A Tad Pitchy, But They Made It Their Own

I’ve had more than one person ask me today what I thought about American Idol’s two-hour show last night, during which they supposedly raised over $30 million for a few charities working in America and Africa.

I’ve told my questioners that I think it was a good thing.

“But wasn’t it self-serving?,” I was asked. Yep. It was a 2-hour commercial for Idol, its sponsors, and its hosts.

“Wasn’t it cringe-inducing televison?” Yep, I thought it was unwatchable, in its weird congruence of a) self-serving beautiful celebrities commending themselves for their benevolence and b) sick kids trotted out like ailing show ponies to explain how awful their lives were.

“Do you think it will have a long-term impact on giving to international relief charities?” Nope. I think it will be forgotten by the weekend, no differently than any other telethon that comes and goes each year.

“Do you think it will make giving cool for young people?” Nope. Project Red hasn’t done that. Live Aid didn’t do it. Live Earth this summer won’t either. Giving to charity is unsexy and is done by people who genuinely yearn to make the world a better and more equitable place, and no single event, no matter its Nielsen rating, has ever changed the giving habits of young people for a lifetime.

“Was it exploitative?” Yes, I suppose it was. Trotting out poor people for the sole purpose of shaming the rest of us fat-butts while we sit on our couch and stuff our faces with chips is manipulative and demeaning, especially when it’s children that are being showcased. But is it any different than what every single charity does in this country, on its website, in its annual report, and in its solicitation materials? Of course not. It was just seen by more people. A lot more people.

So all this being said, why do I still think it was a good thing?

Because they raised a ton of money, and they did it for a bunch of reputable charities. That’s it. These charities didn’t have the tens of millions of dollars yesterday morning that they do today. That’s enough for me. They’ll spend it well, and good work will be done. Yes, the ends justify the means. This time.

And that, and that alone, gets my vote.