Attytood: Some final thoughts on Live 8:
Philadelphia won. MTV and millions of TV viewers lost. And Africa? Let's hope for the best.
There's no way that 1 million people showed up on the Parkway. It may have been 400,000 over the course of the day, with no more than 300,000 at any time. How do we know that? We don't. But, psssst, neither does Mayor Street.
No matter, because -- even though the non-Stevie Wonder musical acts left us cold -- Live 8 was every bit the publicity coup that the city hoped for. There was no violence, few arrests, and remarkably good behavior and good spirits. No booing.
And no snowballs. Heh.
For a city long tarred -- unfairly, for the most part -- as dirty, rude and disorderly, the images that were beamed around the world today may prove priceless over time. They're won't be much immediate impact (except for Milton Street, maybe) but over time, that image will help convince some folks that Philadelphia is a place they want to work. or live, or at least visit on a vacation.
Unfortunately, who knows how many were driven away by the God-awful TV coverage? As we watched the train wreck on MTV unfold, we started to get a sense of deja vu, and we realized why: It was exactly the same things that ruined the Olympics on TV.
Events that could have been shown live instead, inexplicably, on tape. Too much jumping around. The canned interviews, the ceaseless prattling. There once was a time when sports programs showed the games, and concert programs showed the music.
It was live. It was exciting. And now it seems lost. We don't know why.
...With so many people touched today around the globe, we feel confident that somewhere in Africa, there is another 3-year-old girl who will be rescued by the forces that were unleashed today. And if just one life was saved, Live 8 -- which also was a pretty darned good rock concert -- will have been worth it.
Live 8 was worth it.
What do you think?
Head on over to to Attytood and let him know how you feel. I plan to. I'm still collecting my thoughts.
