Hope For Haiti Now (And, Tonight, Everywhere)

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by Rachel Sklar | 8:50 pm, January 22nd, 2010

» 10 comments

Right now, on umpteen channels across the dial — ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, CNN, MTV, VH1, BET, the CW, HBO, CMT, PBS, TNT, Showtime, Comedy Central, Bravo, E!, Oxygen, G4, Current and more — plus scores of websites via embeddable livestreams, the “Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief” telethon is sending the message to a battered nation that the world cares, and will help. Prime mover George Clooney is hosting in LA with Yele Haiti’s Wyclef Jean (pictured) in New York and Anderson Cooper in Port-au-Prince, and they and the organizers at MTV have marshaled a truly stunning array of celebrities to pitch into the cause — on the performing side, from Bruce Springsteen, Shakira, Beyonce, Alicia Keys, Haitian artist Emeline Michel, Jennifer Hudson, Mary J. Blige, Taylor Swift, Sting Christina Aguilera, John Legend and Justin Timberlake; answering phones, Samuel L. Jackson, Tim Robbins, Tobey Maguire, Chevy Chase, Jeremy Piven, Meg Ryan, Charlize Theron, David Arquette, Mel Gibson (!), Leo Di Caprio, Steven Spielberg, John Krasinski, Emily Blunt, Robin Williams, Billy Crystal, Reese Witherspoon, Sigourney Weaver, Amanda Peet, Ellen Degeneres, Julia Roberts and Neil Patrick Harris — all for charities including Oxfam, Partners in Health, Unicef, Red Cross and Yele Haiti.

Watch at here.

The performances are beautiful but the stories told are truly tragic, and harrowing — what Wyclef Jean had to say about what he’s been doing in Haiti, moving rubble and burying friends, should quell some of the noise about his Yele Haiti finances, for a bit at least — but for now, this is about people putting all that (even that line between journalist and advocate and celebrity) behind in order to come together to make a difference.

How to make it:

There are many ways viewers can contribute to the telethon. Donations can be made online at HopeForHaitiNow.org, over the phone by calling (877) 99-HAITI, by texting the word “GIVE” to 50555 or by mail addressed to Hope for Haiti Now Fund, Entertainment Industry Foundation, 1201 West 5th St., Suite T-700, Los Angeles, CA, 90017.

Video: George Clooney’s Opening Remarks & Bruce Springsteen’s Performance

Video: Madonna Performs ‘Like A Prayer’

#helphaiti, George Clooney, Haiti, Hope For Haiti Now, Madonna, Robert Pattinson, Robert Pattinson Haiti

BJL411

“everywhere” except Fox Snooze channel…
Facebook User

Here’s the video of Jay-Z, Rihanna and Bono debuting their new song “Stranded (Haiti Mon Amour)”:
http://www.gotchamediablog.com/2010/01/jay-z-rihanna-and-bono-debut-new-song.html
TfT

From the NYTimes this morning:

After praising the performers for both the performance and their participating and not making it about them, but about the victims of the earthquake, they had this to say:

“The most showbiz-y of all was the CNN anchor Anderson Cooper, who chimed in live from Haiti, describing the misery there framed by images of desperation, sometimes with a little too much bathos for a newsman.”
libra blue

When a celebrity shows up at these events it always ends up being about them. Let’s be honest, they are getting free publicity. I couldn’t help but think that all that pomp and circumstance could have been avoided if those celebrities participating in the telethon would just empty their pocket change. They could rebuild that entire country with their throw away money and not even feel it.

@TfT, I gave Anderson the benefit of the doubt after the “rescue” of that young boy, but I thought his inclusion of the incident in his “Reporter’s Notebook” at the end of 360 seemed unsavory.

Although CNN has had some great reporting by some first rate journalists, especially in the early hours of this tragedy, imo, last night’s programming looked like CNN was trying to turn Haiti into another Katrina for themselves and Anderson.
TfT

libra:

HUFFPO: “Please Anderson, stop…just stop”

He has gone over the top for whatever reason. It could be he is overwhelmed by the incident and probably is. But there is other news in the world. People are helping, supplies are arriving, it’s time for Anderson to come home and let others report.
sarainitaly

BJL411 says:
January 23, 2010 at 12:09 am
“everywhere” except Fox Snooze channel…

I saw mediamatters and crooks and liars were up to their usual FOX is racist bullcrap about this. FBC ran the telethon on their network station, which happens to be the #1 network this season across Adults 18-49, Adults 18-34 and Teens.

Almost every other channel carried this, so was it necessary that FBC run the telethon on BOTH of their #1 rated channels? Did it ever occur to you that some people don’t need celebrities to tell them to donate money? Not everyone in America cares what Madonna or Leo DiCaprio have to say, or need celebs in Hollywood to tell them what the “right thing” to do is.

It’s also possible that people donated before or during the telethon, but didn’t feel the need to watch two hours of celebrities and singers they might not care about. I think it was a great thing for them to do, but it is bullcrap to call FOX News racist because they didn’t air a telethon on both of their stations (A telethon run by a bunch of celebrities that continuosly insult FOX, and their viewers, calling them racist, and hateful names).

I also wonder if the fact that Anderson Cooper played a major roll had something to do with FOX not airing the program? Did they invite any other reporters who are in Haiti? CNN certainly played a major roll… is that the job of FOX news to provide a forum for CNN/Cooper?

Fox News Channel is the news arm of FBC, and a star studded telethon is not necessarily news, is it? The news is that there was a telethon, and FOX reported the news. Bill O”reilly also talked about the telethon during his show, and FOX advertised it online. If people wanted to watch it, they could.

And by the way, HLN didn’t carry the telethon either.
libra blue

TfT,

“It could be he is overwhelmed by the incident and probably is.”

That is a very real possibility. Anderson may be trying to live up to expectations, by trying to surpass or equal his coverage of Katrina, but he was a different reporter then. He really had nothing to prove and his sincerity and honesty shone through, but this is a different set of circumstances.

@sarainitaly,

Unlike the other news organizations CNN had a physical presence in this telethon. I bet the other news channels were thrilled when Wyclef Jean started singing about Anderson.
TinaFromTampa

tft
Would you please stop trying to run CNN?
Certainly, you must have something better to do.
Let’s see… maybe you could plan for your next meeting of your “Claymate” pals?
TfT

NSA (posting here at TinafromTampa); can you please stop stalking me and get a life? Your posts are a waste of space and time.
TinaFromTampa

I was hoping you would at least attempt to refute your status as a Claymate… but it’s something you’re proud of. It’s ok.