Lipstique

Dan, <BR> <BR>I can confirm your information, saw it on those little moving news lines on both CNN and Fox News this evening. Also, one baseball player (sorry, don't recall his name) is donating $10,000 for each homerun he hits for the remainder of the season. Whoever this guy is, I hope he hits a bunch out of the park and hope his team makes it to the 7th game of the World Series finals. <BR> <BR>Just to add to this, I also saw in CNN or Fox New that the government of Japan has donated $10 million, other countries are donating funds to the Red Cross, as are many Fortune 1000 businesses. Even the Free Masons were mentioned. Sorry, don't recall all the names, as those zip lines speed by very quickly.

cynic

I agree, instead of continuously bilking the little people, who have already given generously during the fireman boot drive et al, why don't these celebrities, most of whom are richer than God, just donate from their own personal fortunes? Not like it would make a dent in their lifestyles or anything. The ONLY celebrity I've heard about who has simply donated cash is rapper Dr. Dre, who donated one million from his own fortune, and he did so almost immediately after the tragedy. The rest of those celebrities last night were obviously told to rein in their normal diva antics, as the producers most likely did not wantto repeat the showy, 1980's Live Aid kind of performances again. Even so, most managed to get in plenty of facial grimaces and expression, and trust old Mariah to grab the mike and screech into it during the finale. Shades of Patti Labelle and Live Aid. Did that show benefit careers or survivors, wonder?

dan woodlief

To cynic, I felt Mariah had to make adjustments too, but I don't think it is fair to say that about a lot of the performers on that show. I thought they did a good job of picking people known for being socially conscious and not overly flashy - Neil Young, Springsteen, U2, and Willie Nelson for example. Barry Bonds is the baseball player mentioned. He has already hit 64 this year and is only 6 away from the all-time one season record.

Not A Cynic

So Cynic 'hasn't heard' some bit of news and so discredits it. Where does s/he get the news - from a little birdy?

Lori

Can anyone tell me who the group was that did the Pink Floyd song? I thought Mariah was way over the top in her dress, but she's always that way. And what was up with Clint Eastwood's jacket. Overall i found the show positive, especially the fact that it began with Bruce Springsteen and ended with Willie Nelson.

dan woodlief

I think that was Limp Bizkit doing the Pink Floyd number. I thought they did a pretty good job with a song a little removed from the group's normal style, but I confess to not having heard much of their music.

How quickly we turn away

Mrs. Washington: if your implicit question was, "are we really that shallow?" the answer is, "yes."

Arabella

Jim Carrey donated $1 million.

Cindy

How much money did the show raise in the end?

Arabella

It's said to be well over $100 million, but the final tally isn't in yet.

Canada

I thought Celine Dion was from Canada and the last time I checked it was part of the Americas. So what's the gripe with her singing the song? Besides, she did a great job and was more poignant because it was someone not from the U.S. <BR>

huh?

For the people who were upset that Celine sang God Bless America: <BR> <BR>Are you also miffed that the Brits played our national anthem?

NJ

I turned it on late and missed Bruce Springsteen--- anyone know if it is going to be rebroadcast?

minbrooklyn

Leona Helmsly donated $3 million

dan woodlief

I am not sure anyone was all that miffed that Celine Dion sang "God Bless America." I wouldn't care if Jacques Chirac was singing it, as long as it sounded good. She did a great job as usual.

Huh?

Did you read "x's" post above? Yes, some people are narrow-minded enough to be miffed.

dan woodlief

Yes, I did see x's comments. I don't think x disliked it because of Celine Dion, but only cited one thing not like about it (but then I am not x). I had also said something about her being Canadian. Just didn't want my own being taken as a negative statement.

just

The Pink Floyd song was performed by the lead singers from Limp Bizkit and the Goo Goo Dolls. <BR> <BR>Now, can anyone tell me if they have ever heard the song Sheryl Crow sang before? Why did it seem so strangely familiar? Is it her own composition or did she cover an old one?

x

Ok, let me explain why I thought it was lame. It was a benefit for the survivors, yet most of the music was so dreary. That music did not motivate me to donate. Why didn't someone sing Carole King's "You've Got A Friend" and songs of uplift and inspiration? The music was obviously targeted toward a very young audience. I also thought that the actors who spoke should have recited poems & inspirational prayers and such. We have already heard all those heroic stories reported on CNN, to retell them again was overkill. The music for Prayer For America was much better: Pavarotti's "Ave Maria", Bette Midler's "Wind Beneath My Wings", and Lee Greenwood's "God Bless the USA" were all top notch.

dan woodlief

Good points about the content x. However, from a demographic standpoint I thought it was targeted at the 30-50 age group (with some more youth oriented acts thrown in), which would likely have the most money to contribute. My reasoning is that U2, Willie Nelson, Springsteen, Celine Dion, Neil Young, and Tom Petty are popular in that age range. Bette Midler would have been a great addition. Maybe James Taylor too.