Originally Posted by
Fenster
Why was the video banned from youtube? I'm not comfortable with a teenage girl getting slaughtered but the actual joke is on people gushing over her, right? A privileged rich girl doing an Oscar performance to convince middle-class white people what Attenborough can't? An "heroic" rich girl, repeating what she's learnt from her upbringing. It's an insult to people who truly suffer or never had a chance.
Fuck knows, PJW Is such a prick I don't care if he gets locked in a cupboard and ends up broadcasting to his an audience of one. I don't think it is an either or situation though. That kind of polarized thinking and discourse is as just daft and patronizing as what you think the people gushing over her or slaughtering her are engaging in. The march I went to on Friday was full of all kinds of people, working class, middle class, kids, workers, Unions, Teachers, etc. It really was most impressive and great to see kids actually engaged and active.
Greta Thunberg never claimed or wanted to be a 'hero'. When I met her on the day of her sailing for America, she made it very clear that she did not want it to be about her at all, and I can assure you it is not a performance. She had no script, was not prompted and answered unprepared and unselected questions at the news conference. I have rarely seen that. I even helped the reporter from Al Jazeera get to the front while filming, and made sure that GT could see and hear her for her question. When she could not answer she admitted as much. Nobody could keep up a performance like that for years especially with the kind of obstacles she has faced. I will admit that I was absolutely blown away by her bravery in not once blinking when faced with the challenge of crossing the Atlantic. On day two with 20 ft breakers her description of the voyage as being like
'camping on a rollercoaster'.
And yes their is a cult of celebrity that is the age we are living in, but that does not invalidate her message.
I was pretty shocked by the vitriol my little article and film caused though. I never expected everyone to be interested or agree but I had to block comments on all my films on both Vimeo and YouTube after it filled with horrible bastards being snide and vicious. My reach is very small (most of my work is not public but rather client based) but I have never seen a reaction like it. Look on twitter and elsewhere at the MSM and you had blokes like Aaron Banks the Brexit Insurance gambler suggesting that'
her boat might have an accident' etc. Look at the image on the PJW comments and those comments and you will see what I mean. Yes everyone is entitled to be skeptical but is also very easy to sneer at what are real achievements from someone that young.
I also do not think you can claim that what she is doing is insulting to those who have really suffered or never had a chance. I would argue her inaction after taking such a leading role would feel to her like far more of an insult to those who were not able to go and speak at the UN Climate Change conference.
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