mtv exit + radiohead: “all i need”.

This morning I woke up grumpy. I’m hung over from partying last night. The weather is shit; it’s freezing and raining. I was out of Advil. My streetcar was late, so I had to jump in a cab. I got rained on. I had to wait to catch an elevator up to my office. I found all of this incredibly, unbearably frustrating.

Then I found this video. I watched it. And I sat at my desk and cried.

Because it was the perfect time for me to be reminded of just how foolish and ignorant and incredibly, unbearably selfish I can be.

(Agency: colman rasic carrasco. Director: Steve Rogers. Production: Revolver.)

This video is another facet of MTV’s brilliant pro-social side. MTV Exit works to end child trafficking and exploitation around the world. The poignancy of this is so simple and direct, it grows not from manipulation or dramatization - just the comparison of two truths, neither of which we can deny. Plus, let’s be honest, a little Radiohead never hurt anything either.

I can’t rave enough about how honest, direct, and artistically engaging all of their PSAs are. Check out the work they’ve done to promote environmental awareness through MTV Switch, Holocaust awareness through MTV Think, and to halt the spread of HIV/AIDS with what is one of the best ads I’ve ever seen, period - “Shot”.