A Brief Note On: Helping Haiti – Everybody Hurts
There’s been a lot o’ crap written about the insipid choice of ‘Everybody Hurts’ as a charity single in aid of victims of the Haiti earthquake. The way we see it is like so…
The UN has ordained the Haiti crisis with the non-existent honour of ‘the worst humanitarian disaster’ they have ever faced. Today you can either:
- Donate 99p to a worthy cause and get a free single of dubious MOR quality
- Donate 99p or more to a worthy cause and avoid a free single of dubious MOR quality
Depending on personal preference the single may be an absolute musical travesty or a perfectly hummable replica of the original. Either way through Simon Cowell’s work a truckload more cash will be added to the pot of available aid and this can only be a good thing.
The whole thing is ridiculous in my eyes. God, the people of Darfur must be begging for a hurricane or something, nothing like a bit of knee-jerk charity to cover up the years of neglect from the international community. Option 3, everyone has three fewer pints each year and donates £10 to a worthy cause that isn’t already swamped with more international aid money than it can conceivably utilise and stop bandwaggoning. Band Aid failed to save Africa, Rock against Racism failed to defeat the BNP, Dylan failed to stop the Vietnam War and Billy Bragg failed to stop Thatcher. Simon Cowell is, as usual, laughing all the way to the bank.