The 1st Thread For 12/13/12: Because We Can't Get Rid of 12-12-12
The fact that Kanye, who is from Chicago, performed at the 12-12-12 concert Wednesday night at MSG shows how hastily organized and one-dimensional the creation of an otherwise great show. It's what happens when you have myopic big corporations like Chase and GE organize usual fundraisers like this.
When you have alternative pop rock legends on the stage like that (and Billy Joel, an accomplished legend in his own right, regardless of how some think he really isn't and has never been rock music), it clearly is a night of epic performers on the same stage that you frankly will only be organized a hand full of times in life.
But let's be honest here. The higher-ups who organized this event just really catered it to a middle to late aged white crowd here in the five borough area, as the cameras predominantly showed. And they only picked Kanye (and Alicia Keys) because well, they were major stars who the middle aged white crowd would know instead of even a Nas, DMX, or Busta Rhymes.
For that matter, it was the concert for the middle age white male crowd since it was actually that demographic being the main crowd of the show. (And a reunited Nirvana really pleased the real fans of that great group).
However, it wasn't just areas with predominantly white people residing in them that were affected in Sandy. All races were affected by Sandy for sure in New York's five boroughs, three island metropolitan atmosphere.
And with it being arguably the most diverse city (though that's more because of the other boroughs and not the "main city borough" that is Manhattan), it really would have been a true New York concert with more local artists and an amalgamation of different genres with different age groups to appeal to all audiences and not one demographic.
And not just hip-hop/rap New York artists I'm talking here. Barbara Streisand, Lady Gaga, Lenny Kravitz, and many others who aren't just the old school legendary rock pop male artists who are white would have represented a full diverse show instead of it being limited and one-dimensional like it was. I mean, there were more British artists on stage performing than there were New York artists.
(And let's not even go there on the concert not even recognizing Occupy Sandy, although even local news networks have barely recognized it, despite the problems it has had on some areas).
Let's just hope the money goes to the right sources considering the constant problems transpiring with people still not having electricity in certain areas and no homes of course.
But frankly, the issues of money allocated to areas damaged by storms in America (and elsewhere) go a lot deeper than just telethon fundraisers.
Comments