March 17, 2012

"Kony 2012" was viral video. That was one hell of a virus.

"Local police say that Jason Russell, the 33-year-old co-founder of Invisible Children, appeared to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol when he was found by officers 'in his underwear' allegedly vandalizing cars and masturbating in public..."

Quite a symptom.
Russell is one of the founders of the San Diego-based nonprofit behind Kony 2012, a documentary film about Ugandan warlord Joseph Kony and his Lord's Resistance Army. Invisible Children had been trying for years to focus the world's attention on Kony—who is wanted by the International Criminal Court for enlisting child soldiers, among other crimes against humanity—but, after it struck viral gold, the group came under increased scrutiny for how the film portrayed the situation on the ground and how the nonprofit group spent its money.

16 comments:

NotWhoIUsedtoBe said...

Fame doesn't make us happy.

KCFleming said...

He should claim bias intimidation, whatever that is.

MayBee said...

I always love the "exhausted and dehydrated" euphemism. You know you've made it when that's how the press describes your drug-induced freak out.

edutcher said...

He got the viral.

PS and pretty much OT: Yes, Virginia, there is a Hitler video for L'Affaire Fluck.

The quality of the print isn't great, but the dialogue's a scream.

Anonymous said...

What always strikes me about these articles about liberal icons, or icons to be (like Occupy), is the apologetic style: the police said he was no problem, they will just transfer him to hospital, etc.

If a Tea Partier did that, the prose would be entirely different.

Petunia said...

I believe another apt description would be "overtired and emotional".

Russell gave an interview about a year ago. Parts of it were either tongue-in-cheek or delusional.

http://pmc-mag.com/2011/02/jason-russell/

Anonymous said...

There's always a dark side, isn't there?

john said...

The Slate commenters have it figured out:

1) The CIA, intent on keeping Kony in power, sought to discredit Invis Kids by druggning him, probably with a super secret Viagra-derivitive with a 4-year latency period (because it would have only been done by the evil Bush-CIA, not the kinder and gentler Obama-CIA).

or,

2) He is a Christian. Christians (the repressed right-wing kind) do that.

Wince said...

KONY 2012?

I'm waiting for the attack ad from Mr. Kony's super-PAC. That should be good.

bagoh20 said...

When I read a story like this, I always think the guy must have been having a great time before the freak out, but just made the fatal mistake of not going to bed in time. It's the same thought I have about the lottery winner that blows it all and ends up broke.

Methadras said...

The gay finally got him.

Rabel said...

Invisible Children, which produced the Kony 2012 film, has photos of 39 people on its U.S. staff page.

They're all white. All 39. That seems a little weird. You would think they would have a diversity hiring program.

Does Jennifer Granholm know about this?

I'm betting that Obama will kill Kony before the election.

Writ Small said...

I read this and said to the family member that had watched the video, "That Kony guy from the video got arrested."

Her response was, "That's just terrific!"

"No," I said, "Not that one."

traditionalguy said...

This guy went after the most protected person at the central hideout within the heart of darkness.

So it is not surprising that he has been subjected to a counter attack.

Clyde said...

Dick move.

Rliyen said...

Wow. Color me surprised.