The Ice Bucket Challenge: Overrated, Underrated, or Rated Right?

Go to www.alsa.org to make a donation and learn more about ALS.

Some people love it, others can't stand it.  Either way, the Ice Bucket Challenge is everywhere.

It first started popping up right around the end of July as a way to raise awareness and money for ALS (also known as Lou Gherig's Disease) when it was done to honor Pete Frates a former Boston College baseball player who was diagnosed with the disease in 2012.  It has since been done by LeBron James, Aaron Rodgers, Justin Timberlake, Bill Gates, former Yankee Kevin Youkilis and has raised millions for research and has indeed raised a great deal of awareness for what was still somewhat  of an obscure disease.

ALS is a truly terrible disease.  The muscles and nervous system in the body gradually degrade and atrophy, the afflicted loses the ability to walk, eat, talk, and eventually breathe.  The afflicted does, however, retain full mental awareness as their body fails them.  Not only is there not a cure, frustratingly little is known about the disease.

So why, do some people have such a problem with it?

Don't just dump, DONATE!

When the Ice Bucket Challenge first began it was not specifically meant to be for ALS, but rather a general fundraising movement in which the cause can change from person to person.  One of the more creative (and ridiculous) complaints is that that the Ice Bucket Challenge has effectively "stolen" donations from other causes by being so popular.

While this may be true on a small scale, the fact of the matter is most of the people that have donated money to the Ice Bucket Challenge don't allocate money to charities or research regularly.  They aren't donating money they would have otherwise donated to AIDS research, it's money they would have spent on a hamburger.

There are no shortage of laughable reasons people claim the Ice Bucket Challenge is really just stupidity run amok.  One of the most hilarious being that it is insulting to countries with limited drinking water.  

To me, it seems a lot of the hate getting thrown at the Ice Bucket Challenge borders on people just hating to see others having a good time.  That is a shame, because I think that is an aspect those suffering from ALS probably enjoy seeing the most.  People aren't just talking about ALS they're smiling and laughing, it helps create a feeling of optimism where there wasn't before.

Some people take issue with the way it has spread on social media, with people dumping water on their head much in the same way they were dancing gleefully to the "Harlem Shake" and "Gangnam Style".

When it comes down to it, the real problem dissenters have with the Ice Bucket Challenge is the way certain people are doing it.

Particularly when it first started to catch fire, most of the people doing it were athletes and exercise enthusiasts.  People very into having a strong, good-looking body.  This began to set a precedent that the Ice Bucket Challenge was also a very convenient way to film a little video of you with your shirt off dumping water on yourself and put it out on social media.

Indeed, for many, the Ice Bucket Challenge is more about their desire to show the world how crazy and fun they are, and oh yeah, by the way have you seen my beach body?

And that is the rub.  The Ice Bucket Challenge is NOT about you.  It is great that you do it, but you should want to do it whether or not anyone sees you.

A great video for raising awareness that ALSO provided a website to donate to.

A shockingly high percentage of videos posted for the Ice Bucket Challenge don't mention donating money to ALS or even mention ALS at all.  In all of the videos I have seen only two, actor Brian Baumgartner's and Paul Bissonnette's, have provided a link to a place where you can actually donate to ALS research.

The Ice Bucket Challenge is a fantastic movement for ALS research but, it is also easy prey to the lazy self-serving nature of hashtag activism.  If you're going to make a wacky video, make sure the real message doesn't get lost.

The Ice Bucket Challenge is a great thing and very UNDERRATED. Do it, but don't forget why you're doing it and don't let the people who see it forget either.