Band Aid

I saw the young Liberian woman on Sunday morning TV, Terribull. Goodness, wasn't she angry? Maybe she has a point about the way some African countries are misrepresented, but she seemed to want to throw the baby out with the bath water and refuse financial aid which could do so much, especially in terms of providing medicine and work to build hospitals, schools and buildings to use for utilities systems. She could expend her energy mustering the political will to campaign to rid some corrupt African regimes of their thieving leaders (not that different here, is it?)

Bob Geldof has explained that he didn't phone Adele and ask her to help - he doesn't have her number, and he applauds her for concentrating on motherhood at present. Never miss an opportunity to print rubbish, do they? The article does make some good points, though. Wheeling Bono and other super-egos out to 'give their precious spare time' smacks of arrogance. What Bob Geldof, Midge Ure and others did with Live Aid in 1985 was amazing, inspirational. This stunt isn't comparable - just like lots of other charity singles, but it will raise money for a worthy cause.

I find that article cynical and unpleasant. I admire Geldoff for his efforts, and what he looks like is his own business. Good luck to all musicians and celebrities who give their efforts to raise money for good causes.
Whatever their individual motives might be, they do raise millions.

very sad that this mean-mindedness does continue.

Very true ana.

I think he's survived worse criticism than this, annie, and I doubt if he could care less!

This kind of furore brings out in me an instant response of sighing and thinking 'for god's sake' (apologies to the believers) and feeling glad I am not young anymore. My goodness, life was a lot simpler in the 1980s.

Irritation out of the way, I think it is really a really churlish reaction on the part of those who think they are being patronised and it's been a classic media hype of the whole issue. If those Liberians etc think they don't need the money, fine, but would they like to demonstrate the ways in which they are handling the ebola crisis? And not just the frontline medical care but also the need to educate the population and to get them to leave witchcraft and poor hygience practices behind. If minding their sensibilities leads to a worldwide pandemic, is that a good thing??

I don't especially like the record but I think thanks and appreciation are due to Bob Geldorf for getting off his bum and using his fame and contacts to do something quite public to raise money to combat ebola. Yes he could have made a personal donation (perhaps he has) but we all know what will happen then, as with Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook, it'll be 'what, only £25 million, what a meanie, he could have given much more'.

I think the details of the song or the location don't really matter to be honest. Your average citizen these days has a hazy idea of the African countries or life as lived in them (thanks to a watered down education system), the same goes for quibbles over religious niceities (I was brought up as a Catholic and I'm afraid I had no idea about a different date for Christmas and frankly I don't care).

Isn't the point that the record and its publicity encourage a moment of empathy in a whizzy, largely uncaring world now and if some people are encouraged to stop for a moment and look away from their computer screen or Gameboy or whatever and give a few quid to some poor African dying horribly, then that's a good thing?!

Grumble, grumble, I hope this disappears off the front pages now and that Bob Geldorf does not end up vowing never to help anyone again!

No jingle - sorry, just read it.

Mishap did you read the article I linked to last night?

There was a discussion programme about this very subject on the Sunday after the Andrew Marr show. One of the guests was a young woman from Liberia who made the point that she, as an African, felt patronised by charity such as Band Aid and made the point that it gives us in the west a false idea of Africa as a wholly dependent continent.

I am sure that Bob Geldof's heart is in the right place in committing himself to trying to help Africa. Nevertheless I think it has become apparent that sometimes western aid has been misappropriated and doesn't always help Africans and in some cases works against them. For example I recently read an article that stated aid in Eithiopia had been used to forcibly remove people from their villages in some sort of Stalinesque drive to relocate them to government designated areas. Those that resisted were tortured and murdered and their villages were burnt.

I wouldn't like to comment about the intended aid for Ebola stricken countries, if it helps save lives then that can only be a good thing.

I do think we should hear more from Africans themselves and their attitude towards outside help and whether they feel it's a help or a hindrance.

I think all of us are weary of the pontifications of a man who in the past has deemed it necessary to fly at hat across the world to join him on stage!

Raising some money and awareness (although I guess there are few people who cannot already be aware of ebola) has to be a good thing; but I think those who wish to make their contribution in a different way should not be pilloried. Geldorf is out of order in his comments about Adele or anyone else who chooses to go about it in a different way. His unpleasant comments taint the whole Band Aid project. Bad call Bob.

I am going to be very in vogue this winter and tell the local choir not to sing their same old carols again this year to raise money for charity

Merlotgran, how many youngsters have heard the first record, my granddaughters certainly haven't, just what would you consider more appropriate ?

I think that I am a bit slow to realise this.

But do you think it makes things up entirely? [not talking about the Sunday Sport or some such types of papers]

I have very belatedly realised that some events are heightened, such as xfactor events on the show being over exaggerated, when commented on in print.

I havent yet cottoned on to things being entirely made up
It happens, right?

soontobe you must know how the British press love to twist things to make a story.

Indeed Anniebach. I agree 100% with you

Well said Anniebach.

If the story is made up, it makes you wonder where all the stories come from.

No idea who Adele is. Am surprised to read so much criticism of Geldof and the young singers who agreed to make this record. I doubt One Direction etc, needed the publicity . As for Geldof building his celebrity status by raising money for charities, really? A record thirty years ago and a record now is building his celebrity status? how cynical we have become , nit picking a group of people who have joined together to raise money, seems this Adele has gained more publicity by refusing to join in and we all now know she has donated - privately .

I'm annoyed that they keep churning out the same old dirge - isn't this the third time?

They are supposed to be songwriting talents. It wouldn't kill one of them to rattle off something more up to date and appropriate.

I applaud Adele for not being part of this tacky song. We really do not need this type of music to remind people, we are being shown images every single day.

Apart from one successful pop record, Bob Geldof seems to have built his celebrity status on his charity work - and there is at least an element of self-publicity for the other artistes involved.

I do find the whole thing tacky and patronising but the record has raised an awful lot of money, which is much needed.

I'm not a fan of Adele who I recall moaning about having to pay tax. However, I think she was perfectly entitled to decline involvement in the recording. If the remarks alleged to have been made by BG are true, I think they're unacceptable.

according to this it's a load of made-up rubbish

It's a bit rich, Bob Geldof making snide comments about Adele wanting to look after her child.

She probably kept quiet about her donation to Oxfam until Geldof was so gratuitously offensive about her.

If this Adele (whoever she is) gave the money so quietly to Oxfam, how come the press know about it? Couldn't have been that quiet.