[Opinion] How Simon Cowell is helping Haiti

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It’s disaster time, and the stars are out. Having now heard the appalling single for Haiti, I can firmly say that it is a song I never wish to hear again. But that does not mean I disagree with the principle of the song. For the millions of people that watch X-Factor and relentlessly buy shoddy covers of classic songs because some schmaltzy kid down on his / her luck sings it with a broad enough appeal, this is their way of donating.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgsh7u7upeA

Yes, the DEC appeal is easy enough to donate to ( Text “GIVE” to 70077 to donate £5 to the DEC for Haiti), but without the shock factor of horrific images to complement a parade of stars mugging themselves for camera, there are few other ways to tap into a specific audience. Having worked for a DEC agency on DEC appeals myself, I know this well. Whether it’s for a food crisis in Kenya, or a tsunami in Thailand, an earthquake in Pakistan, Great Britain’s populace thrive on celebrity endorsement of tragedy. This fascination predates Live Aid, which is often perceived as the iconic moment of song and politic meeting.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZZ96J_PVbk

George Harrison’s 1971 ‘Concert For Bangladesh’ was, for me, a defining moment. I was born in Bangladesh; my family lived through that war of independence and it is that war, in part, which is responsible for me being in this country. Harrison’s song ‘Bangladesh’ may not be the greatest track ever written in the world, but it was, at least, an original composition. The concert was an original event – split into eastern and western music: something I’ve not seen since. Strange, really. Where were the concerts for Pakistan and Kenya? The massive appeal that followed the Boxing Day tsunami of 2004, while tragic, could only be in part due to the disasters proximity to Christmas and the fact that Thailand is such an incredibly popular Western tourist destination.

But Haiti is different. Already one of the poorer countries in the world, it does not thrive on tourism and does not have the infrastructure to cope with this present disaster. Really, where does have the infrastructure to cope with natural / man-made disasters? Remember the number of songs that came out post 9/11? Can you remember any of them? No. And yet ‘Feed The World’ is unforgettable. Perhaps it was the sheer weight of media and people power behind it, or perhaps it’s because it’s got a catchy chorus.

We cannot underestimate the power of music in situations like this. Yes, it can ultimately be a politically facile form and we may be stupid to suggest otherwise, but Simon Cowell has, at least, put together a group of popular artists willing to appropriate themselves for a nation. Forget about the cynical PR opportunities this offers; this country simply operates on a shallow, media personality level. Who’s going to buy a hardcore punk song for Haiti? Who’s going to buy something they’ve already got on CD from ten years ago just to make a point? (Oh, a few thousand idiots) Who’s going to sneer at the people doing something to help people in desperate need?

It’s the people who have never known times of great need, pain, war or devastation. It’s the classes that know better than everyone else. Yes, read your papers; nod, digest. Watch the TV and be moved by what you see. It’s good to do something. I am pleased that people are donating to the DEC. I am pleased that people are, in their hundreds of thousands, buying the Haiti single. ‘Everybody Hurts’, though deeply patronising and musically uninventive, fits the current popular music category.

As I write this, my wife is on a plane to Haiti as part of the DEC’s relief effort. She’ll be sleeping in a tent in a garden for a couple of weeks while working with the staff on the ground there. I admire her for that, and I know thousands of us would want to do the same: to just do something meaningful. And that is why we buy. Because that is all we have left to give. In this digital, consumer-oriented, media-driven frenzy, all we have left are our wallets and bank balances. Money equals care.

There are thousands of worthy causes in the world. You can look at any of the individual DEC member agency pages and see that. You can look out of your window and see that. No matter how you perceive its artistic credibility, to rubbish any attempt to make the world a better place is simply to rubbish the generosity of humanity.