KONY 2012 Good or Bad?

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Yikes. Yet another commentary about the KONY 2012 film that’s taking the internet by storm (you can watch it at the bottom of this post). Let me first say that the title of this post is A) not going to be answered B) a false dichotomy C) a crappy question. So then why did I choose it? I think (hope) it gets at something important.

I’ve got so many thoughts and feelings about this film – I mean it has been consuming the better part of my brain since I watched it. Pretty sure words will fall short of capturing it all, but I’m gonna throw it all out there anyway. Apologies for the mess. First off, come on: over 50 million views in a 3-day time-frame? It’s how long!? A half hour. What?! And it’s about…Uganda, child soldiers, the LRA, Joseph Kony. WTF? Is this–am I dreaming? How the hell did this happen?

It is truly a staggering achievement. I’m still blown away by it (can you tell?). And from a technical standpoint, the film is superb. It’s beautiful; compelling graphics, powerful soundtrack, great cinematography, excellent structure – but most significantly, an exceptional story. These guys are awesome storytellers. And I think there is so much to learn from what they’ve done – for all nonprofits trying to spread their message in a meaningful and impactful way.

Problem with this story is that it appears to be somewhat made up, or at the very least, misleading. Rather than get into all of that here, I encourage you to read some of the many commentaries on the film. Here are a few I’ve read: //blog.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2012/03/07/guest_post_joseph_kony_is_not_in_uganda_and_other_complicated_things
//thatneedstogo.tumblr.com/post/18907388408/kony-2012-causing-more-harm-than-good
//www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/africa/120307/kony-2012-campaign-criticized-dumbing-down-conflict

And at the end of this post I have included some really important Ugandan response videos.

I think these critiques have a ton of validity and ultimately it is disappointing. For me, it boils down to one thing: respect. The film doesn’t really respect the audience, nor does it really respect the people it is trying to help. And I hesitate to even put those words down because I think these guys have amazingly good intentions that have led to an unprecedented amount of attention on important issues. So when I say the film doesn’t have respect, that isn’t to say the filmmakers don’t (not something I can or should judge). And, importantly, I have not produced a better film! I’ve got to face the facts here; my most popular video is five years old, has a respectable 36K views and I’m glad I made it. But I look at it now and, yeesh, I can do SO much better. Seriously, who am I to make a video titled “The African Dream”?! That’s where I was at then, just starting to learn about the issues and how I could communicate them. I don’t regret it, because I have learned so much from it.

“Working together to end poverty and injustice.” That is Oxfam America’s tagline. I bring it up, not because I work there, but because I am seriously in love with those words. Check out the first part; working together. I think that’s the part they missed in KONY 2012. It’s what I mean by respect. To me, respecting an audience is holding them as equals so that we can work together. Dumbing such an important issue down and manipulating reality is disrespectful. And respecting the people of Uganda means working together with them as equals, giving them space to tell their story and have agency within it. As a communicator who is passionate about a cause, damn I know that can be hard sometimes. Jason and IC have a powerful story to tell and power to them for telling it. But, with great power, comes great responsibility.

(yup, quoting spider-man)

Something this momentous (50 million and counting!!) must be held to a high standard and stand up to rigorous examination. Unfortunately, I think it falls. It isn’t enough to leave it at that though. Because there is so much more to it. So much more than what I’ve said and will say. If we simply discount this effort, I think we’re missing out on a great opportunity.

Coming back to the title of this blog post… We have a tendency – a need –  to judge things on clear terms. It’s got to be good or bad. And as much as I try to break that tendency myself, I still fall into the trap. The trap is dualistic thinking. Either this or that. The alternative is both this and that. A concept I first learned from the great professor Patty Kean at Curry College. Uncomfortable for sure, but it’s all about holding complex, even competing, thoughts and feelings. Just holding them all. This film is an incredible achievement, and at the same time quite disappointing. I think it is a starting point. The challenge is on all of us to take this great momentum and do better; to communicate the injustices of the world in a way that is intelligent, truthful, inclusive, and respectful. We owe it to audiences everywhere, but most importantly we owe it to the people we strive to help.

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Author: John Abdulla

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2 Comments

  1. A great blog and some interesting points.

    Thanks for the post.

  2. Hey John,

    Great commentary! I agree with you but I just wanted to add something. I wonder if the world would have responded as well to all of the details. I’ll admit, I knew very little about this, but having watched the video and reading all the different perspectives, this is something I’m going to follow-up diligently on and learn more about (including what I can do myself). The facts will come in time for sure, and if there is significant action on this cause, then the video was a success…whether it was good or bad, right or wrong. Obviously, all of the details initially being articulated accurately would have been best, but not everyone is up-to-date with these initiatives. The video got my initial attention without being too jam-packed with details. It moved my heart, and that is what will motivate me to learn more about this and find out all of those details. I really admire the work you do and your consistent focus on these world issues, but the majority of us are not on the front lines, and I’m guessing this video did exactly what it was meant to do. Let the discussions continue, the truth be learned and the world be saved!

    Again, thanks for the commentary, John!

    -Jared

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