Seriously – What Would Happen if Everyone Cared?
First of all, let me say that I love the new CNN site re-design. Take a look (after you read this post). I particularly like the new video features, primarily since I don’t have cable. But that’s not the reason for this post.
The real reason I’m writing this is because of the ad I saw on the frontpage of CNN. The question, “What would happen if everyone cared?” is certainly a legitimate one. The ad links to a section of CNN titled “Impact Your World.”
In my opinion, there are way too many people who have their heads buried in the sand about real issues. Healthcare, the federal deficit, poverty, AIDS in Africa, crime, the Iraq war. It doesn’t take a huge amount of effort to make a difference. For instance, you can join the ONE campaign (ONE.org) and make your voice heard. You can donate money to Kiva (let me know if you happen to know of any extremely intriguing business to invest in on Kiva – my friend and I are looking for one that sparks our interest). I covered Kiva previously here. Volunteer with United Way. We can make a difference. As Bono says, “we have the technology, we have the resources, the know-how…if we have the will”
I know I won’t make friends with everyone by saying this, but the media spends way too much time covering celebrities like Paris Hilton, Terrell Owens, Anna Nicole Smith, and Britney Spears. And the reason the media does it is because people watch it. I did a search for “worthless celebrities” and found this poll. What the media should really be doing is covering the real issues that matter. Personally, I don’t really give a crap who the latest celebrity fling is, where their wedding is, which club Britney Spears visited last night, who Terrell Owens taunted in his last game, or which baseball player just got arrested for steroid use……but maybe that’s just me.
Hats off to companies like CNN bringing awareness to real issues.
Seriously — what would happen if everyone cared?
Amen, Drew. My heart goes out to the celebrities who live life under a microscope, it can’t be easy and I wouldn’t wish that on my worst enemy. That said, it pales in comparison to the massively growing homeless population across the globe, to children beaten in Kenya schools for having ripped uniforms because they can’t afford new ones, for Iranian protesters silenced permanently with gunshots, for troops valiantly giving life and limb to protect the world from oppressors and those that are too poor, old, young, or otherwise debilitated to protect, support or advocate for themselves. I’m sickened by the media treatment of celebrity, not because Big Brother Media chose to focus on celebrity but because the population demands it and rewards media with high ratings making advertisers’ bottom lines happy. Barf.