George Clooney nominated to do the Ice Bucket Challenge

Silje wrote:Why do they do this Icebucket thing?

PigPen wrote:Rules of the game... if nominated, you either get doused with a bucket of ice water, or you donate $100.

Silje wrote:According to Twitter Michael Keaton has nominated Ben Affleck, Val Kilmer, George Clooney and Adam West.

Getting interesting..... I want to see that bucket G.

3 Batmans but Ben Affleck and Adam West??

LizzyNY wrote:Silje - Now, that's a picture I'd love to see but I'm not gonna hold my breath waiting for it! 

it's me wrote:I prefer him to pay

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The celebrity ice-bucket challenge leaves me cold
It's time we threw a bucket of cold water over the latest self-congratulatory celebrity fad, says Michael Hogan

By Michael Hogan

8:33AM BST 20 Aug 2014

Everyone’s at it. Top pop has-been Britney Spears. Your annoying workmate on Twitter. Spoon-faced gazillionaire Mark Zuckerberg. That bloke you never see but can’t bring yourself to defriend on Facebook. Footballers. Actors. The wacky-but-lonely functioning alky down the local pub. The likes of Lena Dunham, Suki Waterhouse, Rita Ora, Taylor Swift and Cara Delevingne, who are in the papers all the time but you’re not actually sure what they do. “It” is, of course, the Ice Bucket Challenge. And it’s become immensely irritating.

The viral craze du jour is, ostensibly at least, to raise awareness for the neurodegenerative illness ALS (me neither, but more of that shortly). Over the past week, ice-bucketing has swept the internet like ebola in a branch of Liberian Fried Chicken. We've now passed Peak Ice-Bucket. It’s surely a matter of mere hours before Piers Morgan gets involved, the official sign that something’s truly over.

The idea, if you’ve been fortunate enough to avoid it thus far, is to pour cold water, preferably containing ice cubes, over your head and post the video on social media. What fun! Such megalolz!! Epic ledgebantz!!! I’m sure this is exactly what Sir Tim Berners-Lee envisioned when he invented the worldwide web. Well, this and cute cat clips.

Teeth still chattering, the moist japester then nominates someone else to do likewise within a specified time frame. If they don’t, they have to donate to an ALS charity (not Al’s Charity, that’s probably a tax dodge for someone called Al). So, er, the more people who take up the challenge, the fewer donations. Somewhat skewed logic, especially as it seems most Americans would rather get drenched than donate.
Related Articles
As an indication of how idiotic it all is, pop prat Justin Bieber filmed two attempts because (duh) he got it wrong the first time around. Then he nominated no less than Barack Obama. The President, what with still having a shred of dignity, declined but made a donation anyway. Go Potus and Biebs! You two should totally do a buddy cop film together! Called "Yes We Canada"!

Thousands of slebs and civilians have been taking a cold shower to show how much they care about a disease most of them have never heard of. Well, here’s the science bit: ALS stands for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, known as Lou Gehrig's Disease in the States or motor neurone disease here in the UK, where it affects around 5,000 people. Over time, the motor neurons in their brain and spinal cord degenerate and die, which severely limits muscle movement. Because there’s no cure, this eventually leads to full paralysis, respiratory failure and death. Only 20 per cent of sufferers survive five years or more. Not so gnarly now, is it?

There’s also some debate about the fairness of Macmillan Cancer taking over the campaign here in the UK. Is this all for motor neurone disease or cancer support? Hey, who cares? Tom Hiddleston got wet!

Naturally, not many Ice-Bucket Challengers - or the onlookers tweeting such pithy bon mots as “loooool, Joey Essex is deffo the best #icebucketchallenge vid so far!” - are bothered by such trifling matters. This has ceased to be about raising funds or awareness, and more about that even more virulent disease: celebrity self-promotion. One big showbiz backslapping session. Famous people cyber-high-fiving while the rest of us rubber-neck. It makes them look cool, caring and gets them out of proper charity obligations for a few weeks. Result.

Obviously, the media has gone starry-eyed over the trend. Trouble is, most of the coverage is so busy gushing excitedly over celebrities in wet T-shirts/damp budgie-smugglers that the articles forget to say what ALS is, let alone its symptoms, why money is needed or how it will be used.

The Ice-Bucket Challenge is charity as vanity. A chance to publicly flaunt your altruism, while showing off how hot you look soaking wet. It’s social media exhibitionism, more about attention-seeking than philanthropy. Narcissism dressed up as something noble. A smugly superior spin on the Neknomination phenomenon. Instead of actually doing something, you can pretend you are, then you needn’t think about it ever again - even if you really thought about it in the first place.

Many participants are probably spending more on bagged ice and buckets than they’re donating to ALS causes. Anyway, does everyone who vows to donate end up actually doing so? Call me an stony-hearted cynic (the comments box below is handy for this) but I very much doubt it.

It’s just the latest example of “slacktivism” (aka "clicktivism" or "hashtag activism”): online engagement in a cause that requires minimal time, effort or genuine involvement. Feelgood but ultimately shallow, these showboating videos already feel like an exercise in raising awareness of nothing but oneself.

Ice-bucketing is the equivalent of clicking “like” on a Facebook cause or adding a “Twibbon” to your Twitter avatar. Or buying one of those Make Poverty History wristbands (like that quinoa-muncher out of Coldplay) or a Live Strong bracelet (like admirable role model Lance Armstrong). Or Stop Kony, Bring Back Our Girls, Movember, No Make-up Selfies or the other countless charidee fads that burn brightly then disappear, while the problem they purported to solve remains.

I’m not a total monster. I realise that the Ice-Bucket Challenge has raised millions for a worthy cause. I just wish it had been achieved in a less self-regarding way. It takes true character to give away one’s hard-earned cash without the promise of Facebook thumbs-ups or retweets in return.

Besides, I think we should raise the stakes. Make it the Lice Bucket Challenge, in which celebrities pour hair parasites over their heads. Or the Hyancinth Bucket Challenge, where they get lectured on etiquette by a '90s sitcom social climber. I’d definitely donate if Justin Bieber did that one.

Nicky80 wrote:Interesting point of view in the article...I agree with the writer ...but I still like to see WET George   

Nicky80 wrote:Interesting point of view in the article...I agree with the writer ...but I still like to see WET George   

Silje wrote:And I tried to keep it decent. Hmmmm      







    

Way2Old4Dis wrote:

Silje wrote:And I tried to keep it decent. Hmmmm      







    

You have to know by now what a futile effort that is.

Joanna wrote:

PigPen wrote:Rules of the game... if nominated, you either get doused with a bucket of ice water, or you donate $100.

That doesn't sound right to me....so many famous people are being doused.....SO.....
they're NOT contributing ????   

Cant believe that !

Katiedot wrote:Bah humbug and all that, but this more or less catches how I feel about this:

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The celebrity ice-bucket challenge leaves me cold
It's time we threw a bucket of cold water over the latest self-congratulatory celebrity fad, says Michael Hogan

By Michael Hogan

8:33AM BST 20 Aug 2014

Everyone’s at it. Top pop has-been Britney Spears. Your annoying workmate on Twitter. Spoon-faced gazillionaire Mark Zuckerberg. That bloke you never see but can’t bring yourself to defriend on Facebook. Footballers. Actors. The wacky-but-lonely functioning alky down the local pub. The likes of Lena Dunham, Suki Waterhouse, Rita Ora, Taylor Swift and Cara Delevingne, who are in the papers all the time but you’re not actually sure what they do. “It” is, of course, the Ice Bucket Challenge. And it’s become immensely irritating.

The viral craze du jour is, ostensibly at least, to raise awareness for the neurodegenerative illness ALS (me neither, but more of that shortly). Over the past week, ice-bucketing has swept the internet like ebola in a branch of Liberian Fried Chicken. We've now passed Peak Ice-Bucket. It’s surely a matter of mere hours before Piers Morgan gets involved, the official sign that something’s truly over.

The idea, if you’ve been fortunate enough to avoid it thus far, is to pour cold water, preferably containing ice cubes, over your head and post the video on social media. What fun! Such megalolz!! Epic ledgebantz!!! I’m sure this is exactly what Sir Tim Berners-Lee envisioned when he invented the worldwide web. Well, this and cute cat clips.

Teeth still chattering, the moist japester then nominates someone else to do likewise within a specified time frame. If they don’t, they have to donate to an ALS charity (not Al’s Charity, that’s probably a tax dodge for someone called Al). So, er, the more people who take up the challenge, the fewer donations. Somewhat skewed logic, especially as it seems most Americans would rather get drenched than donate.
Related Articles
As an indication of how idiotic it all is, pop prat Justin Bieber filmed two attempts because (duh) he got it wrong the first time around. Then he nominated no less than Barack Obama. The President, what with still having a shred of dignity, declined but made a donation anyway. Go Potus and Biebs! You two should totally do a buddy cop film together! Called "Yes We Canada"!

Thousands of slebs and civilians have been taking a cold shower to show how much they care about a disease most of them have never heard of. Well, here’s the science bit: ALS stands for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, known as Lou Gehrig's Disease in the States or motor neurone disease here in the UK, where it affects around 5,000 people. Over time, the motor neurons in their brain and spinal cord degenerate and die, which severely limits muscle movement. Because there’s no cure, this eventually leads to full paralysis, respiratory failure and death. Only 20 per cent of sufferers survive five years or more. Not so gnarly now, is it?

There’s also some debate about the fairness of Macmillan Cancer taking over the campaign here in the UK. Is this all for motor neurone disease or cancer support? Hey, who cares? Tom Hiddleston got wet!

Naturally, not many Ice-Bucket Challengers - or the onlookers tweeting such pithy bon mots as “loooool, Joey Essex is deffo the best #icebucketchallenge vid so far!” - are bothered by such trifling matters. This has ceased to be about raising funds or awareness, and more about that even more virulent disease: celebrity self-promotion. One big showbiz backslapping session. Famous people cyber-high-fiving while the rest of us rubber-neck. It makes them look cool, caring and gets them out of proper charity obligations for a few weeks. Result.

Obviously, the media has gone starry-eyed over the trend. Trouble is, most of the coverage is so busy gushing excitedly over celebrities in wet T-shirts/damp budgie-smugglers that the articles forget to say what ALS is, let alone its symptoms, why money is needed or how it will be used.

The Ice-Bucket Challenge is charity as vanity. A chance to publicly flaunt your altruism, while showing off how hot you look soaking wet. It’s social media exhibitionism, more about attention-seeking than philanthropy. Narcissism dressed up as something noble. A smugly superior spin on the Neknomination phenomenon. Instead of actually doing something, you can pretend you are, then you needn’t think about it ever again - even if you really thought about it in the first place.

Many participants are probably spending more on bagged ice and buckets than they’re donating to ALS causes. Anyway, does everyone who vows to donate end up actually doing so? Call me an stony-hearted cynic (the comments box below is handy for this) but I very much doubt it.

It’s just the latest example of “slacktivism” (aka "clicktivism" or "hashtag activism”): online engagement in a cause that requires minimal time, effort or genuine involvement. Feelgood but ultimately shallow, these showboating videos already feel like an exercise in raising awareness of nothing but oneself.

Ice-bucketing is the equivalent of clicking “like” on a Facebook cause or adding a “Twibbon” to your Twitter avatar. Or buying one of those Make Poverty History wristbands (like that quinoa-muncher out of Coldplay) or a Live Strong bracelet (like admirable role model Lance Armstrong). Or Stop Kony, Bring Back Our Girls, Movember, No Make-up Selfies or the other countless charidee fads that burn brightly then disappear, while the problem they purported to solve remains.

I’m not a total monster. I realise that the Ice-Bucket Challenge has raised millions for a worthy cause. I just wish it had been achieved in a less self-regarding way. It takes true character to give away one’s hard-earned cash without the promise of Facebook thumbs-ups or retweets in return.

Besides, I think we should raise the stakes. Make it the Lice Bucket Challenge, in which celebrities pour hair parasites over their heads. Or the Hyancinth Bucket Challenge, where they get lectured on etiquette by a '90s sitcom social climber. I’d definitely donate if Justin Bieber did that one.

theminis wrote:Well I will be the first to rant if we don't see a video of George getting wet!!