ALSA has seen their donations increase to greater than $15MM during this challenge ($1.7MM during this same period last year). It’s been reported in the Times and Guardian that many who take the challenge are also donating. It’s a horrible disease , and if this stunt-gone-viral makes a difference in identifying a cure then it’s time well spent.
2 Likes
Works. Totally works. I think my SO just got a little… uh… i may have to refer you to this thread. Tongue is not the strongest muscle in the body
2 Likes
Man ALS is such a horrible disease. I hope I never get it. I’d probably end up taking a long camping trip and never come back. My dad had a buddy who died from it. Avid outdoors man. It’s amazing Hawking is still alive. He must have a sex tape with Jesus on it or something.
In related news, how many kids were helped by people changing their facebook avatars to cartoon characters?
1 Like
Yes but to be fair, he didn’t die from either ALS or fundraising. He seems to have drowned, but not in icewater.
sigh
From the linked article,
If we’re not at least having a conversation about this, then we’re not taking seriously the scale and diversity of the world’s ills.
Donating to charitable causes, making silly videos, talking about serious issues, and helping others in small or big ways are not mutually exclusive. a “donor based society” (again, from the article) ignores that 99% of the eyes, cameras, ears of people are those on a very select few–and the actions of those few have a wide positive consequence.
So look at ‘ice buckets for ALS’ as a mental ‘bridge loan’. Yes, humanity needs to support the suffering and cure what is rightfully curable. But complaining that help isn’t being applied to a very strict, arbitrary set of standards while work is being done on the larger issue is both short sighted, arrogant, and unhelpful.
But it’s a poor state of affairs where the fact that you can have one hundred times the impact on people’s wellbeing by donating internationally rather than domestically isn’t even recognized or discussed; nor are the relative merits of the ALS association compared to any of the other thousands of charities in the world
Again, why is it either/or? And does everyone who wants to help fellow humans have to fall into analysis paralysis (Analysis paralysis - Wikipedia) of who to donate to? And does watching a funny video of someone good looking, then donating to a force-multiplier charity have anything to do–redemption or otherwise–with the comedy of the video?
Just like Betteridge’s Law, the answer to all those is No.
2 Likes
I’d also accept a full reverse involving boiling oil.
4 Likes
I suppose so. Nantucket isn’t freezing this time of year. Still, an unfortunate association. and a terrible accident.
Now my brain is trying to write a particularly tasteless limerick.
2 Likes
Why is it any either/or? Because of human nature. Every study shows that if people give more to one cause, they give less to another. They just do. Doesn’t have to be, but it is. Look up “moral licensing” for some interesting reads.
As for analysis paralysis, that’s not the problem. It’s giving without any thought to cost/benefit. Without any analysis. Donating because it’s trendy. Which is the point of the article. When donation becomes donor focused instead of result focused, we’re more likely to make poor decisions. Remember all the pink ribbon scams? Bet a lot of people felt good donating. Too bad feeling good is not the point.
Note: Donor based doesn’t mean celebrity based.
1 Like
So by your own words it is not either/or. And given that the article talks specifically about charities with a 10x or 100x life multiplier, then supporting ALS (which is expensive to support) and anti malaria nets is fairly straightforward.
Perhaps a Kickstarter is in order???
2 Likes
Or we just kidnap and torture him.
Wait, that’s going too far. I’ve gone too far there, haven’t I?
2 Likes
Yankovic didn’t skimp on cubes.
5 Likes
WWE’s Stephanie McMahon going large.
2 Likes
Not exactly sure who Paul Bisonnette is but that video has indeed triggered a whole series of fantasies. Wow, I love this challenge!
There once was a Nantucket man
Who thought of a charity plan
He dumped out some ice
Named challenged donors thrice
And now just wishes he hadn’t swam
3 Likes
So does he not have access to ice?
Also, this could be the “eat an ice cream cone” challenge and I wouldn’t be much less impressed.
There was a young man from Nantucket
Who was handed an icewater bucket
“I’m a Canada man
I’ve a much better plan”
He’d raised cash, so he could have said “fuck it”.
4 Likes
+10 for his call-outs.
I’ll bet the Dalai Lama steps up…but ONLY the Dalai Lama.
2 Likes
