It's been 50 years since Gil Scott-Heron reminded us that “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised.” Activism should NOT be for political gain, money, or fame, but this new reality show didn't get the memo.
“The Activist” is a new show about a group of activists competing against each other for the grand prize – and no, it's not money toward their causes. Instead, it's an invitation to the G20 summit to meet with world leaders and discuss POSSIBLY getting funding for their cause. But it gets even worse.
This show is a glorified “Woke Olympics” that’s using activism for profit. It's capitalizing off people’s genuine interest in real causes by using B-list and/or washed up celebrities as judges. But the existence of this odd show might reveal something interesting.
No real change will come from this reality show despite social media promos claiming it will. Even worse, "The Activist” could potentially reveal how the ugliness of competition and social media exposure could create friction among real activists and threaten lasting change.
Activists collaborating together, like the Black Panthers did constantly in the 1970s, always works more effectively than competing against each other.
“The Activist” is a poor attempt to make money and trivialize important causes. Activism is not something that was ever meant to make people rich or be used for entertainment purposes.