Kony 2012 Goes to Washington

By John McGory

The Invisible Children’s Kony 2012 video blew Uganda and the atrocities of warlord Joseph Kony into the world’s consciousness in recent days.  The 77 million viewers of this video in little more than a week crystallize the powerful combination of video and the Internet.

The bellwether issue is not Kony, but the newfound power of independent video creators as agents of change.  And, as Hollywood discovered 100 years ago, some cinematic hooks really work well.

The video is a modern-day version of Director Frank Capra’s classic movie, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.  In the movie, Jimmy Stewart plays a naïve U.S. Senator who takes on the powerful by rallying children to fight corruption. 

Kony 2012 uses many of the emotional techniques from the movie.  Here are the similar themes.

All powerful agent of change:  The video starts by telling its viewers about the power of the Internet to change the world.  This gripping theme gives a viewer the sense that one person can make a difference.  Capra’s Mr. Smith embodies that spirit and Stewart is brilliant in the role as Senator Jefferson Smith.

Adroit storytelling:  Great videos tell a story.  The Invisible Children’s video shows us exotic places where bad things are happening to women and children.  The movie uses a quasi-Boy Scout group called the Boy Rangers who fight rich developers over a potential camp site out west.

Authoritarian bad guy versus the innocent child:  The filmmaker’s child learns about Kony and expresses his thoughts in the video.  The young boys in Capra’s movie rise up against the state’s political boss who is organizing the U.S. Senate to sell the land to developers.  This powerful combination of child versus madman is a mythological storyline that goes back to the Greeks.

Atrocities with appalling video:  Kony 2012 shows disturbing video, albeit brief, of disfigured faces, crowded buildings with hundreds of people sleeping body to body and young women with a voice over discussing rape and sexual slavery.     The movie shows how young children are adversely impacted by living in crowded cities.

Assumptions that we should and can help:  Both the video and the movie rally the disenfranchised.  The video discusses how Invisible Children needs the help of the young to get the United States government to come to the rescue.  Capra’s film shows Mr. Smith rallying the young against a corrupt and uncaring government.

Media control:  Kony 2012 bypasses traditional media by using the power of the Internet to reach the masses.  The Boy Rangers in the movie create their own newspaper and distribution networks to get their word out to counter corrupt mainstream media.

Awaken masses:  The final scene in Kony 2012 is the sales’ pitch encouraging viewers to get involved by showing the impact it has made.  This includes purchasing a kit that includes a bracelet that visibly shows your support for the cause.  The movie children awaken the masses and create pressure on Washington, exposing the corruption.  The boys wear badges in the movie.

The similarities are striking.  The basic theme of one man taking on a corrupt world with the support of children is powerful.  The difference is Mr. Smith Goes to Washington is fiction.  Kony 2012 bypasses the power structure to take on real life issues. 

Kony 2012 is a brilliant video that has to scare the pants off those who think they control the world.  It shows the power of video in the hands of independent agents of change as never before in this country.  Frank Capra would be proud.

John McGory is a partner at Webface, a content marketing and consulting company.  Webface produces creative videos, marketing materials and social media posting for your company or organization.  Check out our website for examples of our work.