5/5/13 #4: A Change in Tone for Haiti

Until now, most of my posts have been written intentionally with a sarcastic tone. That's because, unfortunately, I believe that most media is ridiculous, or used in ridiculous ways. This video is my favorite use of media as a way of advertising/ rallying for a cause. After the earthquake in Haiti, Quincy Jones and Lionel Richie, with help of Academy Award Winning Director Paul Haggis, produced a 25th Anniversary version of "We are the World" for Haiti. After watching the video, videos are encouraged to buy the song on iTunes or text to raise money for Haiti.

This video is appealing to almost everyone because it feature a variety of artists like Justin Bieber, Celine Dion, Adam Levine, Pink, Barbra Striesand, Josh Groban, etc. It even pays tribute to Michael Jackson by showing a clip of him singing the song when they did "We are the World for Africa" five years ago. 

This video uses at least two of the fifteen basic advertising appeals: need for affiliation and need to nurture. Although this ad says nothing about gaining friends, we feel the need to join a cause that so many celebrities have joined. We want to be affiliated with them. Specifically, it appeals to our society's fascination with celebrities. Furthermore, the video shows images of homeless kids in Haiti singing. This appeals to our need to nurture. We want to help these kids, who might not have parents to nurture them anymore. 

The lyrics of this classic, also have a profound a effect. The most powerful lines are probably:

We are the world, we are the children

We are the ones who make a brighter day

So let's start givin'

The lyrics in this section of the chorus are so powerful. The most powerful word is 'we'. It gives a sense of community and shared duty. It adds to our need for affiliation. 

There's one aspect of this video that bothers me. In some ways, this video is a type of bandwagon. It's musical propaganda, for a good cause, but it's also a sort of celebrity bandwagon. Celebrities have come together in the past to rally the people. Part of the lyrics states this, and also reveal a fundamental problem with celebrity bandwagons:

Like Katrina, Africa, Indonesia

And now Haiti needs us, they need us, they need us.

The problem is that, while Katrina, Africa, and Indonesia are good examples of how celebrities helped the world help the world, those places mentioned still need help. They get forgotten about as world's attention and the song are focused on Haiti. Today, Haiti still needs help, but has been similarly forgotten about. Media has made it this way.

On an emotional day this video makes me cry. Yet, as beautiful as this video is, despite the good intentions, I and many others forget about it the next day.