Can we now finally get rid of 'Do they know it's Christmas'?

[Tokenminority]

This song drives me absolutely up the wall. It's patronising, reductive, and it completely harms efforts towards equality.

I understand the focus on equal opportunities and stopping police brutality, but other narratives, such as the pictures painted in the 'Do they know it's Christmas' song, can be just as harmful.

'Africa' is not a country. You did not go on holiday to 'Africa', similarly to how you wouldn't have sent that you went on holiday to 'Europe' when you in fact went to France.

Of course there are major problems surrounding poverty on the African continent, just as there are in other places, but African countries are not only filled with begging, malnourished children who have never seen a Christmas present.

The picture attached is a photograph of Lagos. If I went on the street and asked random people on which continent that photo was taken, would anyone even consider the possibility that it may have been Africa?

@MrsNoah2020

Please point to where I've said that band aid was wrong?

Er, you started a thread about how you hate Band Aid. To quote your OP, "It's patronising, reductive, and it completely harms efforts towards equality".

Band Aid = Do They Know It's Christmas.

I am increasingly suspicious that you haven't a clue about any of the background to this, OP. As a PP said, watch Michael Buerk's original report from the famine.

I said I hate the song lyrics, not Geldoff or band aid or what they were trying to do for charity. The two are not the same.

I hate the song in the context of its continued dominance in 2020, not its original purpose in 1984. It is exactly because it is not 1984 that it matters to me. I have said a million times that I was not alive in 1984 and that it is part of my point. It would be interesting to hear more others who are younger, like me. Looking at the poll, there is a roughly even split between people who agree with me and people who disagree, but you wouldn't think so from reading this thread.

It's an extremely silly song in many ways (most Ethiopians know about Xmas because they are Christians, and why are we supposed to think snow in Africa would be a good thing anyway?). And the relief efforts in Ethiopia probably killed as many people as they saved (by keeping the Derg in power and giving credence to their forced relocation policies).

However. It was of its time and it was written with good intentions. By people who were trying to be kind.

The song should stay. If you don't want to listen to it, you are welcome to walk out of the place where it's playing. I find a lot of lyrics in songs offensive but have better things to do than try to ban them.

I am increasingly suspicious that you haven't a clue about any of the background to this, OP. As a PP said, watch Michael Buerk's original report from the famine.

This is exactly it. Because you weren't around at the time you have no idea of the purpose of the song and what was actually happening to instigate it. It raised millions - and the royalties still come flooding in every Christmas. Are you saying you would rather it was not played and that the royalties didn't go to charity to help those in need? Perhaps instead you could just switch it off because I'm pretty sure the recipients would still like the support. How you can say it does more harm than good is beyond me. I think you need to educate yourself before you spout your mouth off

@Invisibleme22

Well I didn’t see Bono & Midge Ure pulling a song together in 5 minutes to raise funds for the NHS Charities - did anyone else??

Why would it be their responsibility? They've already done their bit. Time for others to step up. Bono is Irish anyway, if he were to raise money, then presumably it would be for Irish medical charities.

What did you do?

This is what we saw on the teatime news. If you have a strong stomach (and maybe even not) please do watch it. This is what made people jump out of their chairs and want to 'do something' and this is what caused Band Aid/Live And/Do They know it's Christmas etc.

And regarding raind miney for NHS, what do you think th "Baked Potato" song is doing? That's right raising money for nHS key workers.

It wasn’t a good cause. White saviour Geldof embraced the dictator Mengistu. The aid was almost entirely appropriated by the latter’s regime, which was able to continue and expand its atrocities, luring the peasants into “feeding stations” where they were seized and forcibly resettled.

Bloody awful song, bloody awful business.

OP

Unlike WW2 or the slave trade, there is not exactly lots of nuanced opinion or information lying around about 80s history in the African continent, except if you go look for it

Well, yes. There is.
In the time it took to start this thread,you could have googled it. The 80's weren't thousands of years ago, and please don't blame everyone else for the gaps in your information.

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Do_They_Know_It%27s_Christmas%3F

[quote Lordfrontpaw]This is what we saw on the teatime news. If you have a strong stomach (and maybe even not) please do watch it. This is what made people jump out of their chairs and want to 'do something' and this is what caused Band Aid/Live And/Do They know it's Christmas etc.

[/quote] You had to be there to understand what happened. This news item was horrifying. They all knew it was a crappy song but it didn't need to be Mozart, just to sell huge numbers in a short amount of time. Gather all the talent of the time and make money to help. It did its job.

you know what - i still got the chills when i saw it again. time has not lessened the shock. I think it was shown at the convert wasnt it, or used with The Cars, Drive. That song still makes me cry.

My father is Algerian and I’ve always cringed at the use of “africa” like that but though the song is now horribly dated and, yes, patronising I’d be sad to see it go. I think it’s an incredibly irritating national treasure. Can we keep it and at the same time cringe and recognise where we need to change?

So the message is to stop helping and donating if your wealthy or have white skin, incase that makes you a white saviour??

Is that raciest?

I swear your all just making this up now, Noone is that stupid!

For those who persist in thinking Geldof really did a great thing, try this:

www.spin.com/featured/live-aid-the-terrible-truth-ethiopia-bob-geldof-feature/

It’s an unpopular point of view. People don’t like to think they were duped.

Thanks for posting that makingmammaries.

That's the first time that I've seen the whole picture of what happened with the Live Aid etc cash.

Absolutely get rid of it. It's dated worse than Enid Blyton.

Too weak to cry or brush the swarms of flies off their faces and eyes.

It was the flies that really got to me; those poor people.

@makingmammaries

For those who persist in thinking Geldof really did a great thing, try this:

www.spin.com/featured/live-aid-the-terrible-truth-ethiopia-bob-geldof-feature/

It’s an unpopular point of view. People don’t like to think they were duped.

That isn't 'the truth'. It's as one-sided as regarding Geldof as perfect. I posted earlier to a Guardian article that, though critical of much of what happened to the money, acknowledges the benefits too.

People want to believe whatever reinforces their prejudices, but the truth is more nuanced.

@QuimReaper it was Jamelia who got that line, she shared it with Will Young. Joss Stone’s line was “Do they know it’s Christmas time at all?” which she shared with Justin Hawkins.

Hi OP - it seems that no, you can't get rid of this song. 16-18 year olds made this, they haven't received the memo that it's racist, colonial, white savioural and all the rest of it.

They should rewrite the lyrics to say;
' what can we do at Christmas ?'

Actually the main thing that struck me in that video was the perspex screens between two of the singers!

I love it and don't think it's patronising at all. It was written with love, at the time. Lots of things, from 1984, tv programmes etc seem odd now.

I quite like the song and if you know it's aim was to raise money at a time when hundreds were dying of hunger then what's the problem?
Most people know it was from 1984 and not based on modern day. You can't get rid of every song that's "wrong" by today's standard. You'd have nothing left.
Plus I'd rather hear that than some of the rap music that's around.

It's a fucking dreadful song and yes, it is problematic lyrically, for the same reason that programs like children in need are backing away from sending white presenters to africa to produce emotionally manipulative segments.