Sunday, March 6, 2011
Here's a Check!
For discussion: What's wrong with this? It elicits an anger in me that I can't even begin to describe. Am I alone in my absolute disdain for shows like this?
Rich people descend from their mansions on the hill to slum it with poor people. To their utter astonishment, poor people are human beings with feelings, ambitions, hopes, and dreams. More importantly, the poor people are doing something crazy - they attempt to lead fulfilling lives by helping other poor people. Poor people are "real life heroes", are good people! What a surprise. And, just to show their empathy for these "poories," the rich people give them a laughable fraction of their fortune because, as we all know, you can solve the country's complex economic and social problems by giving a few poor people some money - teach a man to fish. Not only that, the better people, the "richies," can write the money off as a charitable donation on their tax return. It's a win, win! Force minorities to feel indebted and forever dependent upon the selective charity of wealthy barons as the only solution to their economic ills, and we get to see poor black people hug rich blond women on national television. Who needs white guilt when you can just write a check?
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8 comments:
http://www.cnn.com/2011/SHOWBIZ/TV/03/07/secret.millionaire.ew/index.html?hpt=P1&iref=NS1
Great article. Thanks Matt.
I kinda like the idea, who is going to argue against giving the charity, but sounds like the execution isn't quite there...
What was the video?
A commercial for Secret Millionaire, a show on ABC
even more disgusting than its trivial claim to notoriety is its inherent logic — one can find plenty of argument in the contemporary potential of charitable donation. does the entire non-profit system not parallel the same opportunity to concentrated wealth into the taxpayer's pocket as did the last ten years of our global financial markets? how many organizations can you think of that deserve the private support of the top five percentile of our nation's wealthiest? and how many of those organizations — of which there are many — would actually attract the private interests of our nation's wealthiest? in the humblest of times — as ironic as that is — it can be quite terrifying.
i posted this article a few months back exploring the same concept . . . http://www.thenation.com/article/156526/giving-season
http://tv.gawker.com/#!5781426/bill-maher-to-poor-people-stop-thinking-your-interests-are-the-same-as-the-rich
Nathanael, that was a great article. I'm sorry I missed it when you first posted it.
Another, rather relevant issue with giving is the inherent "paradox of charity." Aside from the obvious and disturbing financial incentives, giving can be a very selfish endeavor. In a lot of ways, it only reinforces a class-based sense of superiority. In other words, I feel good that I can give you money; ergo I am better because I do the "right thing" and give to you what you cannot provide for yourself.
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