White Saviour

[username8348]

Ed Sheeran has said that he wouldn't participate in a rerecording of Do they Know it's Christmas which was first released in the 80s to raise money for a famine in Africa.

The single and other similar endeavours have been criticised as portraying a negative view of Africa and belying a White Saviour complex.

Some critics have said that Africa is capable of dealing with its own problems and such sentiments mean it loses business and investment:

While they may generate sympathy and donations, they perpetuate damaging stereotypes that stifle Africa’s economic growth, tourism and investment, ultimately costing the continent trillions and destroying its dignity, pride and identity - Fuse ODG

Do they know it's Christmas was last rereleased to raise money for ebola. Geldof has denied the claims saying that they're bollocks and the money has achieved a lot.

Western countries give a lot of aid to African nations, is it time to stop that aid? Many countries are feeling the pinch and could plough the money into their own nations.

AIBU to believe that we should stop playing the White Saviour and as advised, let Africa deal with its own problems?

I'm often annoyed at the lack of a Time Machine.
People make decisions on the information available at the time.
The past is not somewhere we live now and we are different from who we were then.
This reflection is unhelpful. We go forward.

You’ve misunderstood this lyric, that’s not what it’s saying, like a PP said it’s more the sentiment of “by the grace of god I go”, ie. It could easily have been you but you were lucky enough to be born in the UK.

the more problematic lyric is the title; do they know it’s Christmas?!

Well said, and I agree. People who weren't even born at the time thinking they know everything and standing back criticising people who were trying to do something good.

As a pp said, no-one needs more Ed Sheeran, who cares if he participates or not.

I could turn the radio on any day this week and find you a dozen songs with a rubbish tune and painful lyrics.

I'm really not sure Do they know it's Christmas with a hip hop beat is working.

My sentiments also.

The record was revolutionary. No one quite expected it to be as successful as it was and no-one had done anything like it before.

As a fifty year plus person, I reckon it’s probably one of the most important and significant records , and moments, in my lifetime, and a record that is dear to my heart.

and this song would be at the top of the dozen

I need to block these threads every year - I think I've been arguing about this for at least 4 years now! The annual Band Aid bashing thread is as much a part of Christmas as turkey .

I was 10 when it came out and I loved it and thought everyone was coming together to help with all good intentions. Hate the holier than thou sneerathon

MumblesParty
I agree. As a nation, British people are incredibly generous. Every major fundraiser, we dig deep and donate. Even people with very little themselves. And now we’re being told that’s somehow wrong.

I was a teenager when the whole Band Aid and Live Aid stuff happened. It was revolutionary. A vast amount of money was generated overnight, often from young people like me, who’d never considered donating to charity before, spending our pocket money on a charity record. We did it in good faith, and we truly believed we were helping. Yes the lyrics were clumsy, but it was thrown together at speed, and I think the end justified the means. A whole generation of people became acutely aware of the suffering thousands of miles away, and wanted to help.

It makes me angry when people who weren’t even born then, and don’t understand how different life was, start criticising us for apparently doing it wrong.

I wonder how many starving children the rapper Fuse ODG has fed.

Well said, and I agree. People who weren't even born at the time thinking they know everything and standing back criticising people who were trying to do something good.

///

Excellent original post and agree with second poster too.

As an aside, I would happily donate money for ES to stop churning out his formulaic material but understand I'm in the minority

I always think the people who rushed out to buy the record are very like the people who now rush to jump on the "it is so awful/patronising/generally all round bad. A sort of collective think.

I excuse kids from criticism but I do remember having a discussion with some people who were horrified that VAT was being charged on the record. I suggested they did without the record and just sent the money and they couldn't see why that would be a good idea, all of the money going to the charity rather than the cost of making/distributing/selling the record/VAT.

At the end of the day people wanted to help in their own way whatever it was, maybe groups like Farm Africa have genuinely benefitted from the grants they've received, I do hope so, but even if they didn't at least people tried.

Even if you hate Geldoff and Ure they motivated people, they raised awareness and surely that has to be a good thing.

It's not the sentiment of the original record that people are criticising. It is the fact it hasn't moved with the time and 40 years on still pushes the same tired old sterotypes. Africans aren't all emaciated and unable to do anything for themselves anymore. Times have changed, the stereotypes associated with it are no longer helpful and that is the point people who were not even born then are making. I was born well before the original record.

Re-releasing it keeps Geldoff a bit relevant; I doubt it raises a great deal any more. Hopefully it will stop coming back before too much longer.

The Charity Commission site, which someone linked to earlier, shows the Band Aid Charitable Trust income was £2,398,136 in the 12 months to 30th November 2023. £110k plus was from legacies and donations and £2.22m from trading activities. Expenditure shows £2.45m in charitable activities. That's still a significant amount going to charitable activities.