4 Real

I found myself frustrated by a cosmetics commercial the other day... even angered. I believe the woman in the commercial is Jessica Alba. She narrates, "Do you know what you want? I do... That's something you should know about me..... What I really want is for my foundation to match my skin tone." Excuse me? THAT's what you really want? Not world peace? inner serenity? an end to poverty? a cure to AIDS, to cancer, etc? Is there NOTHING you want more than makeup that matches your skin?! Let me stop with my rant right here. I said at the beginning that this blog is about things that inspire me or make me laugh. And it is. In contrast to that awful commercial, I present "4 Real."

It's a TV show I've been watching after lunch during my summer holidays. It's a show about several superstar celebrity types who are choosing to shine their spotlight on lesser known individuals who are making a real difference in their communities around the world. A couple of days ago, I watched as Joaquin Phoenix was immersed in the tribal life of a very remote community. He wore the traditional makeup, participated in the local rituals, and learned about how their very young chief has helped them improve their quality of life, and preserve their culture at the same time. Yesterday I watched hardcore rapper/hiphop types dissolve into tears at the testimony of a small child about the extreme difficulties in his life.

While I don't personally know much about rap or hiphop, and don't always recognize these particular celebrities (except for Joaquin), it is inspiring to watch them go into these communities as learners. They really just want to raise awareness in the hopes that others will help, or be inspired to make a difference in their own communities. They are using their fame to try to make the world a better place. And in many cases, their experiences are changing their art, helping them focus on the message they want to portray to people.

I think this show is part of a larger trend that we're seeing where almost every celebrity has a "pet project"... but the fact is that people listen. And I'd much rather learn what I can do to save the rainforest than how to get the perfect foundation colour... Check it out. You can watch episodes on the CTV website by following the link below.

http://www.4real.com/