Entertainment News, via Tim Blair, notes how successful "Live 8" performers were...in padding their own record sales.
The galaxy of rock stars who took part in Live 8 concerts on Saturday to help beat the curse of poverty have seen their records fly off the shelves in British music stores, proving that cash balances as well as consciences were the winner.
It is far from clear how the poverty-stricken will benefit from the massive concert, but early indications are that Pink Floyd album sales are up 1343 percent and that The Who is up 863 percent. Dido and Annie Lennox also enjoyed a boom as a result of the show.
The hypocricy of Live 8's attempt to shame nations into collecting hard-earned tax dollars to solve the problem, while pampered rock stars are backstage calling their accountants to measure their participation's affect on the bottom line is not lost on Mark Steyn.
Two decades ago, Sir Bob was at least demanding we give him our own fokkin' money. This time round, all he was asking was that we join him into bullying the G8 blokes to give us their taxpayers' fokkin' money.
Or as Dave Gilmour of Pink Floyd put it: "I want to do everything I can to persuade the G8 leaders to make huge commitments to the relief of poverty and increased aid to the Third World. It's crazy that America gives such a paltry percentage of its GNP to the starving nations."
In short, 20 years ago Geldof and Co. could at least point to the 50 million pounds raised as an indication of success. This time around, success will be measured by how guilty the average person was made to feel by the likes of Gilmour and Madonna...and the resurgent careers of those selling that guilt.
Which, of course, begs the obvious question: In spite of the guilt and profiteering of Live 8, did the performers actually do anything for poverty?
UPDATE: Gilmour is stating that he will not profit from Live 8, and hints that other performers and record companies should consider making sure they don't either.
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