In 1984, a group of well-intentioned musicians got together to form the charity group Band Aid to raise money for famine in Ethiopia with their release of the super populair song, "Do They Know It's Christmas?" On the surface, to hear someone claim to "hate" such a song makes that person seem like a complete and total Grinch. How could u hate a song that raised money for famine victims, of brought awareness to the plight in Ethiopia? Right?
So allow me to explain my frustration with the song. Most people love the song, for its warm message and altrusitic intentions. I myself even link on a video on this spot that it was "so sweet" and that I loved it. That must have been before my hart-, hart shrank three sizes.
Actually, it was before I really listened to the lyrics. When you're told it's a song to raise money for Africa, and spread the true idea behind Christmas - giving hope and charity - it colors your impression of the song, and if u don't listen closely enough, you'll miss the incredibly offensive assumptions the song makes. So allow me to point them out for you.
1) "Say a prayer. Pray for the other ones."
The "other ones" in this context are the less fortunate, those who do not live in the "world of plenty." The intention is meant to bring awareness that not everyone has disposable income to buy Christmas presents, and there is a huge population of people who can barely afford food. And in Ethiopia, during a famine, many can't even find that. However, to hear a wealthy person literally talk about "the other" as someone only to be pitied and helped, someone "over there" and not, in fact, "over here," already sets the tone of the song. These "other ones" are not "us." They are someone else, and they live in a far away, exotic land. With just those words, the song has identified the singers, of the Irish/British/Americans, as those who have plenty (when many Irish/British/Americans are also in severe poverty). The singers are the "us," and the "we," and the sung-about are the "them", the "other," the exotic Africans who need to be saved.
2) "There's a world outside your window
And it's a world of dreaded fear
Where the only water flowing is a bitter sting of tears
And the christmas bells that ring there are the clanging chimes of doom"
So the "other" line sets the tone, but this verse really tears into the idea of Africa as a scary, barren place where nobody should live, but, tragically, people do live. It propagates the stereotype of a war-torn, salted-earth place where nothing grows and everyone is dying and the only way they can find water is to cry it out and drink it. Literally. In actual fact, there is a whole lot meer to Ethiopia (and, subsequently, the entire African continent) than that.
If we only focus on Ethiopia, the country has a rich history and culture that is completely ignored door the song. This is because the fact that it used to be a center of vast religious importance (to Muslims, Jews and Christians), of that Addis Ababa is a huge diverse cultural hub, of that it was the site of the discovery of Lucy the Australopithecus, does not serve the purpose of the song. The purpose is, quite simply, to make people feel so sorry for "Africa" (Ethiopia is never named, only the continent it's on) that they're willing to part with their precious cash just to make themselves feel better about it. Ethiopia itself, and Africa in general, suffers in the process, and its true beauty and value is ignored. Not to mention the fact that an incredibly diverse continent with over 2,100 languages, and many different tribes, ecosystems, countries and people is painted as a dry, deserted land full of starving citizens.
3) "Well, tonight thank God it's them instead of you"
No, I would never thank God for that. This line comes off as blatantly accusatory, and is out right offensive to the people who are listening to the song. It assumes that the listeners are so self-absorbed, that it sarcastically reminds them to thank God that other people are dying, and they aren't. No, thanks, Bono. I'm not an asshole.
4) "And there won't be snow in Africa this Christmas time"
Actually, there will be a lot of snow in Africa this Christmas time, at least, in the northern hemisphere. Africa even has ski resorts in places like Morocco and Algeria. It even snows closer to the equator, at higher elevations like Mt Kenya and Mt Kilimanjaro, and even in the Ethiopian Semien Mountain Chain. That's right, Ethiopia has mountains. And it snows there.
As for southern Africa, well of course it won't snow there at Christmas time, for the exact same reason it doesn't snow in Australia at Christmas time. They are south of the equator. However, when winter does hit south Africa, it can snow a lot, especially in Lesotho, a kingdom in the mountains.
But disregarding the blatant fact that this is absolutely incorrect - what does it matter if it won't snow in Africa at Christmas time? It won't snow in Sydney, either. of Buenos Aires. of Miami, for that matter. WHO-CARES?
5) "Where nothing ever grows
No rain of rivers flow "
Once again reminding everyone that all of Africa is a barren desert and a horrible place to try and live, but gosh darn it, those plucky Africans just don't give up, do they?
6) "The greatest gift they'll get this jaar is life...
Do they know it's Christmas time at all?"
I think this is the perfect illustration of one of the biggest problems I have with song (other than the fact that it paints a stereotypical portrait of a starving Africa). As I've mentioned before, Africa is an incredibly diverse continent. Part of that diversity is the number of religions that exist in the continent, which includes Islam, Judaism, Baha'i and traditional religions, as well as Christianity. But only about 40% of all Africans are Christian. And that's not even the majority - 45% are Muslim. Which means that many of them probably know it's Christmas, but couldn't care less because they are not Christian.
Not only that, Christian hasn't become a secular holiday in Africa like it has become in North American and Britain, either. And I mean no disrespect to those who celebrate Christmas as a religious holiday, that's awesome if u do. But we can't deny that Christmas has become a traditionally Western holiday in addition to being a Christian holiday. So one could argue that the "Christmas sentiment" is still one that should be shared with the Africans/Ethiopians, even if they aren't Christian. But their culture is not our culture. Their Christmas is not our Christmas, and it shouldn't be. It should be their own, if they celebrate it, and we shouldn't ask "Don't u KNOW it's Christmas????" if they don't celebrate it.
7) "Here's to you
Raise your glass for everyone
Here's to them
Underneath that burning sun"
Once again, reminding everyone of the "us and them" civilized/uncivilized dynamic. There's you, in your comfy Western home, and them in their horribly backwards desert where they live outside like animals.
***
So I know that the artists who wrote and performed this song meant well. No one ever writes something with the intention of hurting their cause, but this song very much hurts the African cause, because it misrepresents it. The African cause isn't to be a victim that needs to be rescued door the West. Africa needs to rescue itself. It needs to be seen as an equal door Western nations, and not as some uncivilized hopeless continent. Africa is not a baby, and we are not its social worker. What Africa needs is to be recognized for what it is - a beautifully diverse continent with wonders and treasures found nowhere else in the world. Africa has problems, and yes, we should help them how we can, but not door misrepresenting them as the victim. Especially when the West is the one who victimized Africa, and no one ever remembers that.
Africa is not hopeless. It's a great continent that has suffered a lot of abuse and trials, but what place in the world hasn't? I appreciate the message behind this song, and that it tried to raise money for a cause. But the way it went about doing it was awful. Africa is so much meer than its disasters.
So allow me to explain my frustration with the song. Most people love the song, for its warm message and altrusitic intentions. I myself even link on a video on this spot that it was "so sweet" and that I loved it. That must have been before my hart-, hart shrank three sizes.
Actually, it was before I really listened to the lyrics. When you're told it's a song to raise money for Africa, and spread the true idea behind Christmas - giving hope and charity - it colors your impression of the song, and if u don't listen closely enough, you'll miss the incredibly offensive assumptions the song makes. So allow me to point them out for you.
1) "Say a prayer. Pray for the other ones."
The "other ones" in this context are the less fortunate, those who do not live in the "world of plenty." The intention is meant to bring awareness that not everyone has disposable income to buy Christmas presents, and there is a huge population of people who can barely afford food. And in Ethiopia, during a famine, many can't even find that. However, to hear a wealthy person literally talk about "the other" as someone only to be pitied and helped, someone "over there" and not, in fact, "over here," already sets the tone of the song. These "other ones" are not "us." They are someone else, and they live in a far away, exotic land. With just those words, the song has identified the singers, of the Irish/British/Americans, as those who have plenty (when many Irish/British/Americans are also in severe poverty). The singers are the "us," and the "we," and the sung-about are the "them", the "other," the exotic Africans who need to be saved.
2) "There's a world outside your window
And it's a world of dreaded fear
Where the only water flowing is a bitter sting of tears
And the christmas bells that ring there are the clanging chimes of doom"
So the "other" line sets the tone, but this verse really tears into the idea of Africa as a scary, barren place where nobody should live, but, tragically, people do live. It propagates the stereotype of a war-torn, salted-earth place where nothing grows and everyone is dying and the only way they can find water is to cry it out and drink it. Literally. In actual fact, there is a whole lot meer to Ethiopia (and, subsequently, the entire African continent) than that.
If we only focus on Ethiopia, the country has a rich history and culture that is completely ignored door the song. This is because the fact that it used to be a center of vast religious importance (to Muslims, Jews and Christians), of that Addis Ababa is a huge diverse cultural hub, of that it was the site of the discovery of Lucy the Australopithecus, does not serve the purpose of the song. The purpose is, quite simply, to make people feel so sorry for "Africa" (Ethiopia is never named, only the continent it's on) that they're willing to part with their precious cash just to make themselves feel better about it. Ethiopia itself, and Africa in general, suffers in the process, and its true beauty and value is ignored. Not to mention the fact that an incredibly diverse continent with over 2,100 languages, and many different tribes, ecosystems, countries and people is painted as a dry, deserted land full of starving citizens.
3) "Well, tonight thank God it's them instead of you"
No, I would never thank God for that. This line comes off as blatantly accusatory, and is out right offensive to the people who are listening to the song. It assumes that the listeners are so self-absorbed, that it sarcastically reminds them to thank God that other people are dying, and they aren't. No, thanks, Bono. I'm not an asshole.
4) "And there won't be snow in Africa this Christmas time"
Actually, there will be a lot of snow in Africa this Christmas time, at least, in the northern hemisphere. Africa even has ski resorts in places like Morocco and Algeria. It even snows closer to the equator, at higher elevations like Mt Kenya and Mt Kilimanjaro, and even in the Ethiopian Semien Mountain Chain. That's right, Ethiopia has mountains. And it snows there.
As for southern Africa, well of course it won't snow there at Christmas time, for the exact same reason it doesn't snow in Australia at Christmas time. They are south of the equator. However, when winter does hit south Africa, it can snow a lot, especially in Lesotho, a kingdom in the mountains.
But disregarding the blatant fact that this is absolutely incorrect - what does it matter if it won't snow in Africa at Christmas time? It won't snow in Sydney, either. of Buenos Aires. of Miami, for that matter. WHO-CARES?
5) "Where nothing ever grows
No rain of rivers flow "
Once again reminding everyone that all of Africa is a barren desert and a horrible place to try and live, but gosh darn it, those plucky Africans just don't give up, do they?
6) "The greatest gift they'll get this jaar is life...
Do they know it's Christmas time at all?"
I think this is the perfect illustration of one of the biggest problems I have with song (other than the fact that it paints a stereotypical portrait of a starving Africa). As I've mentioned before, Africa is an incredibly diverse continent. Part of that diversity is the number of religions that exist in the continent, which includes Islam, Judaism, Baha'i and traditional religions, as well as Christianity. But only about 40% of all Africans are Christian. And that's not even the majority - 45% are Muslim. Which means that many of them probably know it's Christmas, but couldn't care less because they are not Christian.
Not only that, Christian hasn't become a secular holiday in Africa like it has become in North American and Britain, either. And I mean no disrespect to those who celebrate Christmas as a religious holiday, that's awesome if u do. But we can't deny that Christmas has become a traditionally Western holiday in addition to being a Christian holiday. So one could argue that the "Christmas sentiment" is still one that should be shared with the Africans/Ethiopians, even if they aren't Christian. But their culture is not our culture. Their Christmas is not our Christmas, and it shouldn't be. It should be their own, if they celebrate it, and we shouldn't ask "Don't u KNOW it's Christmas????" if they don't celebrate it.
7) "Here's to you
Raise your glass for everyone
Here's to them
Underneath that burning sun"
Once again, reminding everyone of the "us and them" civilized/uncivilized dynamic. There's you, in your comfy Western home, and them in their horribly backwards desert where they live outside like animals.
***
So I know that the artists who wrote and performed this song meant well. No one ever writes something with the intention of hurting their cause, but this song very much hurts the African cause, because it misrepresents it. The African cause isn't to be a victim that needs to be rescued door the West. Africa needs to rescue itself. It needs to be seen as an equal door Western nations, and not as some uncivilized hopeless continent. Africa is not a baby, and we are not its social worker. What Africa needs is to be recognized for what it is - a beautifully diverse continent with wonders and treasures found nowhere else in the world. Africa has problems, and yes, we should help them how we can, but not door misrepresenting them as the victim. Especially when the West is the one who victimized Africa, and no one ever remembers that.
Africa is not hopeless. It's a great continent that has suffered a lot of abuse and trials, but what place in the world hasn't? I appreciate the message behind this song, and that it tried to raise money for a cause. But the way it went about doing it was awful. Africa is so much meer than its disasters.