Reactions like those are real. They're genuine, from the heart emotions coming out of somebody... and I love watching it, and better yet photographing it, or better yet causing it.
My boy JBJ (Bon Jovi for those of you not a member of www.backstagejbj.com) appeared on Oprah today to show the rest of the world what he did to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina.
Let me be the first to say that I think what Mr. Jovi did for those families was a amazing. Those families have a place to live now. They have running water now. They have electricity now. They have their own bathroom now. They have a TV now. They have cell phones now. Can any of you imagine living without those for a year? I can't. And now they have all those necessities because Bon Jon did what he could to help out.
From what I've seen in the days/months/years after disasters like Katrina, the true humans do whatever they can to help. They might donate money, they might pray, they might swing a hammer, they might donate blood. But whatever they do, it all helps.
And while some contributions might be larger than others, it all goes towards the same goal. And in my eyes, it makes us all the same no matter the size of your contributions.
So while watching Jon Bon with these families today on TV, I didn't look at him like the superstar that he is. But rather I saw him as just another Joe doing something to help out. I photographed victims in search for family and friends, Jon Bon donated a million bones to help give families a home. Both examples reflect the person and both example came from the same place... the heart.
I never said that Bon Jovi didn't care, or that I wasn't impressed with his actions to help the hurricane victims. I just didn't like how he presented himself while off camera. Maybe he had a long day, maybe he just stepped in gum, maybe the Louisiana lovebugs pissed him off ... I don't know. I just know that his actions came across to me as trying to make everybody look inferior to him. Not cool.
Now then... here's a cool story that Jon and I both played a part in.
A mother and her two kids lost everything in Katrina. A very nice family in Thibodaux let this family live in their garage until they found a home. They lived in that garage for one year. And two weeks ago, they moved to a house Bon Jovi Blvd.
They were featured on the Oprah show today with Mr. Bon Jon. So the nice family hosted a watch party in the garage. I got to see this mothers reaction to seeing her new house, and seeing her self on national TV at the same time. Pretty darn cool... it gave me goose bumps.
So here are a couple photos of from today. This is the reaction to seeing her self on TV. (she's the woman in the middle, wearing light blue). And the other photo is of my boy JBJ.
Now if we can just get him to do something about that mane of his....
