Comic Relief - is it past its sell by date?

Comic Relief day tomorrow (Friday) and no doubt millions of people will be giving to what they believe is a worthy cause - but is it?

It started way back in 1985 in response to the Ethiopian famine and has been held every two years or so ever since - launched by Noel Edmonds (that gives you some idea how long it has been going!).

Now there is nothing wrong giving to those who are worse off than ourselves but either do something that brings about permanent change or otherwise what is the point?

Great that people tip up their money for one day every two years but what are those in need going to be getting by on for the other 700 plus days until the next Comic Relief comes around?

Where exactly do you put this piddling financial sticking plaster on the world's needs - particularly those of Africa and the Middle East?

Syria and Iraq are in the middle of civil wars, Libya and Somalia are ungovernable.  Nigeria doesn't have the will to even find and rescue its own daughters taken at Chibok some years back.

Half of the sub Sahara population seem to be trying their best to sneak into the EU as illegal migrants.  Ebola broke out in Africa and threatened half the world's health for a while, resulting from the 'local's' eating infected bats ffs!

Ninety odd year old Robert Mugabe is the despot still of Zimbabwe and rape and murder is common place in the townships of even the most civilised of Africa numerous countrys - South Africa.

China has ploughed absolute billions buying up all of Africa's resources, yet the country's have untold natural wealth still in raw commodities and gold and diamonds, and the elite there live like lords - yet they are happy to continually plunder their own country's and feather their own private bank accounts and let their own countrymen continue to starve and be uneducated.

I know people can't change the world overnight and you have to start somewhere but surely by now someone must have realised that 30 odd years of Comic Relief is not the answer.

Also do we really think all these 'jolly' chap and chapess comedians are truly that altruistic or do they only rock up every other year to get their face seen because it is simply a good PR exercise for them?

It is about time to knock this and other similar things such as Sports Relief on the head, or if they do persist with it, then at least put the money to good causes in this country - our care for the elderly costs are rocketing, the NHS Trust's are millions over spent - the money could be put to better use than to dig a well somewhere so little Winnie or Nelson do not have to walk 6 miles to carry back to their village polluted water full of cow piss - what's the point anyway when the likes of Boko Harem turn up six weeks later and barbarically chop off their arms for having been given a polio vaccination by a western doctor in an attempt to improve their lives in the first place!

Will you be watching funny old Lenny Henry tomorrow and pledging your hard earned?

I won't.

I don't know where to start with this bollocks......

I just hope it's your attempt at a post-ironic piss-take of some sort and not a serious indication of your real thoughts.

Although, given some of the tripe you've posted on here recently......

Disagree with you Sluffy on this-but I will admit that Comic Relief isn't really very funny or entertaining. It's as funny as toothache.
But provided the funds  they raise can be channelled through people on the ground and not through governments and their agencies then I'll continue to stump up a few quid, but its highly unlikely that I'll watch the dross served up by the unfunny funny men and women
Charities like Wateraid, Caritas, Oxfam, Sightsavers etc., all channel their money strictly away from African governments to make sure it doesn't get snaffled by corrupt politicians- the ones that you mention as living like lords.
I go to Africa several times a year for work and see some of this on the ground. Last time I was in Ghana (about 6 months ago) there was a large number of new powerful off road vehicles being driven around  towns with music blaring out of them and when I asked my guide what that was about he told me that the first thing that government connected people do when they are allocated charity funds is to buy themselves a huge American SUV or similar.
So a great deal of money from official agencies such as the IMF ,World Bank, EU or USA governments and the like which is channelled through governments gets wasted. But for those charities that bypass government as best they can, most of their money reaches those most in need, even if life is made difficult for them by politicians and their lackeys who want their 'cut' of the money.
I'll still chip in with a few quid. But I find Lenny Henry and the rest of the so-called comedians as funny as a dose of the pox.

The format may be a bit dated now but the sentiment of everyone involved in raising awareness of the issues and people raising money should be applauded.

Don't worry Sluffy Brexit will be here soon and you can pretend there aren't any issues in the rest of the world and not give a shit about people in much worse conditions than we can ever imagine  

In the UK we spend 0.7% of our GDP on foreign aid which this year is £12.2 billion.
Only 5 (smaller) countries exceed 0.7% contribution e.g. the rich Scandinavian countries.

That could build hospitals with about 8000 beds or prisons for 10000 prisoners or schools or social care provision - whatever. However, it is widely accepted that the UKs foreign aid programme has a primary purpose of oiling the wheels of international politics which if true clearly serves a useful purpose for the UK.

What surprises me is that despite articles such as this which explore how foreign aid is spent, the British public never seem to suffer from donor fatigue. Year on year, people get stuck in and raise huge sums to supplement our national contribution through Comic Relief and private charity donations. 

I guess Comic relief will only be past it's sell by date when people stop giving, but I'd be surprised if they didn't raise something approaching a 100 million this year.

I won't be watching. I don't think I've ever recovered from seeing Bono commit one of the most massive acts of hypocrisy in our lifetime. He wants you to give to charity and how much does this tax dodging billionaire give? Very very little. His charity ONE Foundation was famously exposed as only giving just over 1% of funds to charity. Out of the £9.6 million raised, Bono paid the staff of his foundation £5.1 million and pocketed £4,382,000 himself.

No doubt the celebs feel good doing their turns but the whole thing stinks of virtue signalling.

The only relief is when it's finished.

I must be in the minority, but i do like comic relief.  Looking forward to the love actually bit tonight and i have enjoyed the dancing thing they have been doing.  The kids have gone in wearing funny hats and socks and comic relief t-shirts and noses into school today and the money raised from being able to wear their own clothes plus a raffle they are doing will be given to comic relief.  probably a couple of grand which isn't bad from a primary school!

I listen to Radio 2 quite a lot when im driving and Sara Cox did non stop dancing for 24 hours like Dermott O'Leary did a couple of years ago.  Some feat and she raised over 1 million.

you carry on Johnny, don't listen to the miserable old folk on here 

Why can't people donate without Sara Cox having to dance for 24 hours?

They can. But this raises the profile.  Why do kids do sponsored stuff. Its the same thing really

It certainly raises the profile of Sara Cox.

It's a bit of lighthearted fun which puts a smile on people's faces for an evening (Christ knows we could all do with a bit of that nowadays) and raises a few quid for some very worthy causes.

Anybody who's got a problem with that can fuck off.

I'll get my coat.

I didn't mean you, obviously.

Why would I tell myself to fuck off?

I'm looking forward to seeing your hosepipe. Comic Relief will only go up in my estimation when they get a truly great entertainer to host it.
They may need to prop him up with a bamboo stick,but so be it.

boltonbonce wrote:It certainly raises the profile of Sara Cox.

Well that as well but i cant see her suddenly landing big movie roles because of it.

Getting in the spirit

Ive split the bloody thing trying to get it on my conk.  bring back the plastic ones that used to cut your nose

I look like a comic relief football hooligan