In her continued attempt to bridge the gulf between Real news and Foofy news, Angelina Joli is adopting a baby girl from Ethiopia. Kudos to her, though I sense she’s doing this just to foil her critics, like me, who’d rather label her as a darling of the Foof. Apparently she’s even bringing Pitt over to her side. Did she convince him to dye his hair though? Not so good, Brad–the light hair draws attention to your pockmarks.
I happened to catch the soft-core crapfest that is
So maybe Angelina can bring Pitt around from crapcore like that film to more stuff like his recent performances, including his speech at the London Live 8 concert (“let us be the ones to say we dont accept, we are not satisfied, let us be outraged, let us be loud, let us be bold”).
I’m conflicted about the role celebrities should play in calling attention to Things that are Really Happening. For all his bullshit I admire Bono for using his massive ego in the service of one of the noblest causes on earth, and it’s arguable that the recent relief of African debt would not have been possible without the support of Bono’s group, DATA. And Angelina seems like a true warrior herself. For me, it’s enough that she made the Foofy news with her story about adopting an Ethiopian baby, which must have entered her calculus as she made her decision. But what about these gripes about Live 8 being a vehicle for celebrity and, despite its earnestness, being incapable of focusing on the truth of what’s happening in Africa? As one blogger from Kenya wrote (thanks to Global Voices Online):
If a concert in Africa would have me sceptical, words cannot describe just how I fail to see how the remotest benefit a 1 million strong concert in Edinburgh will be derived by a poor fisherman in Lamu. I don’t see how one million partygoers will contribute to the filling of stomachs in Darfur, or a reduction of the gunfire. This concert, oddly enough, does not seem to have any African musicians performing aside from the good old token Yossou N’dour, something that will no doubt soon be hastily corrected and laughed off as a “technical oversight.”
It was disheartening to read some accounts of audience members not knowing why they were there. And the African community seems to not be so impressed. What do you all think? Is the Live 8 effort ultimately worth it?
update: to check out the blog community’s discussion of Live 8, click on the Live 8 Technorati tag below.
Technorati Tags: Africa, humanrights, Live 8, movies
look, the fact is that they made more money than they would have had they not had the concerts. and of course they raised awareness. granted awareness doesn’t equal help, but what does? and in regards to the complaint that there were no african artists involved–it was a concert FOR africa, not a concert OF africa. and how many tickets and t-shirts would they have sold had it been a serious discussion of how to solve the poverty and hunger issues in africa rather than a worldwide concert or how many tickets would they have sold if it were african musicians? i don’t understand why you have such antipathy towards this concept. to me, it’s like saying that a donation shouldn’t be accepted because it doesn’t really mean a commitment. while it may not be ideal, it certainly can’t hurt.
nice hair plugs bono
-ji reputante
dude, i think someone just identity-thefted me.
The fact that Live 8 raised money is obviously good, but that wasn’t its stated purpose. In fact, Geldof has said that the goal was *not* to raise money but to raise awareness. Awareness is ostensibly a good thing but its definition is tricky. For one thing, good, so we’re all aware. Now what? Or, maybe people aren’t really aware of much more in the end than the fact that Coldplay is, as a British magazine put it, a “poor-man’s U2,” which I think is true not only musically but idealistically as well. I’m all for wearing a bracelet or staging massive concerts to raise awareness, but how about being self-aware enough to counter the inevitable pitfalls?
As someone involved in the Make Poverty History campaign in the UK for a while, and a marcher in Edinburgh last Saturday, I have to say I found the Live8 concert in London a bit crap. I acknowledge it raised awareness to a certain degree, but a lengthy and successful campaign by various NGOs (and celebs) meant the issues were already on the agenda here.
For me, the concert was just so bloody unchallenging. Musically and politically. I can’t help feeling most people had a nice day with the added afterglow of thinking they’d helped some of those poor Africans. In reality, we all have to change a little to make a difference, even something simple as buying fairtrade/non-sweatshop goods (and maybe not listening to drab, put-me-down-now rubbish like Keane). Will world leaders think: ‘We better act in case they have another rock concert’? Or is a (somewhat overshadowed) march of 250,000, who travelled from across the country to a much smaller city than London, more effective?
One thing’s for sure: We can’t let the terrorists win.
Wang, my sympathies go out to Britain. See above post. But thanks for the Live 8 insight. It’s important to fight cynicism and skepticism when so many people make an important statement, but it’s also important to be honest about what appears to be a real interest in these things and is yet another fashionable pose.
For me, the stuff that Bono has done behind the scenes seems much more important and effective than a rock concert ever could be. A portion of developing-world debt was erased; that’s a fact. The benefits of the Live 8 concert will be much harder to chart.