I'm gonna go out on a limb here and make a case for this one:



I originally thought about doing something related to SOPA, but then I realized half of everybody would do that, so I might as well find something original. After scouring Youtube for a while, I came across this video and a little bit of a realization dawned on me: a lot of us, myself included, most likely think of “acting for a cause” to involve some official organization, or at least some sort of popular movement. I think when we get caught up in that sort of thinking we forget that causes can be as spontaneous and open-hearted as this one—expressing kindness to those around us.

There’s a lot of hate-filled speech, arguing, name-calling, and downright meanness in our communication as humans, and this video was really cool to me because it made me step back for a minute and consider my actions towards those around me. If given the chance, would I walk over to the megaphone and say something nice? Or would I try to take a minute to rant about something?

Creation in a digital environment often has a very direct impact on the viewer, and in the case of digital media like this video, the creation comes by way of representing and involving random passer-bys on the street. This creates a challenge by keeping the content largely a mystery, which could have embarrassing results if those involved disrespect the motive of the piece of work. And yet the reward when people constructively participate in the completion of such a piece is much greater than had one man stood by himself at the podium and said nice things. In my opinion, the involvement of regular people just passing through the square makes this a stronger piece because it injects a raw humanity into the work, and it presents us with awesome variety.

Art often has a more direct path to the hearts and minds of citizens (eg, music’s ability to support causes and rally support) than politicians and other leaders do; the artist’s responsibility, then, should be to foster uplifting messages that enrich viewers’ lives. And I really think it goes beyond a “role” and is a responsibility.