Skeptical Response to Kony 2012

Hey good folks of the interwebs. You've probably already seen the viral video regarding Joseph Kony and the pleas for donations to the Invisible Children of Uganda. What you probably haven't seen are the critical and skeptical responses to the viral movement. I'd like to share some of them here.

Kony 2012 exploded so quickly through social media like Facebook and Twitter that it became enough of a meme to grant an entry in the Know Your Meme database. It's a good place to start, but here's a little graphic meme that illustrates the problem in an absurd and yet still serves as a primer to the issue. Here's a strangely astute response to the issue from a notable YouTuber, Skweezy Jibbs, know for his colorful rants:

I also enjoyed The Juice Media's most recent Rap News feature relating to the issue. If you haven't seen any of these, I highly recommend going back through their videos and watch a few. I think this is one of the most intelligent and entertaining independent news review sources available, after The Daily Show of course.

Finally, here are some words on a page that call into the question not only the validity of the Kony 2012 movement and the Invisible Children campaign, but also the skeptical responses and casual dismissal of it.

My suggestion, if you're inclined to take any action, would be to avoid the Invisible Children charity and instead donate to a more reputable organization like one supported by GiveWell or one of my favorite secular organizations, Doctors Without Borders.