President’s Star Charity Show - is there a need for artistes to perform stunts to milk the public’s compassion for more generous donations?

The President’s Star Charity Show broadcasts every year, with many famous artistes performing life-threatening or impossibly difficult stunts for charity. These acts of bravery and compassion are supposedly trying to cause the audience to sympathize the less fortunate (touching their hearts) to empty their pockets. Seem unnecessary? However, through the many statistics such as the fact that most calls for donations are made during these charity shows.

Many reasons contribute to the success of these shows, like the idols used in these performances. Due to their popularity, they are the most effective people to use for extracting money out of the common folk. Their experience gives them the ability to speak so emotionally and brilliantly about each of the acts that they perform. Being able to give the most dramatic and spectacular show to the audience, they are selected. The audience, who no doubt prefers it done this way over any others, will consider the show great and worth their donation. But if the money is not gained by the truthfulness of the heart, whether the people or the actors, can it really be considered charity?

Moreover, the tight-fisted people of Singapore also contributes to the need for these shows. In order to loosen the grip, we need to convince them that this investment is worth their money. Especially due to the distrust in charitable organizations Singaporeans have due to the recent NKF saga. Even when the money is suppose to go to the people with kidney problems, people in the company are getting salaries larger than most people in Singapore, TT Durai’s was more than $20,000, and they are suppose to be working for the better of poor? Also, without these charity shows, Singaporeans will not see the reason to donate and will not; they have to be convinced that these lesser humans are indeed very pitiful, as depicted by the actions of the stuntmen and various videos, and deserve to be helped.

Despite the negative basis for the success of these shows, they are worth the good that it will bring. The underlying intention may have been good, but still to them, it’s the end result that matters not the journey.