About a month ago, everyone I know on Facebook was posting this video called Kony 2012. I immediately became suspicious. When everyone is sharing something, so quickly, they often having thought anything about it and are riding on some “awareness raising train.” That really makes me give out side eye, y’all.
I’m not against awareness raising, per se. Hell, it’s what I do here. However, to me there are two kinds of awareness raising. There’s pointing out to someone when they are being insensitive or racist or uncool and why, and then there’s putting up posters about some issue you really have no interest in or plan on doing anything about other than wearing a bracelet. Kony 2012 is the latter. And somehow it managed to combine two groups of simple-minded people into one cause, the ‘Oprah’ watchers (who don’t realize they are being sold stuff wrapped in “philosophy” so that O’s empire can continue to grow) and the alternative college-aged crowd (who put up PETA posters at Thanksgiving but have no problem with the fact that PETA sexually objectifies human women for any and all reasons). I mean, really? Harnessing those two types of people together in an attempt to change the world… by putting posters up and sharing videos on Facebook and buying bracelets? Genius. Continue reading
