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This is how I view it. I first heard about it when Edelman did it and then a few people on FB did it, then it caught like wildfire. A bunch of celebs, daily talk show hosts, sports figures/entire teams have participated. Plus like half my friends on FB have done it. I think most people enjoy calling out their family/friends to pour ice water on themselves.
All in all, it's for a good cause, and it has made a lot of money for the cause. And people get to get their friends wet. Who doesn't like to get their friends wet?
I think its a good cause. It hasn't caught on here, I only know of celebrities doing it, but even if people are donating because it's trendy and to make themselves look good what's the problem with that?
I hadn't heard of ALS before the challenge started, and now I have, so it's doing its job.
I hadn't heard of ALS before the challenge started, and now I have, so it's doing its job.
Vermillion
Banned
waiting for the inevitable campaign to get clean water to those in need in ~1000 years. Then we can use this to showcase what we did to ourselves. "THEY DUMPED HOW MANY GALLONS ON THEIR OWN HEADS? AND THEN LAUGHED ABOUT IT?"
I hate ALS and am glad it's raised as much money as it has.
I hate ALS and am glad it's raised as much money as it has.
Or they hate fun. The argument that this whole thing has been, in the end, a bad thing because it takes away from other charities is one of the most asinine things I've ever heard.
Anyway, I haven't done it myself, no one's nominated me yet, but I've filmed a fair share of them at this point. I donated 50 dollars as well because whatever.
Also Jesus...the cynics in this thread...
Am I allowed to be cynical about how absolutely dumbed down its become as it spreads?
It went from getting attention about a disease and a charity, and how to contribute. To seeing dozens and dozens of posts that don't even mention ALS, just videos of people doing reverse dunk tanks for fun. And that is definitely a problem.
It went from getting attention about a disease and a charity, and how to contribute. To seeing dozens and dozens of posts that don't even mention ALS, just videos of people doing reverse dunk tanks for fun. And that is definitely a problem.
Not if it keeps raising money. How much awareness was being raised before this started? The logic being employed here stinks.
God Dayumm
Banned
I don't want to get a cold or a concussion from falling ice cubes "/
backflip10019
Member
I personally have not and wouldn't even if I was challenged. Most of the people who I've seen do it are approaching it as a chain letter. One girl (an ex-girlfriend actually) said something like, "Thanks, Kelly, you bitch, for nominating me for this," and then proceeded to dump water on her head without mentioning the cause or anything. Like every other viral charity awareness campaign, it's been diluted to the point where it doesn't mean anything.
Except for the $15+ million raised to fight the disease so far. So yeah, pretty much nothing.
Seriously. How many people even knew that Lou Gehrig's Disease was ALS before this?
People care way too much about the act itself. This is similar to the people who hate Penny Arcade getting people to contribute to charities because "they should be more humble about it and not try to be such primadonnas when it comes to helping other people. That's what charity is right?"
TheSpoiler
Member
Yeah, this big damn distraction gave the foundation millions more than before. What worthless waste of time, am I right?
Hey there, watch it with that edge. You might accidentally cut yourself.
Plenty of people on my Facebook linked to the organization, or at least used the hashtag.
There's nothing to indicate that it gets "dumbed down" just because it gets bigger. In fact, as a link in a previous post shows, they've gained way more funding this way than before. Your sample size and even mine don't stand for a good enough reflection on how it helps - the numbers show that, and it is.
The real problem here is how cynical people are about a trend that's actively helping people and in no way harming the core point.
backflip10019
Member
Yes, it's raised money and awareness of the disease which is great, but it's happening for the wrong reasons. People want to get recognition for the fact that they're donating to a cause instead of just donating to that cause without any recognition or reward for their charity.
What about the people who don't actually donate as part of the challenge? They're taking advantage of a charity for their own celebrity.
This is concern trolling at its worst. Cynicism sucks but stupid, illogical, harmful cynicism sucks more.
At worst they raise awareness.
KernelPanic
Member
It's still raising money and awareness. If some people are doing it for the wrong reasons then so be it, maybe that's what you have to do these days to get mainstream exposure.
People are having silly fun with it while directly or indirectly contributing to a good cause.
You should calm down a bit. I never said it was a waste of time, I simply speculated that it seems like a distraction. Sorry that you are offended by a bit of skepticism. All the sarcasm will make it better, am I right?
That's the thing though... who cares? Certainly the ones who are helped by the amount of money they're getting, do not. The self-perception of people, their egos and whatnot is really the least interesting or important thing here. Everyyone should treat that side of the whole issue as what it is, trivial.
This article on the topic is good -- http://m.vice.com/read/dumping-a-bucket-of-ice-on-your-head-does-not-make-you-a-philanthropist-813
More money for any cause is good -- but people dumping water instead of donating is not.
More money for any cause is good -- but people dumping water instead of donating is not.
Not the dumb vice article again. Raising awareness is absolutely a good thing, and the charities benefitting from this campaign will all tell you that. Whether you donate, raise awareness or do both, it means more money for these organizations fighting this disease.
CitizenCope
Member
Done it and donated. Must have started here in the Northeast because my FB has been flooded with them for weeks now.
Put a funnel down my shorts and brought the pain.
Put a funnel down my shorts and brought the pain.
No, I didn't needlessly dump water on my head.
It started in Boston.
Got challenged and donated 50$. I posted a screen shot of the email confirmation when I donated instead of dumping ice water on my head. Raising awareness is good and all, but if you're going to accept the challenge then you should donate something. Posting a video dumping water over your head doesn't prove you donated anything and I'll assume you did it just for fb likes.
CitizenCope
Member
Well that's where I am so that makes sense.
Rich Uncle Skeleton
Member
This might be the most accurate use of this image I've ever seen. Some people in here are actually grumpy about a trend that has raised millions of dollars for a good cause just because people are having fun while doing it. That's pathetic.
You can do both.
Most people I've seen do this have done both.
Everyone I've personally filmed has done both.
A distraction from what, though? This whole thing was started by a man, Peter Frates I think, who has ALS. I first saw this on my FB feed when Julian Edelman took part in it. I really didn't think it would catch on, but here we are, a few weeks later, talking about it.
Are they really making it about themselves? A majority of the videos I've seen are just people mentioning whom they were nominated by and then who they are challenging then a dump of some fashion.
Because the point is to maximize the effect and raise awareness as well. It's obviously working.
Because god forbid people have fun with a charitable situation, right?
Guess we should shut down donation based marathons too. Charity auctions? The gall...
backflip10019
Member
Disagreeing with someone's opinion is one thing, but saying their opinion is stupid, illogical and harmful sucks more.
Unless it's true. Your reasoning is terrible and yet you persist in decrying a campaign responsible for raising millions upons millions of dollars for a worthy cause. Why? If this went away tomorrow what do you perceive the benefit to the world would be?
I guess this makes sense but I'm pretty cynical and it just seems weird to see all the fun n games around ALS
RastaMentality
Banned
Obviously not everybody is going to donate but if at least a higher percentage of the total people who are seeing and doing these videos decide to donate then something good is happening.
A guy with ALS started it.
Broder Salsa
Banned
If only it was funny. I'm all for spreading awareness for ALS, but this ice bucket shit is the least entertaining thing in the world.
backflip10019
Member
I literally only said that I think most people are doing it for the wrong reasons, which has led to the meaning behind the challenge being diluted, and that I personally wouldn't partake in it. I'm not decrying it for raising funds and awareness for a terrible disease -- it's obviously been effective. It's just that in my opinion, some people are taking advantage of it for their own benefit.
Please stop projecting your own opinions onto me.
Why does it matter to you if people want to be attention whores?
If it's not this, they'll find some other way. In the end, this at least raises (a lot of) money for a good cause.
backflip10019
Member
Because I don't think it's right for people to take advantage of a charitable cause for their own benefit, even if it does benefit the charity in a nominal way.
"why does it matter" is the least substantial criticism (of criticism) possible. Why do people care about things you don't? Why are people bothered by things? That's not even trying to have a discussion.
"The meaning behind the challenge being diluted." Even granting you the truth of this for the sake of discussion, please explain to me what practical effect this has on reality. Is the money they collect worth less? Is the awareness raised somehow bad?
Before this happened there was less money raised for ALS and less people that knew about the disease and the efforts to fight it. Your criticisms don't attempt to nullify these benefits and don't even attempt to suggest they would improve if the message were somehow not diluted, whatever that means.
Is $15.6 million nominal? In the same period last year, the foundation raised $1.8 million.
Yeah, really "nominal."
All people have done is put videos of themselves on the Internet. A guy with ALS started the whole thing. The only reason to actually have a problem with it is simply to be obstinate.
"Why does it matter?" and "Why does it matter if...?" are completely different questions. I qualified my question with pertinent information, which the person to whom I was speaking made a logical response from his perspective.
You are the one who doesn't understand discussion. Until you do understand, please refrain from addressing me.
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