Claiborne and Haw collaborate for the Magnus Opus of Social Justice. Whimsical, delightful, profound.
Idolatry
This from American Idol, via Kamp Krusty:
The cost of a 30 second ad on American Idol averages $600,000. For the finale that figure can be $1M +. Even at the base price of $600,000 per half minute, that's still $20,000 per second of advertising.
Think of how many church parking lots could be paved with that kind of money.









Reader Comments (9)
No one wants to help mom with the dishes."
-Unknown
HennHouse - Yup. The amount of money that gets spent on the building never ceases to amaze me. Paved parking lots - in particular - just make me angry.
LOVE LIKE HIM,
G.B.U.
Michael <>< <>< <><
I am impressed by the video that is running on the big screen in the background. I mean, they have african children on the video. American Idol is feeding African children, or putting them through school or something? Or maybe after the show, the idols will head over to africa in their pristeen white outfits and build a well!
I should really watch the show, I would love to have known what they are doing for those african children.
the lady at the end of the couch - It's just a little gift I have.
Bene D - All those white suits...
Vikki: they have created the "Idol Gives Back Foundation".
From the web page:
[quote]Idol Gives Back Foundation is a new not-for-profit organization established by the producers of American Idol and FOX to raise money and awareness for children and families living in poverty and at risk in the U.S. and abroad. Idol Gives Back Foundation is harnessing American Idol's ability to capture America's hearts and the power of entertainment to benefit some of the poorest and most vulnerable people in the world.[end quote]
So... they don't actually give any money - the viewer does. They mail out the cheques when the time comes. There's some wonderful photos of multi-millionaire Idol stars spending a half hour with African school children before flying home on their chartered jet, so I suppose that's a good thing.
The website is here: http://www.americanidol.com/idolgivesback/foundation/
Perhaps I'm just a little too cynical for my own good...
www.borgenproject.org
Annual Cost of Improving the World
• $19 billion: Eliminates starvation and malnutrition globally.
• $12 billion: Provides education for every kid on earth.
• $15 billion: Provides access to water and sanitation.
• $23 billion: Reverses the spread of AIDS and Malaria.
Total: $69 Billion