Not to be outdone by Jason Russell’s public display yesterday, Charlie Sheen’s former “goddess” Bree Olson has surfaced with this bizarre but perhaps well-intentioned video response to the Kony 2012 movement. The short film shows Olson writhing in various states of undress, interspersed with images of Joseph Kony and his victims. Let her explain.
No stranger to backlash myself, I will contribute this much to the conversation: if you’re against learning more about the world around you, even if that education comes from a video made by a charity that’s flashier than most, you’re missing the point.
That’s what Olson is doing in her video: being flashy. And if you’re critical of her methods, you’re not watching it correctly. When she writes “KONY 2012” in mud on her leg, or caresses her body amid images of Ugandan atrocities, it’s because she wants to raise awareness for the cause. Or as Olson explains it — by way of Mary Poppins — “I put the two together because I know a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down.”