Springsteen, Jay-Z, Join Haiti Telethon

(AP)  The music world's top stars are signing on for Friday's "Hope for Haiti" telethon.

Bruce Springsteen, Jay-Z, Taylor Swift, Justin Timberlake, Keith Urban and Alicia Keys are just a few of the performers who will be featured, according to MTV Networks, an integral partner in the two-hour event.

Haiti was devastated and thousands of its citizens killed when an earthquake hit the Caribbean nation last week.

"Hope For Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief" will be an international event. Haitian native Wyclef Jean will anchor the show from New York, while George Clooney will do so from Los Angeles. CNN's Anderson Cooper will report from Haiti.

London has also been added to the lineup, and that's where Jay-Z will perform, along with Bono, The Edge and Rihanna in a special joint performance. Coldplay is also to perform from London.

In New York, Springsteen will perform, along with Jennifer Hudson, Mary J. Blige, Shakira, Jean and Sting. In Los Angeles, Swift is to perform, and Urban, Kid Rock and Sheryl Crow plan a collaboration. Also performing in Los Angeles is Timberlake, Dave Matthews, John Legend, and Stevie Wonder.

People can purchase the night's performances for 99 cents each through iTunes starting Saturday. A statement released Tuesday says all proceeds will go to Haiti relief.

The "Hope for Haiti" benefit will be broadcast from New York, Los Angeles, London and Haiti. It will be televised on all the major networks at 8 p.m. EST, as well as MTV, VH1, CMT, BET, PBS, CNN, Bravo, and a host of other networks. In addition, the telethon will be streamed live on Web sites including YouTube, MySpace and AOL.

The funds raised from the telethon will be donated to several relief organizations, including UNICEF, Oxfam America and Partners in Health.

[cidaia]

What a nice fantasy it is, to believe that by indulging yourself you're somehow helping the suffering people of Haiti.

If you want to help the people of Haiti, then do so.
If you want to watch a rock concert, then do so.
But please - can we stop pretending that somehow the people of Haiti are better off because you watched a rock concert?

Oh, sure, sure - the performers will donate the ticket sales.

I would be far more impressed if I read in the news that a huge sum of money had been donated by a group of rock stars - anonymously. Or at least with their names in fine print.

Ahh, but advertising is advertising, and what better advertising than the fantasy that somehow indulging your musical passions is somehow making the world a better place?