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February 21, 2005
access miami to the christian children's fund
i got caught in the late-nite tv nebula. i ended up watching access miami (access hollywood's first cousin) in its entirety. i just couldn't stop watching.
this show promised to give its viewers a back-stage pass to all the celebrity spots. you know, going inside the hottest, most exclusive clubs; driving thru gated communities; eating at the swankiest restaurants; all that jazz. and i must admit that south beach seems like the place to be. did you know that michael jackson went into a local diary queen and asked for a poster off the wall? michael jackson...off the wall...mariah carey said, "why be cold when you can wear a bikini?" when in south beach, she spends her time in a $10,000 a nite penthouse, complete with its own pool. one time (at band camp) usher hosted a party that featured live animals. lions and tigers and bears and a few flight-less birds, i think.
now, what else comes on during late-nite tv? ads for the christian children's fund. talk about a binary. the juxtaposition of images of opulence and material wealth with those of hungry children and unfit living conditions really struck me, and i was immediately confronted with my great sense of conflict. i'll admit it: i could do miami. i wouldn't mind having access to fisher island. and i especially could deal with the winters. i'm not gonna lie: i wouldn't mind pushin a luxury ride. and most importantly, i can definitely live someplace where i can fish year-round.
flippin the script...
when i lived in the philippines, my mom used to tell me stories about smoky mountain, an enormous mountain of refuse. it smoked because of all the rotting and decaying and burning. families live on this mountain of garbage and spend their days shifting thru trash, looking for something to eat, and salvaging anything that may have a monetary value. it wasn't until i moved back to the states that i saw smoky mountain...caught a documentary on tv. i watched as children laughed and played on this landfill.
the children that need the most help look like my cousins. what about the poor babies in our fair country who go to sleep without meals? does the christian children's fund run international commercials highlighting the needs of poor, american kids? doubt it.
i try to do my part. i don't consciously shop at stores that have a pattern of abusing and exploiting workers. i recycle, though not as rigorously as i should. i don't wear blood diamonds. i assign my students marilyn frye's essay, "oppression." i know better. but sometimes i feel like knowing better isn't enough, although g.i. joe and his counterparts would have us believe that "knowing is half the battle." is it?
Posted by emnorris at February 21, 2005 05:03 AM