You'll have seen them if you're on any social website.
You know, the chap who asks for 'change' and uses the dollar he is given (one presumes it was American) to change other people's lives....
Or the non-religious religious one, where a good deed inspires others (some marging on rubbish) to create not just the links to a chain, but a cyclical chain that repays to original do-gooder - a pay-it-forward type. [for which I can't currently find a link].
They are led with simple teasers. "This made me smile" or "I really hope this comes true" or "You'll not be able to watch more than 10 seconds without cryin" such like which are only there to pique curiosity.
Curiosity piqued you then watch, waiting for whatever it was that made people smile or cry or even just share the bluddy thing. And then, before you know it you're committed. You need to know what happens at the end. And after a five minute barrage of emotional blackmailing and brainwashing (or just plain beating into submission) you get to the end, drained, soppy and with a desperate urge to share so that everyone else can feel warm/moist/alive.
At least, that's how it should happen.
Now, I know I am emotionally stunted. I have a tough exterior and quite possibly actually nothing inside. I have watched Marley and Me and was probably the only person relieved when the dog got put down. At least that way I knew I was going to get Owen Wilson off my tele. Apologies if that spoiled the story for you, but essentially it is the story of a couple who don't particularly like the dog-character (played by a number of unconvincing animal 'artists' that change so frequently you don't realise it's supposed to be the same character) which seems to have no redeeming factors, and then - whilst still apparently at the peak of life and bouncing around the set like a puppy- gets put down.
So I know I'm not the target for these film-shorts that have probably been commissionned from a cluster of media-production students to give some out-of-work actors something to do. I don't get drawn in, commit emotionally or anything. I get to the end of the five minute short feeling annoyed at having been conned into wasting five very precious minutes watching something trying to sell me feel-good or worse: do-good.
But the worst one yet has occurred...
Kony 2012.
We'll start by overlooking how slightly creepy people 'liking' Invisible Children on Facebook just sounds.
But this is terrible, far far worse than any of the emotive-motive-shorts for a number of reasons.
Obviously it contains all the standard fare: building, strings-heavy heart-tugging music, a terrible story with a twist, a narrative where every single word has been agonised over for half an hour to ensure that there isn't anything which could draw more tears. It's Pullitzer-aiming self-aggrandising tosh, really.
That's standard. This takes it to a whole new level. To an insipid and incidious level. Beyond brainwashing.
It annoyed me to start with because it was half-an-hour long. HALF AN HOUR. That's a very long time for me. I could have watched an episode of Father Ted in less time.
But it's a half-an-hour ADVERT. It is selling something, and no: not a 'dream'. It is selling the Invisble Children. It isn't about drawing attention to a plight or cause. No, you think it is, because that's how it starts out. No, you get to the end and it is selling a product: a bracelet you buy, a gimmick, a box of tricks, the t-shirt.
Now, you may well watch and say that the situation in Uganda exists.
Correct: it does.
You know, the chap who asks for 'change' and uses the dollar he is given (one presumes it was American) to change other people's lives....
Or the non-religious religious one, where a good deed inspires others (some marging on rubbish) to create not just the links to a chain, but a cyclical chain that repays to original do-gooder - a pay-it-forward type. [for which I can't currently find a link].
They are led with simple teasers. "This made me smile" or "I really hope this comes true" or "You'll not be able to watch more than 10 seconds without cryin" such like which are only there to pique curiosity.
Curiosity piqued you then watch, waiting for whatever it was that made people smile or cry or even just share the bluddy thing. And then, before you know it you're committed. You need to know what happens at the end. And after a five minute barrage of emotional blackmailing and brainwashing (or just plain beating into submission) you get to the end, drained, soppy and with a desperate urge to share so that everyone else can feel warm/moist/alive.
At least, that's how it should happen.
Now, I know I am emotionally stunted. I have a tough exterior and quite possibly actually nothing inside. I have watched Marley and Me and was probably the only person relieved when the dog got put down. At least that way I knew I was going to get Owen Wilson off my tele. Apologies if that spoiled the story for you, but essentially it is the story of a couple who don't particularly like the dog-character (played by a number of unconvincing animal 'artists' that change so frequently you don't realise it's supposed to be the same character) which seems to have no redeeming factors, and then - whilst still apparently at the peak of life and bouncing around the set like a puppy- gets put down.
So I know I'm not the target for these film-shorts that have probably been commissionned from a cluster of media-production students to give some out-of-work actors something to do. I don't get drawn in, commit emotionally or anything. I get to the end of the five minute short feeling annoyed at having been conned into wasting five very precious minutes watching something trying to sell me feel-good or worse: do-good.
But the worst one yet has occurred...
Kony 2012.
We'll start by overlooking how slightly creepy people 'liking' Invisible Children on Facebook just sounds.
But this is terrible, far far worse than any of the emotive-motive-shorts for a number of reasons.
Obviously it contains all the standard fare: building, strings-heavy heart-tugging music, a terrible story with a twist, a narrative where every single word has been agonised over for half an hour to ensure that there isn't anything which could draw more tears. It's Pullitzer-aiming self-aggrandising tosh, really.
That's standard. This takes it to a whole new level. To an insipid and incidious level. Beyond brainwashing.
It annoyed me to start with because it was half-an-hour long. HALF AN HOUR. That's a very long time for me. I could have watched an episode of Father Ted in less time.
But it's a half-an-hour ADVERT. It is selling something, and no: not a 'dream'. It is selling the Invisble Children. It isn't about drawing attention to a plight or cause. No, you think it is, because that's how it starts out. No, you get to the end and it is selling a product: a bracelet you buy, a gimmick, a box of tricks, the t-shirt.
Now, you may well watch and say that the situation in Uganda exists.
Correct: it does.
You may well say the LRA is a terrible thing.
I would agree: it is.
You may even think Kony is a machiavellian tyrant.
I don't think he's a good man, I'll say that.
But is this video proposing the correct solution to the problem?
The Invisible Children have a very single-minded, focused aim: international military intervention to remove the Kony and, hopefully, the LRA. But that is very short-sighted. Without a proper and thorough analysis of the full political, economic and social situation, you cannot simply present your simply solution to a single problem as the route to end all evils.
If Kony is removed without proper support plans and wider intervention, all it does is create a hole, a vacuum. And something will fill that. Whether it be a new head of the LRA, or - should the LRA crumbe - a new militia. And, let's face it, there are many, many militia as bad or worse than the LRA willing to move in to that hole.
But even if there weren't? Just abandon the refugees? What about political reform to prevent such insurgencies popping up in the first place? A thorough analysis needs to be undertaken before rushing in with guns and whatnot.
Much is made in the film about the deployment of 100 American military personnel to the region. It was seen as a triumph, a victory!
Now, I shall overrule my sceptical mind that they have anything whatsoever to do with the Presidential election looming; or to do with the recent discovery of oil in the area.
But it's not even a token gesture. It is 100 personnel in an advising - non-combative - role. Now, I quite like that it is non-combative role, but I would rather see a fleet of diplomats and consultants flown in to assess and device a wide-ranging strategy to cure and prevent. But it's 100. The number of domestic Ugandan army personnel who have already perished in the region over the last few years already exceeds 2000. How much of an impact are these stand-back officers going to make?
My major concern really is the ease with which people have just shared this on. Yesterday my Facebook told me that 10 of my friends had shared the link. When I eventually got around to watching it on the train this morning it had had 22m hits on Youtube. And people were so caught up with the message, they ignored the speaker, they ignored the style.
The wordsmith here is Invisible Children: an organisation with very VERY vested interests in the cause. As such the message isn't just weighted, it is so biased so as to lose all respect. They are the only cause mentionned, the sole beneficiaries of tugging at your heartstrings and eyelashes. But they only tell you that when they have your emotional mortgage so high that you have to make a real, financial payment to cover the simple interest.
And many commentators have already identified that the organisation - you will note I have avoided the use of the word 'charity' - isn't whiter than white. In fact, it looks so sludgy you wonder whether it ever has been, or could ever become, white. Clouded accounts, not publically inspectable, and where they are identifying whopping salary and expense accounts, apparently funding private follies. And these are from reasonably independent and external observers.
And yes, a backlash can be expected - in fact, a backlash of itself can assist promulgating the issue further. There may be some of you who would not have seen it but for this (though I doubt it). When anything is held to scrutiny, even simple typing errors are thrown around as if capital offences. But do check the date stamp on the Foreign Affairs article - it is back in November 2011, way before the Buzz.
But this is the thing that really gets me. The people sharing this video have just taken what they have been told as red, taken what they have been given as 'bread'. They haven't questionned whether it looks like bread, or feels like bread, they've just swallowed the whole story without any scrutiny. And some of the 'facts' are just plain wrong. I had presumed better of my friends.
I know this is me as a solicitor starting to take the fore, and that I always question, test, research anything that I am told. I don't take other people's opinions as fact, I take the facts and make my own opinion. But I am scare by how many don't, particularly with such controversial issue. They've taken half an hour to sit down and watch this, yet haven't even taken five minutes to run a quick background check or counter-analysis. Instead they've taken a half-second to click the share button, being so caught up with the suggestion to do so, having been brainwashed by the creators.
But anyway, I'll leave you to make your own mind up and draw you own conclusions. Unless you need me to help you find the pencil?
I would agree: it is.
You may even think Kony is a machiavellian tyrant.
I don't think he's a good man, I'll say that.
But is this video proposing the correct solution to the problem?
The Invisible Children have a very single-minded, focused aim: international military intervention to remove the Kony and, hopefully, the LRA. But that is very short-sighted. Without a proper and thorough analysis of the full political, economic and social situation, you cannot simply present your simply solution to a single problem as the route to end all evils.
If Kony is removed without proper support plans and wider intervention, all it does is create a hole, a vacuum. And something will fill that. Whether it be a new head of the LRA, or - should the LRA crumbe - a new militia. And, let's face it, there are many, many militia as bad or worse than the LRA willing to move in to that hole.
But even if there weren't? Just abandon the refugees? What about political reform to prevent such insurgencies popping up in the first place? A thorough analysis needs to be undertaken before rushing in with guns and whatnot.
Much is made in the film about the deployment of 100 American military personnel to the region. It was seen as a triumph, a victory!
Now, I shall overrule my sceptical mind that they have anything whatsoever to do with the Presidential election looming; or to do with the recent discovery of oil in the area.
But it's not even a token gesture. It is 100 personnel in an advising - non-combative - role. Now, I quite like that it is non-combative role, but I would rather see a fleet of diplomats and consultants flown in to assess and device a wide-ranging strategy to cure and prevent. But it's 100. The number of domestic Ugandan army personnel who have already perished in the region over the last few years already exceeds 2000. How much of an impact are these stand-back officers going to make?
My major concern really is the ease with which people have just shared this on. Yesterday my Facebook told me that 10 of my friends had shared the link. When I eventually got around to watching it on the train this morning it had had 22m hits on Youtube. And people were so caught up with the message, they ignored the speaker, they ignored the style.
The wordsmith here is Invisible Children: an organisation with very VERY vested interests in the cause. As such the message isn't just weighted, it is so biased so as to lose all respect. They are the only cause mentionned, the sole beneficiaries of tugging at your heartstrings and eyelashes. But they only tell you that when they have your emotional mortgage so high that you have to make a real, financial payment to cover the simple interest.
And many commentators have already identified that the organisation - you will note I have avoided the use of the word 'charity' - isn't whiter than white. In fact, it looks so sludgy you wonder whether it ever has been, or could ever become, white. Clouded accounts, not publically inspectable, and where they are identifying whopping salary and expense accounts, apparently funding private follies. And these are from reasonably independent and external observers.
And yes, a backlash can be expected - in fact, a backlash of itself can assist promulgating the issue further. There may be some of you who would not have seen it but for this (though I doubt it). When anything is held to scrutiny, even simple typing errors are thrown around as if capital offences. But do check the date stamp on the Foreign Affairs article - it is back in November 2011, way before the Buzz.
But this is the thing that really gets me. The people sharing this video have just taken what they have been told as red, taken what they have been given as 'bread'. They haven't questionned whether it looks like bread, or feels like bread, they've just swallowed the whole story without any scrutiny. And some of the 'facts' are just plain wrong. I had presumed better of my friends.
I know this is me as a solicitor starting to take the fore, and that I always question, test, research anything that I am told. I don't take other people's opinions as fact, I take the facts and make my own opinion. But I am scare by how many don't, particularly with such controversial issue. They've taken half an hour to sit down and watch this, yet haven't even taken five minutes to run a quick background check or counter-analysis. Instead they've taken a half-second to click the share button, being so caught up with the suggestion to do so, having been brainwashed by the creators.
But anyway, I'll leave you to make your own mind up and draw you own conclusions. Unless you need me to help you find the pencil?
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