Last weekend, we were deep into dinner and seriously ignoring the carbs secretly stuffed in the pizza we were not-so-secretly stuffing in our mouths when, suddenly, a group of young kids began singing and dancing behind us. Some of them were playing musical instruments to accompany themselves, and it was actually a nice performance to behold. Nothing like Star Search or American Idol, but boy, the kids looked adorable! (Paula Abdul's favorite word when she can't say anything else about singing ability.)
All of the kids were wearing t-shirts heralding the name of a children's foundation, and they were chaperoned by a couple of matrons. The pizza place where we were at wasn't just the only venue for the night's entertainment - the whole caboodle went to the next restaurant, then the next café, and then the next. As for the matrons, they were going inside the establishments and handing over envelopes, obviously soliciting donations.
Hmmm. Now why do I not feel comfortable about what's happening here?
First, it was a Sunday night (when kids are supposed to be resting or studying for the next day's class). Second, it wasn't Christmas (when we usually see carolers trying to cadge funds from softhearted victims). Third, and really the most important, I felt there was an element of victim-hood here - and it's not just on the part of the business establishments that had to fork out something that night.
Why did I feel like I was seeing performing animals? It looked the same as a guy with a bagpipe and a monkey at a street corner, where the cute adorable primate does little tricks and then you toss some coins in a hat.
What's wrong with that, you say?
Well, take PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), for example. I also have serious issues about PETA (the main one being, can they please stop wasting their serious money defending animals, and start spending it on starving children?), but that's beside the point.
PETA's website says: "PETA believes that animals have rights and deserve to have their best interests taken into consideration, regardless of whether they are useful to humans. Like you, they are capable of suffering and have an interest in leading their own lives; therefore, they are not ours to use-for food, clothing, entertainment, experimentation, or any other reason."
As you can see, PETA objects to animals being used for entertainment, even if they're useful to humans. Which would probably include, using them for entertainment so you can make buckets of money. Now, if PETA's developed this stand for mere animals, shouldn't we object to children being used for the same purpose? Was it really proper for this NGO to use singing and dancing children to solicit funds?
I have no clue what this NGO's about - I asked around and it seems it might be legit, because it's apparently accredited with the Department of Social Welfare. So, sure, this NGO might really have the children's welfare in mind and it might be staffed with the most well-meaning selfless individuals. And sure, it might be doing loads of great work for the economic well-being of children and it puts them through school or whatever. But using the children to tug heart strings and wring donations?
I think, in the end, I also have a big issue with this.
Perhaps, the implementation of the NGO's fund-raising ambitions could be improved. Why doesn't it dress up the matrons instead, and let them sing and dance? At least, they'd be beyond the age of consent, and if they look funny, well, it's not as if they were forced to do it.
Seriously, it's time to rethink what these children are being asked to do. It may be in the spirit of fun, the children might be having a lark, they might even be born performers, so this is just one great training ground for them. But until they have the ability to make these mature decisions for themselves (like entering showbiz and ending up in rehab like Britney), maybe we should just let kids remain in the audience.