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Topic: Idol Gives Back! |
Theresa Galbraith
From:
Goodlettsville,Tn. USA
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Posted 25 Apr 2007 8:51 am |
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I'm wondering how many Voted last night?
I voted 3 times. This will really help alot of children in need!
Way to go American Idol and I'll be watching tonight.
Rascal Flatts & Carrie Underwood are just a couple on the line up. 
Last edited by Theresa Galbraith on 28 Apr 2007 3:37 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Theresa Galbraith
From:
Goodlettsville,Tn. USA
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Posted 25 Apr 2007 2:24 pm
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| WOW! |
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 25 Apr 2007 4:15 pm
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| Okay, I'll bite. What's this stuff about "Idol" helping children? |
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Bill Hatcher
From:
Atlanta Ga. USA
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Posted 25 Apr 2007 7:00 pm
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Hey wait a minute here. Last year the people who put on American Idol made over 1 Billion dollars and they gave NONE of it back....and now they have a Idol "gives back" and they have corporate sponsers and individual viewers raising money???
These Idol producers are the most savvy folks on the earth. They make a billion and get other people to donate when they want to "give" something back.
I see this as nothing but publicity for them.
Can anyone here change my mind about this?????
How much of the money "given back" actually came out of the pockets of the folks who own Idol??? |
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Tony Prior
From:
Charlotte NC
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Posted 26 Apr 2007 1:28 am
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Before we all jump off the planet , during the show it was told how many sponsors were giving multiple millions. How much each individual person of star stature gave is really not our business. This was not just for Africa, there were many facits of this GIVE back campaign...including many USA locations.
I just wanna know who was playing Steel with R Flatts, the Steel was almost louder than the vocals and it was excellent ! Very HIP and modern...
On a yearly basis many Corporations and businesses give tons of cash, we don't hear about it because it does not make the News, but I would agree that it does appear that many of these causes for FUNDS falls on the back of the minions.
I personally don't think that a performer who SINGS ONLY is actually giving back anything... thats more like a gig..Ellen D made it clear how much she was offering, for that she earns my respect.
last week a famous radio guy had a Lukemia thing going on, he personally gave a LOT of cash and kept upping the anti when callers called with hardship issues.
But the bottom line is still the same, the causes are good, the politics of it all may not be what we like, but the causes are good and if we choose to donate , or if anyone chooses to donate thats a good thing.
Last edited by Tony Prior on 26 Apr 2007 1:55 am; edited 1 time in total |
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David Mason
From:
Cambridge, MD, USA
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Posted 26 Apr 2007 1:53 am
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Bill, I deal with charitable "giving" a lot in the context of my day job and it's a tricky question (no I'M not a billionaire....) If celebrities can use their limelight to focus attention on hunger, poverty, education, or MS to an aggregate good, are they fraudulent? There are some obvious goldbrickers, like the Hollywood celebrities who suddenly go all charitable in between the DUI and the sentencing. However, it's pretty clear that other people like Bono and Angelina Jolie are deadly serious about using their influence for good, they've invested a large amount of effort to educate themselves about issues and are almost certainly allowing their activities to impinge on their own earning potential - some few people apparently do have enough mansions.
What little I saw of the "Idol" stuff seemed cheesy, but the whole show's cheesy, that's just how they do it. Gee Whiz? People are starving? Gee Whiz! There are people in America who can't get an education? I'm not surprised that Simon Cowell doesn't know that, and I'm not at all surprised that a lot of people don't - they're too busy watching TV "reality" shows to understand that there's a REAL reality passing them by.... If American Idol informed 100 million Americans that their neighbors need help, it's not so bad IMO. There are a few "benchmarks" for responsible charity - 80% of the intake should go directly towards the people in need (teach a man to fish though), 20% or less to overhead and fundraising. I can guarantee you some of my radical leftist friends will be keeping a close eye on the Idol folks.  |
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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Theresa Galbraith
From:
Goodlettsville,Tn. USA
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Posted 26 Apr 2007 8:46 am
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| Everyone that voted Tuesday night 10 cents went to help the children in need, here at home and in Africa. I think American Idol should be commended! |
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Joe Casey
From:
Weeki Wachee .Springs FL (population.9)
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Posted 26 Apr 2007 3:18 pm
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| I would hope that the theme of the show is true and that they are giving the amounts raised.Elen Dejenerous should be commended she gave 1hundred thousand bucks. I don't watch the show usually but I did last night, My feelings are the phone companys ought to be donating a ton because those calls are not free.And Haliburton and the Arabs and the Gasoline Cos ought to be shelling out. Why is it the people with the most give the less? |
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Archie Nicol R.I.P.
From:
Ayrshire, Scotland
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Posted 26 Apr 2007 3:43 pm
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Bono, Cowell, Madonna etc are quick to give their time to promote or take part in these multi-national fundraisers. Howzabout giving some of their vast wealth and dropping the ego pish?
Arch. |
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Chris LeDrew
From:
Canada
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Posted 26 Apr 2007 3:47 pm
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The Elvis hologram was freaky.
_________________
Jackson Steel Guitars
Web: www.chrisledrew.com |
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Michael Hartz
From:
Decorah, Iowa, USA
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Posted 26 Apr 2007 6:44 pm
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| The steel player last night with Rascal Flatts on Idol should have been their regular player, Travis Toy. He's a great guy and a fellow Mullen player. |
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Tony Prior
From:
Charlotte NC
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Posted 27 Apr 2007 3:28 am
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point, we don't know that the large corporations are NOT giving, it's not reported. I work for a major US company, they give big bucks every year..
You can dig deep on there finances and probably learn that some of these corporations are really pumping in cash to many real worthy causes.
but if it is not reported on the News then we may all just assume they are just greedy bums...
My brother has brain cancer, his monthly bills for trials and treatment is more than we all make together in a year...he pays ZERO...for MRI's, CT scans, drugs etc...it is all picked up by major pharmaceutical companies after INS pays..He's just one person...in a bucket of thousands.
There are also an entire group of US compainies that participate in these types of funding issues.
I hope nobody ever has to learn about them the way we have in our family.
Instead of sceaming political bloody murder at corporations that we hear about on the News every night by the politicians and media bulls, maybe we should take a step backwards and learn what else these companies do...
Give Idol the credit they deserve, they didn't have to do anything...
Last edited by Tony Prior on 27 Apr 2007 3:40 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Ray Minich
From:
Bradford, Pa. Frozen Tundra
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Posted 27 Apr 2007 3:38 am
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I don't like weekly TV shows. When it seems "I just watched that show last night", but, in fact, another whole week has passed, I feel like I'm gettin' old too fast and don't need a scorecard to remind me...
Television has become the ridiculous media writhing mass that science fiction stories of the '50's and '60's warned us about. Read some old issues of Analog. It was predicted.
For the past year about the only TV I watch is Jeff Newman tapes and other PSG videos, plus some old Foghorn Leghorn/Roadrunner cartoons on tape... |
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Bill McCloskey
From:
Nanuet, NY
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Posted 27 Apr 2007 3:54 am
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$300 million to charity that didn't have it before is a plus. Can't see what there is to argue about there.
As for TV: I love TV. Ray you are missing out on House, 30 Rock, Sopranos, Entourage, The Office, Scrubs, Earl, and even American Idol, some of the best TV I've seen. You also missed out on Deadwood, probably one of the best TV shows ever on the air. I've got no problem with TV. I tivo the shows I want and watch them when I want. Lately the turner classic movie station has been playing some great silent films in fantastic transfers. My family sits and watches Harold Loyd in the Freshman and laughs like hell together. Nothing wrong with that. |
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Tony Prior
From:
Charlotte NC
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Posted 27 Apr 2007 4:25 am
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ok, I should have mentioned this..
We watch several shows..and get some great REST from them !
I find TV very relaxing, no thought required at the end of a work day where I am using whats left of my brain to discuss hi dollar purchases with clients and all of the psycho analyzing that is required in the competitive Sales process , as well as the constant dealing with my managers to find out why the order isn't in yet 
TV is a welcome relief..
House
Shark
Law and Order, all of them
CSI..all of them
even the reruns..
Sienfeld..never a dull moment there..
American Idol, not a bad show..
24, but not with the commercials
We record shows on the DVD recorder and maybe watch them a day or two later and fly by the commercials..
sorry all you advertisers, but 4 to 5 min of commercials is really tuff when you are half asleep ... |
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Joe Casey
From:
Weeki Wachee .Springs FL (population.9)
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Posted 27 Apr 2007 4:44 am
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| I guess if I watched the show more I would have been more informed about how great an effort this is. As it is turning out to be one of the largest 1 day fund raisers ever. Like someone said, they did not have to do it. Lets all be glad someone did. |
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Theresa Galbraith
From:
Goodlettsville,Tn. USA
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Posted 27 Apr 2007 4:46 am
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| These are toll free #'s Joe! |
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Bill Hatcher
From:
Atlanta Ga. USA
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Posted 27 Apr 2007 4:48 am
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| Bill McCloskey wrote: |
$300 million to charity that didn't have it before is a plus. Can't see what there is to argue about there.
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Not argueing about the help going to some who need it. I am talking about the fact that the folks who put on Idol did not give this money "back". They got other people to give it.
Did you ever stop and think why they would come up with the idea for a show like this. Many people were ticked off at the fact that they take a group of kids, make a BILLION dollars off them, lock them into iron clad contracts that take most of their money for their entire career and never let them out of them save for one -Clay Aiken who litigated and won a new contract.
American Idol is a rip off as far as I am concerned. Very entertaining but exploitive of the kids in my opinion in regards to what they make off them and what they "Give Back" to them. |
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Bill McCloskey
From:
Nanuet, NY
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Posted 27 Apr 2007 8:43 am
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| I think you'd have trouble making the arguement to Fantasia who was a single welfare mother before Idol. |
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Bill McCloskey
From:
Nanuet, NY
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Posted 27 Apr 2007 8:47 am
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"Not argueing about the help going to some who need it. I am talking about the fact that the folks who put on Idol did not give this money "back". They got other people to give it."
Actually they used their platform to raise the money. Just like Jerry Lewis does, except they raised 10 times the amount in one hour.
the point is they didn't have to do it. They don't need any more ratings than they already have: they already steam roller over everything. they put the effort in. they got the sponsors, they ran it. the charities get all the money. |
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David Mason
From:
Cambridge, MD, USA
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Posted 27 Apr 2007 10:15 am
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There is some very calculated, nuanced, sophisticated manipulation by corporations so as to make themselves appear most charitable & enlightened in order to curry public favor. You might've noticed how all these oil companies, Wal-Mart etc. have gone "green" all of a sudden?  I'm quite sure that American Idol is getting very professional advice about how to position and market themselves so as to remain a permanent cultural fixture. Gaak.
However: it's hard to see how that's so different from robber baron J.D. Rockefeller endowing the Rockefeller Center, oil tycoon J.P Getty endowing The Getty Museum (and many wings of other museums), the Guggenheim Museum, all the other feints and dodges designed by rich people since time immemorial to mask the wealth they accumulate off of the labor of others. Heck, the Nobel Peace Prize is named after the inventor of dynamite.... I'll bet even the Pharoahs let the slaves have casual Fridays now and then when building the pyramids, really rich people are (rightfully) terrified of really angry poor people, especially en masse.
I would estimate that the Idol folks discerned the nub of a hearty backlash forming (Sanjaya = symptom) and decided to get out ahead of the wave - and did a darn slick job of it, from my perspective. Like I said though, there are mechanisms and people watching to make sure that the money raised is distributed equitably. Simon & Ryan are already doing just fine (Seacrest just bought an $11.5 million Hollywood Hills crib  ). There's more to fear from people taking your money without your permission & distributing it to crooks without your permission, than there is to fear that large charities are systemically corrupt. |
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Bill McCloskey
From:
Nanuet, NY
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Posted 27 Apr 2007 8:06 pm
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"There is some very calculated, nuanced, sophisticated manipulation by corporations so as to make themselves appear most charitable & enlightened in order to curry public favor. "
Yeah...it's called marketing. |
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Dave Mudgett
From:
Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee
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Posted 27 Apr 2007 10:53 pm
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| Quote: |
| Yeah...it's called marketing. |
Sorry to be a wet blanket, but I think a lot of people think this kind of "marketing" is fundamentally dishonest, since it's intended to create a false impression about the charitable intentions of their sponsors. But I also think most people can see right through this type of PR.
Quite seriously, if Niccolo Machiavelli was a contemporary figure with modern mass-communications "marketing" techniques, he would probably be primarily remembered for his philanthropic activity instead of his political philosophy. |
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Bill McCloskey
From:
Nanuet, NY
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Posted 28 Apr 2007 6:34 am
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| You'll have to explain to me how giving a million bucks to charity is Machiavellian. |
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