous amounts of money for what they do, give their share back and not only taking part in the show for the free PR, and on the same other hand I feel that charity is something you do away from the media.
Idol Gives Back also featured all 3 top presidential candidates - McCain, Obama and Clinton, and making a guest appearance, the British Prime Minister Gordon Brown. Mr. Brown pledged $200mil worth of supplies for fighting Malaria in Africa, and said he would "urge other world leaders to give their part".That was the part where I just started at the TV and blinked. NPOs of this sort exist to either take care of local issues a big government simply overlooks or to cover up massive governmental blunders. I cannot fathom why a Mr. Johnson from downtown Louisville, KY or Casoer, WY should donate in order to eradicate Malaria in Africa. How is it not the role of governments? How did we get to the point that we have given up on governments to do what is right and humane? Surely it is all a question of money -- let's say $100 billion to eradicate Malaria in the whole wide world. Set a time frame, get the money in easy yearly payments from, let's say, the top 20 industrial nations, and presto - 5 years, 10 years, 15 years later -- no more Malaria. Thing is that no one in these governments or in the UN has a genuine interest in solving this situation. Sure, they all speak nicely to the camera, pout their lips and wipe the corners of their eyes, but in real life, apparently, people in Uganda, Zambia and Angola needs NPOs and "Idol Give Back"s in order to get their $10 worth of mosquito nets and Anti-Malaria pills.
And maybe, just maybe, if I let go just for one minute of my innate cynicism, the bottom line is that this kid in Zambia doesn't really care who gave the money so he can live. Maybe it is "saving the world one step at a time" and maybe it is just giving because it is the right thing to do, and not so one could later feel superior.
Man, it's not easy letting go of this cynicism, not even for a minute.