do you know it's christmas in africa?

ever been mad at the world while eating a chocolate donut and sipping on a cappucino? that's what i just did. mad at the world, mad at band aid, mad at the lady at the ministry who told me to "come at 2 o'clock," mad at the kid who called me an italian, mad at the beggarman who rubbed my penis.

it's christmas here today, and i guess i'm not in the "christmas mood." someone commented, "you were sick last christmas," and i thought, maybe i'm allergic.

the occasion beckons, so i ask, have you ever realized how utterly stupid band aid's "do they know it's christmas [in africa]?" is? it actually took a friend's pointing out for me to see the eurocentrism and western arrogance that bleed through the singers' heartfelt charity. that's just how normal the idiocy of western arrogance has become.

it struck me like an epiphany, yeah, i thought in wonder, how fucking stupid. a bunch of rich over-the-hill amero/euro pop stars asking a continent of 50% non-christians if they knew it was christmas time. and then telling them they would feed them. gee, thanks. am i the only one who finds that a bit condescending? seems like a pop-extension of the 20th century evangelization of africa. as a homage to bandaid, maybe i'll write a song for the zapatistas. ask them "do they know it's eid in chiapas?" and then offer to feed them. or how about, "do they know it's hanukkah in ramallah?" offer to fly in some food on a hellicopter gunship.

or maybe i should organize a group of eritreans and ethiopians, we can ask, "hey white boys, do YOU know it's christmas in Africa?!" and it's january 7th. not december 25th. [this is the real kicker, "do they know it's christmas?" was originally written for ethiopians, most of whom celebrate christmas on (or around) january 7. the more you know, the more eurocentric and condescending (with heartfelt naivete, good intentions and career moves in mind) the song becomes. well, i guess it was addressed to the west afterall. But still, do they know it's hanukkah in ramallah?]

and by the way, on a totally non-peripheral note, most of the eritreans i know say they don't want your charity. they want independence.