I know that she means well, but do Africans really care if Angelina Jolie visits them? What is the point?

Question

I am sick of these rich actors with way too much free time jetting all over the world and trying to shame us somehow. The average person is not heartless - but we are also not millionaires either. Our last 4 weeks of work didn't net us 20 million.
They seem to be self obsessed - it really doesn't seem to being doing anyone any good at all. Why don't they just give their causes their own money? They have it after all - the working folks don't.

I don't think that her visit really does draw attention to anything in a real way. Can anyone name the areas she visited off the top of your head? The press doesn't really care why she is there, just what she is wearing.

The cost of her security, private air travel and meals etc....could pay for quite alot of food and medicine.I think they (celebrities) may mean well, but they are actually cheapening others true efforts by making it fashionable/fadish.

Answer 1

Opinion. No, they don't care that a celebrity is visiting them. They care that they will get more aid because of the exposure 'rich actors' give them.
It's an interesting problem because Africa needs aid, but having it just given to them is not sorting the problem out. It means that as soon as they are out of the news, the aid stops coming in and they are back at square one.
I think a more long term solution is to educate people - then they can help themselves.

Answer 2

Actually, she *is* giving the causes her own money. But the amounts of money necessary to fight many global problems is beyond the scope of even the richest of actors.

One of the reasons actors and actresses promote their travels and charity work is because their fame puts them in a position to draw attention to problems that might otherwise be ignored by the media (and thus unknown to the general public).

I mean, let me ask you: Would you know very much about the problems of diseased or poverty-stricken people in Africa if there was never any coverage of it on your tv or in your newspapers and magazines? How could you? And yet, sadly, the mass media often won't cover these sorts of things unless there's a celebrity there to gawk at.

And, equally sadly, the governments -- who *do* have enough money and influence to help -- often won't do anything about these problems unless forced to do so. By bringing attention to these issues and keeping the spotlight on them, celebrities like Angelina Jolie and Bono help to keep the pressure on politicians to do something about it. THAT'S the point of promoting her visits to Africa.

Also, when you ask if Africans care that Angelina Jolie is visiting, I think you underestimate what she's actually doing out there. She's not just showing up with cameras, waving as she drives by, signing a couple of autographs, and leaving. She's gone out and helped detonate land mines (not only assisting in the actual work, but helping to bring attention to the problem of unexploded landmines killing and maiming innocent men, women, and children). She's gone out and helped build huts for Africans suffering in extreme poverty. Heck, she even adopted two kids from the depths of poverty. She's done her part.

Also, I don't think she (or anyone) is expecting everyone else to donate millions of dollars and jet around doing good works. Obviously, we don't all have the money and time to give. But we *can* certainly give what we each can spare, right? THAT should be what you take from Angelina's example. Do whatever you can, just don't forget that they're out there and they need help.

Answer 3

What these celebrities are doing is show off. By adopting a child or two cannot solve problems of millions of these people. I think she is displacing a child from its culture, natural environment and put in a diff rent and alien social atmosphere like some prized souvenir.
They should provide some trust with which more of these children can be taken care in their native place with their dear and near people and familiar environment. IF THEY ARE SERIOUS about helping some body, rather than publicity sake.
They should provide some trust through which few children could get help in financing for their health and education.These children in turn could become building blocks for further development. We can achieve greater development by small contributions of larage numbers

Answer 4

concidering an aveage full time working person in the uk gets £18,500 a year thats AVERAGE. you could send donations, well angelina earns up to £11million a movie and she donates a good percentage to the less fortunate countries. she goes there to see the progress and cheer up the children and there families, so she might spent a few grand getting there but look at what they get from her she does a lot, and she doesnt have loads of free time, shes working full time and has 3 children, she makes time and puts a lot of effort into it. we dont see the likes of you donating even £1 to these poor countries, i do a lot of charity work but i admit most is for animal rescues but thats because not many people like saving animals, but i do...

Answer 5

you summed that up greatly. angelina makes all those appearances all over africa, yet the people still suffer, and are hungry, and are dying. so they could care less that she's staying in a five stare hotel in their city. it's not helping them. celebrities need to put all their money to real causes, not just as a means to say they've traveled to third world countries and empathized with the people, then came back to their $10 million dollar coastal homes.

Answer 6

Why the heck should you care what she does.. Really is it any of your business that she does aids stuff for africa or she screws some guy there ...

She has a right to do what ever makes her happy

Answer 7

American Celebrities who go to Africa have a 'saviour' complex. A colonial 'need' to 'tame the noble savage'. Really quite tokenistic and patronizing, I think.......

Answer 8

Africans wants to see sexy Angelina.What she tells is not important,what she shows matters much.

Answer 9

I wish I was one of the children she picked

Answer 10

Hopefully she is protecting them from Madonna...