I haven’t seen many films lately—except repeated viewings of “Life in a Day”—so I feel justified enough in reviewing a short film, and that the online movie has achieved an unrivaled explosion of popularity only compounds my enthusiasm, with some false sense of superiority, to end several discussion points surrounding, after “Charlie Bit My Finger,” the second most viewed video involving child abuse: “Kony 2012.”
To me, the most amazing aspect of the documentary is that millions of people sat through an entire 30 minute video—about 10 times the length of the usual YouTube clip. If there wasn’t this movie, 80 million people would have just watched talking dogs, talking children and morons struggling to sing. To me, any documentary—mass-marketed as it may be—is the opposite of mindless escapism (YouTube videos or, to a larger extent, the Michael Bay Industrial Complex) that smug viewers deride at every opportunity. Factual imperfection can be forgiven, intellectual ambition can be appreciated.
Although it’s not even factual imperfections that raise the most repeated criticism: that “Kony 2012” simplifies a complex problem. That a 30-minute video, already a little stuffed with pathos filler material, can not detail the history, opinions, views and ramifications of an entire war, country or person should be obvious. More importantly, I don’t think the video makes such an assumption. There is never a message saying, “Congratulations! You watched a short documentary, you are now an expert on morality, legal codes, history, violence, politics and activism.” In fact, the video explicitly proclaims a modest ambition to only get Joseph Kony’s name “out there.” Further education is expected. Mission freaking accomplished.
Principles are what you believe in; politics are what you are willing to sacrifice for your principles.
Would you donate one hour of your life to save a child soldier? Would you donate twenty bucks to save a child soldier? Would you donate anything AT ALL just for the possibility that an innocent person might get to hug their family again?
As a variation on the original, common criticism, how can anyone insult another person learning anything? Sure, watching the “Kony 2012” doesn’t make anybody an expert on the entire situation. But neither would anybody be an expert after watching a 100-minute documentary. Or reading a book. Or reading two books. There will always be facts, nuances, technicalities and perspectives lost or sidelined for the sake of comprehension. No body of work on any subject can be all-inclusive.
So how is more people knowing ANYTHING about Joseph Kony, or any criminal, worse than people knowing absolutely nothing? The video isn’t exacting spreading a rumor or tarnishing some guy’s previously good name. Moreover, the video isn’t political or really even opinionated. The United Nations has a list of war criminals: fact. Joseph Kony tops the list: fact.
The second most common criticism of (the people who watched) the video I have heard is that just watching video doesn’t change anything. Again, I don’t see how it hurts anything either. And at least some benefits have to be acknowledged. If one in a hundred people donate any money to Invisible Children or other charities, isn’t it still better to reach more people? If any percentage (under 100) of the donated money is used for “administrative costs,” isn’t there still more money helping more people than when 80 million less people had watched “Kony 2012”? How is donating twenty dollars to a charity that might help other people in any capacity worse than using that same twenty dollars to get drunk on malt liquor during Spring Break? We are all selfish, just to different degrees.
No video will ever create world peace, in the sense that most people understand it. But what if “world peace” was understood to be a journey, not a destination? Then isn’t increased education, increased discussion and increased empathy an improvement upon the status quo? Noting the irrelevance of any single person in changing the course of the world is entirely inaccurate. A small group of people, even individuals, have changed the world as many times as the world has changed. A lot of people doing their own thing is the only way the world can change; indeed, it’s the only way the world ever has changed.
You don’t have to quit your day job, sell your TV and move to Africa to help your fellow humans. In fact, such neo-colonialism is exactly what modern Ugandans denounce, and emphatically remind Americans that Joseph Kony himself is not likely in Uganda at all anymore. We don't just need to crush monsters, we need to build up peace. The movie doesn't empower foreigners, it connects strangers.
Like being selfish, or any other aspect of the human condition, there are degrees. Doing anything to help anybody is still better than doing nothing and helping no one.
What I think really drives some critics is the fear of “the masses.” As seen in the video, the Kony 2012 movement has grown by the thousands of participants, and with Invisible Children’s new campaign increased many more times over. The large scale protests can honestly be described as hoards of people, yelling and chanting as passionately as they are unintelligibly. Basically, to the cynical eye, they look like zombies. And the smell of social crusaders doesn’t help. The videos of protesters and speakers also send the message that this is all they do because it’s all we see them do.
Fanaticism can be regrettable, as can misdiagnosing it.
We can’t end violence in the world, but how is the world worse for stopping just some violence? The controversy of ending witch burnings in America didn’t stop witch burnings in one day—but there was a last one. And after that last one, there were no more. It didn’t end violence, but it was a good step. Similarly, we won’t end war by the end of 2012, but we—as a world—can stop the specific occurrences and dissuade the future ones. We have before.
Modern society is complex, in America and Africa. History is equally so. It may be “fashionable” to support a cause against child soldiers or other atrocities, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t do some good. Again, it certainly does more than sedating millions with stimulus overload at the nearest multiplex. South Africa, Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia, Mozambique, Rwanda, Somalia, Ethiopia, Algeria and Uganda have all suffered extraordinary bouts of violence in the last century, but they all involved different parties, tactics, consequences, people and motivations.
Intelligence is the toleration of ambiguity.
Understanding other viewpoints is not the same as justifying them. Understanding why terrorists attacked the World Trade Center is important to being able to stop future terrorism. Saying Adolf Hitler killed millions of people because “he was crazy” is not wrong, but it is not complete. Timothy McVeigh did not blow up a building because he hated the architecture, and to completely disregard his justification only keeps the door open for continued violence. Like almost all criminals, Joseph Kony acted in a way he almost certainly felt was justified. Yes, he has his own side of the story, but that does not excuse his actions.
Listening is not a weakness.
Fighting social issues is difficult when they remain in the abstract and easy when they can be personified. Fighting Joseph Kony is easier than fighting homelessness, but given the success of “Kony 2012,” shouldn’t other filmmakers and moral crusaders just be more inspired to pick up their own good fight? Success exists. Innovation is the antidote to apathy.
At the very, very least, I can appreciate Invisible Children for setting a couple of solid, protest tenets. Firstly, there is an end in sight. Any number of things can happen to Joseph Kony before now and 2013. What we know for sure, though, is that “Kony 2012” will end. Beyond that, the organization gives people specifics; perhaps not in information (that’s the individuals’ responsibility), but in action. Nobody is talking about the Tea Party, Occupy Wall Street, Westboro Baptist Church or Yippies—and all petered out of the news with no specific success. Calling your own demise is important, whether it’s setting a limit to your gambling losses in Las Vegas, protesting or promising “six seasons and a movie.”
It may seem odd to spend so much time defending an ultra-popular YouTube video, but I feel the critics need to be noticed, questioned and answered. This video is not controversial, controversial people just like condemning it. “Kony 2012,” flawed or not, did something right--that’s enough and anything else is just extra.
Sometimes we are 7 billion people with our individual histories; other times we are one world with one history. We need to appreciate both.
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