I will admit to being one of the 17.8 million Americans who tuned in last week to the Fox love-fest that was “Idol Gives Back.” I will even agree with much of the hype surrounding the show; it did accomplish its mission of awareness and inspiration. Having spent time living in Africa, I have a soft spot in my heart for the issues of AIDS and malaria and couldn’t be happier to see them addressing both on prime-time television. During an appearance in Los Angeles on Monday night, even noted economist Jeffrey Sachs was wowed at the potential impact of malaria’s five minutes of Idol airtime. The $60 million raised so far certainly doesn’t lie… “Idol Gives Back” is making a difference. But even given that success, as I watched Wednesday and Thursday nights, I couldn’t help but wonder: what image does this portray about our country?
Celebrity diplomacy is certainly nothing new for America or the world. Just as the British crown has made a habit of knighting the likes of Sean Connery and George Michael, formally or informally, America has been happy to send Brangelina or Cal Ripken, Jr. off to fight our global battles. But on Wednesday night, what started as a glorified telethon, mixing celebrity endorsements with performances and issue-oriented videos, turned political when British Prime Minister Gordon Brown appeared to pledge funding for 20 million new malaria bed-nets. Though the £100 million pledge may only represent 1/6,180th of the expected 2008-2009 British budget, it does demonstrate a genuine effort, portrayed to a global audience, to stop a serious problem. Ryan Seacrest marveled, the press swooned and with 17.8 million Americans and Simon Cowell looking on, just one week before Brown travels to the U.S., British public diplomacy ruled the night.