Bobby Ray, otherwise known as B.o.B., — creator of hits like “Airplanes” and “Magic” — created a GoFundMe page last week, and it’s not for any kind of humanitarian cause. The campaign, which he named “Show BoB The Curve,” has been set up in order to raise money toward space exploration — with the intent to prove the Earth is flat.
Set at the ridiculously high goal of $1 million, the campaign raised less than $3,000 in its first five days, and over $5,000 over the course of 12 days — not to mention that $1,000 that was donated by the rapper himself. B.o.B.’s goal will be near impossible to achieve, especially considering that its “trending” status on the website is certain to expire soon.
I could care less about GoFundMe. Not because I don’t like helping people — I do — but rather, because certain people ruin it for everyone else. For every good-hearted campaign on the website, there are 20 others governed by obtuse reasoning or created for personal gain. And even though B.o.B. is a public figure, he isn’t the only one contributing to the problem.
One demographic I can’t stand is the GoFundMe crowd trying to fund their backpacking trips across Europe. I have far more respect for homeless people begging on the streets, because at least they have the guts to ask people for money face-to-face. Also, they ask for money to live off of, not to vacation with. But that is a rant for another time.
A rapper trying to lead space exploration sounds just as ridiculous as a WWE guest star being POTUS, right? In his campaign, B.o.B. claims that he will “purchase and launch multiple weather balloons and satellites into space,” as well as provide “step-by-step documentation of the process.” I’m curious to see how he will execute this with such a mildly successful career to uphold.
Surely B.o.B. could just buy a couple of plane tickets — or, even rent his own plane! — to fly from his home in California around the world and back to California again — and it would only take him a day or so. What we have here seems to be not a scientific voyage, but an act for attention. B.o.B. is clearly someone so narrow-minded that he can’t come to terms with being out of the spotlight, forced to rely on an unconventional belief to gain popularity again. All variables point to desperate.
If B.o.B. wanted attention, he could’ve donated time or energy to any worthy charity: a children’s hospital or a hurricane relief fund, maybe. But I think the fact that he chose to support such an outdated theory instead sets an awful precedent for the rest of us. He’s encouraging his fans to waste their money in attempts to answer a question that has already been answered. What’s to stop these same people from denying climate change while they’re at it? Unfortunately, there’s an even bigger fan base for that than there is for the flat earth theory.
During a time when our country needs the truth more than ever — whether it be climate change, the election, what have you — I think it’s important to start with facts and gradually work our way up to forming opinions based on educated guesses. This space exploration effort by B.o.B. is obviously insignificant and will prove to be futile. Frankly, I hate to even give him publicity with fear that someone might learn of it for the first time and support him. But it serves as good motive for all of us to remind ourselves how to logically draw conclusions. And also, to realize the difference between something to care about versus a publicity stunt.
