The #icebucketchallenge is one of those memes spreading like wildfire, sparking controversy along the way. Maybe people have been in need of some distraction from the terrible situations around the world now, the devastating conflict and suffering. Maybe we need to feel like we’re doing something to help someone at this very moment. Who knows? And while celebrities have been accused of blatant self-promotion (and forgetting to mention the good cause) not to mention the hideous nominations that read like a ‘guess who I’m A-list pals with’ brag, the $50m+ in donations for ALS cannot really be argued with.
It was hard not to be skeptical at first. But after watching Anthony Carbajal’s video, the real reason why this has caught on, I couldn’t help be moved. My Facebook timeline is like the best ever episode of You’ve Been Framed with several of my family and friends doing the challenge I couldn’t get over how funny some of them were. That fleeting moment of shock as the water hits their body is priceless and different in every person. People are now donating to UK based charities for Motor Neurone Disease, Macmillan and other custom choices.
But it presents a bit of a dilemma. Is it a good idea to be wasting a precious commodity such as water (as Matt Damon finds) and why does it take a viral campaign to get people donating? It’s the celebrities who decided to ditch the bandwagon and attempt to deal with these dilemmas who have got my vote. See how these took a meme and turned into their own powerful mini-campaign.
Matt Damon - “dumping a clean bucket of water on my head seemed a little crazy,”
….when 800 million people around the world don’t have access to clean water. Then he dumps water from the toilet bowl mixed with ice over head, making the point this his toilet bowl water is cleaner than the water many people can expect in parts of the globe.
Ben Folds also uses water from his toilet bowl “as we’re in California” and nominates his waiter Frank at Kreation Cafe in Santa Monica, “it’s organic, it’s really good.” Although I think we would have loved it more if you were playing piano at the same time Ben.
Leonardo DiCaprio - serious campaigning can be fun
Whilst on a trip to Lake Athabasca, learning about the Canadian tar sands and their impact on the environment and the community, Leo took time out with ‘a few friends’ to complete the challenge.
Together with Chief Adam, of the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation, Chief Courtoreille, of the Mikisew Cree First Nation and Michael Brune, president of The Sierra Club, they nominated Dave Collyer, president of Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, Mark Little of Suncor Canada, Shell CEO Ben van Beurden and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
Effortlessly slick, he gave the challenge his own lick of activism without completely drawing away from the original aim of the meme, to raise money for ALS.
And the best of the fun ones……
Bill Gates
Respect for making it a thousand times more entertaining than blockbuster movie maker Stephen Spielberg. The personalised Gates plot, the sound, the cinematography and not forgetting to be loaded with references to raising money for charity (which Spielberg did not appear to mention in his challenge). The only things missing was annoying bugs.
Kurt Angle
Esteemed veteran wrestler Kurt Angle mixed ice with milk, instead of water for his challenge. Despite the theatrics in the video, the ‘drink of choice’ is a reference to his famous WWE ‘milk truck’ storyline. Whilst adding his own brand to the challenge could be seen as a bit self-endorsement, you have to admire him for not following the crowd to the letter.
Henry Cavill - not quite Superman
The Amy Adams middle-of-the-road introduction is misleading as our man Cavill delivers a man of steel routine at the end.
Thumbs Down
I couldn’t help get excited when I saw Joe Satriani had nominated Sammy Hagar only to see the latter dive into a cold lake with his clothes on. Not very rock and roll. Benedict Cumberbatch’s mini-epic was admirable but not exactly riveting. However, they both bigged up the charity, unlike the big names who don’t appear to mention any fundraising at all in their videos these surprising include Jack Black, Justin Timberlake and Mark Zuckerberg!
The Last ‘Word’
But we’ll leave it to Patrick Stewart to have the last word.
