WHAT I'VE DONE

What I’ve Done by Linkin Park from their album Minutes to Midnight was first released in April. I admit. the video didn’t quite attract me right away. But moments later, what struck me were some scenes from the video. One was the grass growing back to the ground/from the ground as a seedling. Even moments later, the image of a duck covered in black mud—come to think of it, I didn’t think it was mud. It was more like the duck swam in and came out in filthy oil—a polluted composition of grease and who knows what else it had. It saddened me for a minute, and thought about the alarming effects man’s acts had upon the creatures.

Next, the thought of Linkin Park doing this kind of video and music for a cause, aside from making it as Transformers’ theme song. I guess I didn’t expect it for a rock band but that does call for applause. The graphics and lyrics were quite an irony, but the pair gave a positive impact. The lyrics tell us that we can erase the things we’ve done that caused the ill issues in the globe, environmental issues included, as shown in the video. The song then hit number one in billboards worldwide.

That wasn’t the first time that celebrities and musicians took part in an advocacy for the environment. Leonardo DiCaprio and Salma Hayek are just some.
What I admire is that at least it’s not just their faces and names on posters and magazines that they care about. At least they, too, are aware, of what’s happening to the globe, and not just what happened to whom; that they’re not only aware of the blinding spotlight on them, but at the environment.

I think celebrities spearheading or partaking in the environmental causes are a big help. They make the advocacy effectively involve other people to support it. A couple of reasons come in. First, of course, is the fame. Compare Brad Pitt and a group of scientists, both calling for environmental support from the audience. You could just imagine Brad Pitt getting more cheers and support, right? After all, “He is Brad Pitt,” many would say. Second, in relation to fame, is that people would quite admire that they use their popularity for a good cause, too. Third, fans and fad-crazy followers could also be tapped to follow what their fave celeb is doing. A side-benefit of it would be saying, “Hey, I’m a part of this cause Leonardo DiCaprio is supporting.” Nice.

by Casandra Hilary Emata