Headline: Consumerist Hellmouth Gets Live 8 Concert
I don't believe I've been this disappointed and disgusted in a long time. I am in full WTF mode today.
Yeah. Exactly what it looks like. Two days ago, we caught wind that the GTA was going to get a Live 8 Concert. So, naturally I was all excited...because hey, spreading awareness about African poverty is one of my usual rants.
But then, today the word got out that it's going to be in BARRIE. BARRIE. YES. The whitebread, conservative bit of hickville that apparently has been attached to the GTA now.
And, irony of all ironies, it's going to be at PARK PLACE. Ah, yes...a concert to raise awareness about poverty largely caused by neoliberal practices held in the shining beacon of capitalism that is Park Place.
I'm really trying to be more clever, but this stinks of Greek tragedy-style drama. I mean, come on. Barrie? I understand that it's close to the GTA, and that Park Place is a large open venue, and that people from the GTA can still go ....but Barrie is really little more than a place to engorge yourself at the massive teat of consumerism. It's one big shopping mall...where some people happen to live.
So, you fucking tell me that this decision is soley based on the venue and not on the marketing implications. Yeah, the concert's free. But that doesn't mean that all the oh-so-concerned citizens going there to rah rah about African poverty aren't gonna stop at Starbucks, Costco, Zehrs, The Gap and the many other havens of capitalism that clog up that place. I know I'm being slightly repetitive here ...but ...WHAT THE FUCK?!
BARRIE!? How did BARRIE beat TORONTO to get a concert that is about getting as many bodies as possible into one place to raise awareness about a world issue that is totally and completely antithetical to the love-fest towards capitalism that is Barrie.
On one hand, we have millions of starving impoverished sick Africans. On the other, we have a city that in itself shows the WORST WORST of the Western world. It's a place where there are more stores and coffeeshops than community centres, black people get pulled over for driving expensive cars (because clearly they are dealing drugs or the car is stolen) and the people are organised into perfect white Pleasantville-style subdivisions where it isn't completely out of place to see white, middle class men all mowing their lawns at exactly the same time.
I'm just so speechless at the fucking nerve of this country to yet again reinforce this idea of the White Man's burden. The white middle class people have to get together to save the black people from poverty. Wow. Just wow. I forgot, is this the 50s? Because unless they're going to be sending buses of the poor non-white people who live in downtown Toronto to the concert I can bet you anything that a good portion of the faces in that sea of people at the concert will be white. Yay, yay. Way to turn something I was so excited about into complete shit. Once again I am astounded and amazed at Canada's ability to be half-assed. (Did I mention enough times that Barrie is made up of a lot of white people?)
And I'm not going to even get into the fact that one station - a right wing bullshit station, I might add - got the exclusive rights to cover it. Yeah, we're really going to raise awareness. Let's allow one station to cover something. Woo hoo publicity.
You know, when I heard about this, a friend of mine commented that he wasn't sure whether or not it was really good because he didn't know how much they were going to look at the issue, rather than just the concert. But nooo...I was all optimistic about how it would be handled, and that it would start people asking questions, and it would good....Yeah, I fucking spoke too soon.
YES, I should be grateful that we're raising awareness for African poverty. But how can I when I know that this is just bullshit? Bullshit. It's a fucking token nod at a very serious issue, and of course we fucking mishandle it like we mishandle everything when it comes to Africa.
Because we're the civilised ones, right?
Well, you know what they say: "There's something for everyone at Park Place!"
I guess they're extending that to anti-capitalists!
Yeah. Exactly what it looks like. Two days ago, we caught wind that the GTA was going to get a Live 8 Concert. So, naturally I was all excited...because hey, spreading awareness about African poverty is one of my usual rants.
But then, today the word got out that it's going to be in BARRIE. BARRIE. YES. The whitebread, conservative bit of hickville that apparently has been attached to the GTA now.
And, irony of all ironies, it's going to be at PARK PLACE. Ah, yes...a concert to raise awareness about poverty largely caused by neoliberal practices held in the shining beacon of capitalism that is Park Place.
I'm really trying to be more clever, but this stinks of Greek tragedy-style drama. I mean, come on. Barrie? I understand that it's close to the GTA, and that Park Place is a large open venue, and that people from the GTA can still go ....but Barrie is really little more than a place to engorge yourself at the massive teat of consumerism. It's one big shopping mall...where some people happen to live.
So, you fucking tell me that this decision is soley based on the venue and not on the marketing implications. Yeah, the concert's free. But that doesn't mean that all the oh-so-concerned citizens going there to rah rah about African poverty aren't gonna stop at Starbucks, Costco, Zehrs, The Gap and the many other havens of capitalism that clog up that place. I know I'm being slightly repetitive here ...but ...WHAT THE FUCK?!
BARRIE!? How did BARRIE beat TORONTO to get a concert that is about getting as many bodies as possible into one place to raise awareness about a world issue that is totally and completely antithetical to the love-fest towards capitalism that is Barrie.
On one hand, we have millions of starving impoverished sick Africans. On the other, we have a city that in itself shows the WORST WORST of the Western world. It's a place where there are more stores and coffeeshops than community centres, black people get pulled over for driving expensive cars (because clearly they are dealing drugs or the car is stolen) and the people are organised into perfect white Pleasantville-style subdivisions where it isn't completely out of place to see white, middle class men all mowing their lawns at exactly the same time.
I'm just so speechless at the fucking nerve of this country to yet again reinforce this idea of the White Man's burden. The white middle class people have to get together to save the black people from poverty. Wow. Just wow. I forgot, is this the 50s? Because unless they're going to be sending buses of the poor non-white people who live in downtown Toronto to the concert I can bet you anything that a good portion of the faces in that sea of people at the concert will be white. Yay, yay. Way to turn something I was so excited about into complete shit. Once again I am astounded and amazed at Canada's ability to be half-assed. (Did I mention enough times that Barrie is made up of a lot of white people?)
And I'm not going to even get into the fact that one station - a right wing bullshit station, I might add - got the exclusive rights to cover it. Yeah, we're really going to raise awareness. Let's allow one station to cover something. Woo hoo publicity.
You know, when I heard about this, a friend of mine commented that he wasn't sure whether or not it was really good because he didn't know how much they were going to look at the issue, rather than just the concert. But nooo...I was all optimistic about how it would be handled, and that it would start people asking questions, and it would good....Yeah, I fucking spoke too soon.
YES, I should be grateful that we're raising awareness for African poverty. But how can I when I know that this is just bullshit? Bullshit. It's a fucking token nod at a very serious issue, and of course we fucking mishandle it like we mishandle everything when it comes to Africa.
Because we're the civilised ones, right?
Well, you know what they say: "There's something for everyone at Park Place!"
I guess they're extending that to anti-capitalists!
posted by Justine at 10:09 a.m.
3 comments
