The oil spill in the Gulf began on April 20, 2010. Tomorrow will mark 10 weeks since the disaster began. It is possible the oil spilled will top 100,000,000 gallons before relief wells can stem the ferocious flow. That is 10 times the size of the Exxon Valdez disaster.
The earthquake in Haiti took place on January 12, 2010. By February 1, the “usual suspects” were back in the studio to record “We Are the World, 2010.” The original, to raise money for food aid for Africa and the US, racked up over $60 million — and that was 25 years ago. Interestingly, it is a bit difficult to find out how much (if any) money has been raised by this most recent display of humanitarian generosity by pop’s elite.
So where are the scions of pop culture now — pushing three months since the onset — with regard to the tragedy in the Gulf? Sure, we’ve heard from some highly visible Gulf residents (Carville comes to mind), but where’s Harry Connick Jr., whose certainly didn’t let the Katrina disaster “go to waste,” to paraphrase Rahm “Oh Come, Oh Come” Emanuel.
No one disagrees that this disaster is real and it is severe. But why have we become so selective in the tragedies we will use our pop-culture capital on to change or fix?
I think you know — the folks who are out in front of these tragedies are part of another interest group — which is aligned with President Obama and his agenda. To shed light on this disaster, and to raise private resources to address it, is to acknowledge that Obama’s response has been a failure. And we can’t have that, not among the pop-culture elite. No.
What do you think?
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The strange brew that is a combination of government jurisdiction, private business and environmentalism has the working elements of a perfect storm for a ‘pop-culture’ response. But I fear, just like the huge gathering of fisherman in pews widely reported yesterday throughout the Gulf Coast communities, who Prayed for a good outcome to this environmental “Extinction Event” –it is so complex in the REAL reality of pragmatic solutions that even our anointed and exalted demi-gods of mass media are overwhelmed. In the Real reality (as opposed to one that suggests prayer/wishing can make it so) EVERYTHING is related to that miracle source of inexpensive energy. We want a villain to make this right. We want environmental justice. ( last time it was Osama bin-no- wait– Saddam–no wait WMD, no–A LIE– energy foothold). But until we as an addicted culture understand the toll of extractive technologies up and down the supply chain, and accept the responsibility of the cost of “progress” no clay-footed celebrity’s effort to change the culture by throwing money at it will be useful. Harry Connick, Jr. Brad Pitt, Anne Rice, Sandra Bullock all live in NOLA. Using their star power to build another WE ARE THE WORLD moments, to part a caring individual from his cash for a good cause may make the sense of belonging to a feel good process a positive. But for the marsh, the deltaic region of the lower Mississippi, the spawning grounds further along the barrier islands and the down the Coast?
It took 7000 years to make it the Premier ecosystem in the hemisphere for the development of species. It took 70 years to make it go away.
I THINK YOU ARE RIGHT ON