Spark!

“ A lot of people are already in the full swing of backlash after this video made marathon rounds all over your internet yesterday. Steve Agee’s post alone has already garnered 15,000+ likes and reblogs. Now, most people were just asking for the video to be reblogged and at least watched because so rarely do we watch anything longer than :30 seconds unless it’s Kate Upton doing whatever the fuck Kate Upton wants to do. Are most of us adults? Yes. Is it a well directed/edited/purposefuly-emotionally-affective video? Yes. Is Invisible Children all gumdrops and barrell-daisies? No. Should anytime you are persuaded to become active in a cause like this cause you to do some research? Yes. And it looks like a lot of people have (and anyone rallying hard against this can shove the Better Business Bureau barb right up their asshole, because BBB ratings can be BOUGHT). So, sure, don’t throw your money at IC or the KONY2012 campaign. But a widespread backlash that puts such a sour taste in everyone’s mouth that might make them write off the whole thing entirely is a bit childish and irresponsible, don’t you think? It’s not like it’s completely pointless like changing a twitter avatar or inserting a hashtag. Like Chris Cantoni so perfectly put it here, everyone is talking about this now. The video in just two days has caused thousands, THOUSANDS, of us to have a discussion about Uganda, genocide, child slavery, and corruption that most of us otherwise would not be caring and or talking about. And that’s a very good thing! Because the last time a video pulled so many views and caused so much uproar/discussion probably had to do something with Lana Del Rey’s lips or Rebecca Black or a puppy teaching a penguin how to get cupcakes from a fucking ATM.
Don’t “blindly follow a cause”, sure, but don’t condemn one right off because of skepticism and being jaded about caring for anything. If only two thirds of the people who reblogged the video from Steve yesterday (and we know there are countless other strains, here on tumblr, on FB, Twitter, Google+ (jk dog!), etc) had never heard of Joseph Kony or the crisis in Uganda before seeing that video then Steve’s post ALONE made over TEN THOUSAND aware of a problem, an organization that is creating awareness of said problem, and got those ten thousand people to talk about something substantial.
That’s dope.
Just use critical thinking. Look at every angle. I wouldn’t buy a KONY 2012 OBEY KIT or whatever. But I sure as fuck am not gonna look down my nose at you for calling your senator or posting a KONY 2012 image on your blog or livejournal or locker.
Keep talkin’, my leaf-bros.