Questions Answered

Anonymous (I know who) asked:

Just out of curiosity: Does it bother you when celebrities get involved with New
Orleans (as in, they don't really understand what's going on down there)? Or are
you just annoyed with the media and the ignorance of people....And how helpful
do you really think shows like K-Ville are in regards to opening up the eyes of
American people?

I reply:
The great people of New Orleans and the state of Louisiana need all the help they can get from whatever source. I think that Brad Pitt and Angelina, for example, are awesome because a) they live in New Orleans, and b) they are giving back to their community. They provide money, time, and bring attention to things that they see as obvious deficiencies.

I do not get annoyed with people because what happened in New Orleans is a complicated issue. I yell at the TV when people say that Hurricane Katrina destroyed New Orleans. It wasn't Katrina. It was poorly built, poorly maintained levees and an outdated and outmoded canal system. But most people don't get that much detail. What they saw was a huge, imposing hurricane pressing down on New Orleans followed by scenes of flooding. When they put the pieces together, that is what they believe even though it is not exactly the truth.

I get mad when people tell me that New Orleans is below sea level. A simple web search would tell them that this is not true (about 50% of New Orleans is not below sea level). Once the storm surge breached the levees, the water poured in. While the levee broke in some places, in most it did not. Therefore, the water that poured in stayed in. There was no where for the water to drain or go down hill or escape in any way. It makes the city look like it's below sea level, but the reality is quite different.

I like K-ville because I can question it. But it brings attention to the city and it portrays the people who live in New Orleans currently fairly accurately. For most, day to day living is exhausting and depressing. Yet you still have to go to work, take care of the kids, and work on your flooded out house without money. How many other Americans could do so much with so little for so long? What the characters in K-ville do, however, is a little short of reality, but it's TV. So they get a pass. For now.