... is one of the most stupid things that I've seen.
Let me elaborate.
The Ice Bucket challenge started as a fundraising activity (most of you probably heard of it already) to help research to find a cure for
ALS. While it is in itself a good idea to raise funds, the method used could have been done better. Currently, people are wasting
huge amounts of potable water, and for what? Literally nothing. That same water could be put to a much better use (although that's another matter, and won't be discussed here). If you really cared, you would simply donate money, you would not pour water on yourself. Basically, once someone nominates you, you have to pour water on yourself then give $10. If you don't, you have to give $100? Not is it entirely stupid, it's also disrespectful to people suffering from ALS. If you could ask 100 people who did the Ice Bucket Challenge "Did you know about ALS before this challenge?", at least 95 of them would say no. On one hand, it's good since it raises awareness, and that's always a good thing. On the other hand, it's bad since it means a lot of people are doing it to "fit in", which is a flawed and stupid concept (although that's again another matter which won't be discussed here), and not to actually support the cause.
Alison McDaniel on Facebook made
a video, which can be summed up to say that you're supposed to donate money, and if you drop water on yourself and recording it, you're just being an attention whore. While I don't entirely agree with all she says, what I do agree with is the fact that you're not supposed to drop water on yourself "just because". If you do it, which I find dumb myself, at least donate a reasonable amount of money to the research.
And then, of course, there's the fact that you have to donate $100 if you refuse to do it. Wait what? So basically, if I don't want to do a silly challenge, I have to pay for it? Where's the logic in that? All it achieves is people dropping water on themselves to avoid giving a hundred dollars. In other words, it achieves nothing positive. At all. It doesn't show you care, it just shows you want some attention and don't want to give much.
But then all of this is my opinion, and then there are the people who go all "You're the one who's stupid, Ice Bucket is a great way to raise awareness and it shows you care!" because there will always be someone who will disagree with you, no matter what. So I know some people are going to disagree, others will agree and some will stay neutral.
What are your thoughts?
-Vgr