Angelina Jolie in Chad (03/12/07)

[Palermo]

The picture of the little boy being tethered to the pole like a dog is very upsetting to me.

[Born In A Brothel]

Originally Posted by Rambie

I can see how these beautiful pics could convince someone naive that she is doing what is right but I simply don't buy it. Sure she can go help strange children in Africa but she can't even reconcile with her own father and allow her daughter to have a grandfather? Come on!

Well color me naive, because I do think she is doing what is right. You can't go wrong with raising awareness and donating your own money to help those in need. Maybe I'm wrong and should instead critize and call her fake from the comforts of my own non photo op orchestrated hundreds of thousands check writing adopting computer.

What does her father have to do with this?

I don't care who she is, I see her doing something to help out and that's props in my book. Wait, we should all tell those needy starving kids that we don't need their staged pictures with Angelina because they are all fake and who the hell wants to read about her stupid missions and fake chairty work. Right?

Jealous bitter fattie.

[ZuluMoon]

That poor little boy. Angelina is at least bringing attention to this situation.

[Born In A Brothel]

Originally Posted by Rambie

I agree, it is great she does give to these people who truly need it. But all the pics and talk about it is so uncanny/staged/unnatural. Many, Many celebs give money to good causes but most of them are not constantly taking pictures of themselves doing it.

She is a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador.

It's part of her job.

[greeneyedbeauty]

^ I didn't even notice that. Why are they taking a picture of her holding him instead of undoing that rope?!

[Picara]

Originally Posted by greeneyedbeauty

^ I didn't even notice that. Why are they taking a picture of her holding him instead of undoing that rope?!

Yeah, I didn't notice that at first either. I wonder what that's all about?

[Palermo]

Newsweek said his family does it to keep him from wandering away. According to aid workers he saw his village bombed when he was 3 and hid alone in the bush for two days before his family found him and fled across the border. He now has mental problems.

[Voodoo Child]

Originally Posted by january

I agree with you so much. There's a brilliant line in Blood Diamond when Leonardo tells Jennifer Connelly something along the lines of "You Americans, thinking you can save Africa, come over here with your malaria medication and your tiny bottles of hand sanitizers and spend just enough time to realize you're not helping." Its so very true. Angelina has countless bodyguards, a private jet to use at her leisure, the UN to pick up her tab when she stays at luxurious 5 star hotels...the list goes on and on. There are true saints living in Africa, working among the people, who will never get their faces on the front page news, and the real beauty is, THEY DON'T WANT IT. Angelina will never realize the true nature of Africa, because she visits only where it is truly safe, and only where she can get the best photo opportunities. There are alot of people who want to "promote awareness" (I hate that phrase) but they will never get their hands dirty. I find these pics utterly distasteful and crude, actually.

I totally agree. Even the ones who are saying well it makes us look at the big picture, yeah right and.. what are you doing to help? More than likely nothing other than wanting to look at Angelina! Sorry but it's true.

[Voodoo Child]

Originally Posted by greeneyedbeauty

^ I didn't even notice that. Why are they taking a picture of her holding him instead of undoing that rope?!

There lies my point. Most people didn't notice the rope or even read what she said about the young boy. Not meaning to single you in particular greeneyedbeauty. I didn't notice the rope myself.

[arie_skop]

Originally Posted by effie2

Could never realige the WORK thing.
Actual work is NOT what those ignorants are doing.
TRaveling in style ,living in 5 stars hotels,snapping sad pictures and jet home satisfied,it is not work.
Work is what people does living in the place,giving them selves and getting sick to help the refugees,not what those idiots are doing along with the corrupted political system.
My kis WORK with the refugees and they know no Sunday rest for years.I find that attitude of UN insulting to my intelligence to say the least.THe pseudo humanitarianism of the likes of Miss Jolie ,can only anger me .Let me tell you,i find the Lohans and Britneys of this world A LOT more sincere.

Good point, most of the care workers or missionaries generally stay with the poor on a long term basis. They don't go back home to their luxury homes, or continue to adopt kids.
Yes, it is great Angelina is raising awareness and donating, but these photos annoy me, because it becomes about her. Not about the poor and starving.

[PrettyGirl]

To assume that everyone in the world has access to the internet, to newspapers or other sophisticated means of mass communication is absurd. To even assume that everyone on this planet can let alone read or write is even more naive. So it's very strange thinking to assume that everyone who needs to know about these issues (especially pertaining to Third World countries) do.

WE live in a highly developed country. The entire planet isn't so lucky. To many people across the globe, they go to their corner stores and flip through magazines to see pictures. Many people enjoy just seeing pictures of artists not just from their own countries, but specifically from America.

You have no idea the fame people like Angelina Jolie have. I've seen it. People in many parts of the globe love American music. They love American movies. They love American celebrities. Many of these people don't even know English, don't understand it (or they understand very little), but you ask them about Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley, or any other well-known American celebrity (past or present) and they know them. When I went to the Phillippines, some people there didn't even know English but guess what? They knew all the words to 'Billy Jean'. When I go to Mexico I'm surprised how people there don't want to learn English, yet they know by memory the names of all the actors from a certain movie or they know who's married to who in Hollywood. Let's not omit Asia and Europe either...the fame many American celebrities have in these places is pretty astounding also.

Celebrities have a lot of power. Their fame transcends continents and maybe not to us, but to many people in other parts of the world they do inspire people and shed light about certain issues. If these celebrities can use that influence via a photograph or a sound bite on a local television station in some corner of the world for something other than themselves, that's a good thing. I don't see the harm in that. In the end, I think most people try to do the best they can with what they have. If Brad and Angelina are doing the little they can, my hat's off to them. No one knows anyone else's heart (or intentions) except their own.

[savvy]

There are people who live day in/day out helping people on the front lines. Those are aid workers and missionaries. Angelina is not one of them. But she admits that and acknowledges that she lives a world of priviledge while others are doing so much more.

I just don't see the critical hoopla. She was never an aid worker or pretended to be. She's an ambassador who is simply trying to bring attention to a different part of the world, and it is hard to deny that she's been hugely successful at it, more so that any other celebrity. And it's BECAUSE she's a celebrity that she can do this.

Newsweek will publish a story about Africa only WITH Angelina Jolie, or not at all. Those are the options. You don't get the cake and eat it to.

The couture clothes and 4 star hotels is so not the issue. She never agreed to sacrifice herself to her charities. This is baffling to me. It's like giving thousand dollars to charity and then getting criticized for not giving ten thousand. "You know, if you really cared you would sell your house."

[europa]

Doesn't matter if she does it for attention or whatever, children and people in need are being helped, that's the only thing that counts.

[Rambie]

I am not saying what she is doing is bad, IT IS GREAT that she is helping these people I just think her intentions are dishonest, as someone mentioned above she makes it all about her. I think she is so self absorbed and ego maniacal, thats all. I don't like her as a person, I think what she is doing is wonderful, but I can't respect her and I don't have to like her. Is that okay with you Saavy, if I just simply don't like Angelina Jolie? Let me know?

[cora]

But she can`t adopt every needy child in the world. It`s only a drop in the ocean, their situation has to be changed basically.