Im so over this Ice Bucket Challenge

[Ponygirl]

ALS affects veterans at twice the rate of anyone else. It is considered a presumptive disease, meaning if you served 90 continuous days in the military, and you come down with ALS, they consider this a service connected disability.

Here is an article done earlier this year by NBC news: http://www.nbcnews.com/health/healt...e-much-higher-risk-lou-gehrigs-disease-n76426

After watching an extended family member die a long slow death from ALS, anything that can be done to increase awareness or funding is a good thing! Bring on the ice buckets.

 

[Mkrop]

Is anyone actually annoyed that there is an effort to raise money for ALS? I doubt it. I think that the annoyance is in the attitude of some of the challengers, and in their response when the challenge is declined.

By the way, when did it go from a bucket of ice, to being a bucket of cold water? The first I heard it was ice, period. The most recent videos show people dumping just water over their heads. I don't see me participating in the challenge, but if I did it would be with a large bucket of ice -- not cold water. That's just a field shower.

Mkrop: Just for you! I hate getting wet with my clothes on. As in I detest it, even if I can change and dry off immediately after. I don't know why, unless it's just too many times spending hours in outside in pouring rain, soaked to the skin and unable to do anything about it. Now if I had supporters, who had each pledged something if I WERE to dump the bucket, I'd do it. THAT would make SENSE.

I have heard saying they are annoyed that this is everywhere, it is on the news, it is clogging their newsfeed, so yes people are annoyed with just challenge itself and not the fact that ALS is getting money.

Thank you for answering and if you dont mind a follow up, if you do mind then just ignore. Do you go swimming? Why cant you put what you have on to go swimming and dump the bucket? No one is asking you to do it in suit . I mean I did not feel comfortable doing it in a bathing suit, so I did mine is a tshirt and shorts, where a lot of the moms with the good bods did it in the bathing suits and a coverup, the dads in their bathing suit and a tshirt.

 

[stsomewhere]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ben-kosinski/icebucketchallenge-why-yo_b_5656649.html

 

[Metsfan520]

Right?? Only on the Dis will you find people annoyed at others for doing something good.

Actually, this is happening more than on the Dis. There have been a few articles and a few op-ed pieces in the last few days.

 

[Wendy31]

For all those saying that they wont, cant whatever pour ice over their head..why? barring some medical condition why cant you do it? That is the part I dont get. Some people act so high and mighty and indignant about the whole process. It is water, cold water, you get wet, if you can, jump in a pool after, or grab a towel. It is not that big of a deal. Some people act like this is some horrific thing people are being challenged to do. It is actually quite simple hence why it has caught on

I know; I don't get it either.

I think some people (not saying anyone here necessarily) just have a problem letting themselves be silly or look silly. Some people can be very self-conscious about their appearance as well & don't want to look "less than" in public.

It sorta reminds me of a thread from a couple of years ago. If I remember correctly, there was a poster complaining because her office had implemented a "Jersey Day" or something where everyone could (if they wanted to) wear a t-shirt or jersey representing their favorite team. And the poster didn't want to wear a t-shirt & felt "bullied" by the rest of the staff. Or something like that.

I'm all for fun things like that! And I love how another poster put it - giving with fun.

Adapting an often-used line from another poster...this isn't an ice-bucket-challenge problem, it's a friendship problem.

I came across the following blog post earlier today in my FB feed. It's written by the wife of someone who has ALS.

http://http://www.bostern.com/blog/2014/08/15/what-an-als-family-really-thinks-about-the-ice-bucket-challenge/

Well, we are on week two of the very-viral very-everywhere ALS ice bucket challenge. I know, I know, I can hear the groans…it started out cute and now it’s out-of-control. Played. Clogging up social media sites everywhere.

I even read this charming article in which the author called the challenge (that has raised an unprecedented amount of money for one of the most outrageously underfunded diseases) a waste of fresh water. Another headlined whined, “Is the Ice Bucket Challenge Going to Cure ALS?” Um, no (and – btw – that’s a stupid bar to set for any fundraiser.) Critics complain that the challenge is really about feeding our American narcism and does nothing for ALS awareness or funding. They assert that people should just quietly donate their money and move on with their lives.

I get that they’re cranky, but I think maybe they don’t realize what it’s like to face this insidious disease and then realize that it’s nearly invisible to the rest of the world. As I watch my husband become entombed inside his own body, I feel desperate for people to understand that this sort of inhumane condition exists. But for some reason, while everyone acknowledges it’s one of the worst fates imaginable, funding for research and patient care is nearly nil. I recently mentioned to a doctor that my husband has ALS and she first looked confused and then said, “Oh, that’s Lou Gehrig’s Disease, right?” Right. Why does she -a doctor of medicine – still only know it by Lou Gehrigs Disease? Because we humans need to associate things with people. It’s easier that way. That’s why the celebrity faces and personal challenges happening in the ice bucket challenge are so effective at bringing in money. And if someone gets to look good while plunking their $50 in the ALS tip jar, I have zero problem with that.

Because here’s the deal: We are in for the fight of our lives with this monster, and the very LAST thing I want is for people to give quietly, anonymously, and then slink away. Raise the roof! Raise a ruckus! Call all sorts of attention to yourself! I will be happy for you and every Facebook like you receive, as you nudge ALS an inch or two closer to the collective public consciousness.

So, fear not, dear reader, this too shall pass and your Facebook newsfeed will go back to cat videos and kids singing Let It Go. Until that happens, here’s a little reminder about what it’s like to live with ALS and why this level of awareness is like gold to families like mine.

And then she goes on to describe what it's like living with ALS.

If you don't want to do it, that's absolutely fine. Don't do it. Ignore it, & none of your FB friends will care.

But don't get cranky & all out of sorts because other people are dumping ice buckets on their heads.

 

[Metsfan520]

I know no one owes me an explanation which is why I didnt quote anyone in particular. I was hoping someone could explain why though because I dont see what the big deal is in participating. I was hoping that one of the people here who said there is no way whatsoever they would dump a bucket of ice water on themselves could give me some insight as to why. That is all. If they dont want to answer then they can ignore my question, simple as that.

I just don't want to dump ice water on myself. Simple as that. It doesn't mean I don't support this - I totally do. It's just not for me.

 

[Mkrop]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ben-kosinski/icebucketchallenge-why-yo_b_5656649.html

FTR the Huffinton Post annoys the crap out of me and they succeeded once again. I think most people did not spend any money on a bag of ice, that is what makes this challenge so easy, you have most of what you need right there at home, so no need to buy a thing. Most people have ice in their fridge, water and some sort of container that can be used. Heck Reuben Amaro(GM of the Phila Phillies) did his in a bathroom at the hotel in San Fran on a road trip. The hotel had an ice machine and he used the wastebasket...voila.

Once again if it wasnt working and people were not doing both, this would have fizzled and donations would have gone flat. They didnt and people got the message even if the "whisper down the lane" affected the message sometimes.

And for all those who say we did not need the ice bucket, dont seem to understand marketing. I could online now ask people to donate and my video would fall flat very soon. It doesnt matter if it a charity or a commercial item, you need a gimmick, a catchy tune, SOMETHING that will keep people's attention. Sometimes the gimmick or tune will catch on, like not sure how many people go to their phones to change their insurance bc of talking gecko, but we all know that Geico has the talking gecko. So for ALS it is now the ice bucket challenge. Everyone bought the bracelets during the Live Strong phase, if people had not bought the band and just donated...except human nature wants more.

 

[EMom]

For all those saying that they wont, cant whatever pour ice over their head..why? barring some medical condition why cant you do it? That is the part I dont get. Some people act so high and mighty and indignant about the whole process. It is water, cold water, you get wet, if you can, jump in a pool after, or grab a towel. It is not that big of a deal. Some people act like this is some horrific thing people are being challenged to do. It is actually quite simple hence why it has caught on

Because they don't want to. Period. End of.

"No" is a complete sentence. No one should be bullied or badgered into this.

I completely support ALS research and will continue to financially support it. I watched a loved one die a long and tortuous death from ALS. I am fine with the ice bucket challenge, so long as no one is pressured to do it. I teach my DD that if she is dared (challenged) to do something that she doesn't want to do, to say, "No." Why wouldn't the same hold true here?

You assume they are high and mighty and it sounds like you are ridiculing those who do not want to participate. That is wrong.

No one needs to explain themselves. Why does it matter WHY they won't do it? They just don't want to do it. Enough said.

 

[Jaime4004]

I just don't want to dump ice water on myself. Simple as that. It doesn't mean I don't support this - I totally do. It's just not for me.

Exactly. I just don't want to. No more, no less. It's not about being annoyed by it, or being self conscious. I just have no desire to dump ice water over myself. My husband and most friends have done it and interestingly, no one has called me on it. I think they all know me too well

 

[Ceila]

And for all those who say we did not need the ice bucket, dont seem to understand marketing. I could online now ask people to donate and my video would fall flat very soon. It doesnt matter if it a charity or a commercial item, you need a gimmick, a catchy tune, SOMETHING that will keep people's attention.

Exactly, you need a gimmick...I'm thinking maybe something like a theme park designed around a mouse?

 

[DeaverTex]

I have heard saying they are annoyed that this is everywhere, it is on the news, it is clogging their newsfeed, so yes people are annoyed with just challenge itself and not the fact that ALS is getting money.

Thank you for answering and if you dont mind a follow up, if you do mind then just ignore. Do you go swimming? Why cant you put what you have on to go swimming and dump the bucket? No one is asking you to do it in suit . I mean I did not feel comfortable doing it in a bathing suit, so I did mine is a tshirt and shorts, where a lot of the moms with the good bods did it in the bathing suits and a coverup, the dads in their bathing suit and a tshirt.

No problem with a follow up.

I haven't gone swimming since junior high -- about 50 years ago -- except for a couple of swim tests that the Army decided I needed to take. Those were in full fatigues and boots. I can swim just fine, but the fun went away long, long ago. Now it just sounds like another activity that gets you wet. So, I haven't owned anything even remotely connected with water activity, other than soap and a towel, in decades.

And actually, nobody is asking me to do the challenge at all, so it's a moot point what to wear. I don't even know anyone who's been challenged or done the challenge. My friends wouldn't do it if challenged, and wouldn't pass the challenge along either. I wouldn't want to either, but after some thought, I don't know what I'd do in response to an actual challenge, properly presented.

 

[Mkrop]

Because they don't want to. Period. End of.

"No" is a complete sentence. No one should be bullied or badgered into this.

I completely support ALS research and will continue to financially support it. I watched a loved one die a long and tortuous death from ALS. I am fine with the ice bucket challenge, so long as no one is pressured to do it. I teach my DD that if she is dared (challenged) to do something that she doesn't want to do, to say, "No." Why wouldn't the same hold true here?

You assume they are high and mighty and it sounds like you are ridiculing those who do not want to participate. That is wrong.

No one needs to explain themselves. Why does it matter WHY they won't do it? They just don't want to do it. Enough said.

Well the people IRL that have declined are up there on their high horse and have passed judgement and been hypocritcal about it. It has not been a simple no. I am not criticizing anyone who has simply declined, it is those who go on and on, or who claim I would never stoop to dumping water on myself as if they are beneath something like this or too cool are the ones who are rattling me.


I will probably get flamed bc I am criticizing a mom with a kid with cancer but this one thing I read bothered me as to why she was not doing the challenge. I liked her page bc her terminally ill son wanted birthday cards and he was actually born on my bday, so I sent him a card, and donated a small amount to his cancer charity. The kid got tons of cards, she used social media to make it happen, it was on TV, and I am sure it made the kid's day. I was glad to be a part. I am sure there were plenty who did not do this for the boy...completely fine.

Well then mom wrote on her page when the ice bucket challenge came out that she was annoyed it wasnt for pediatric cancer and that she would NEVER do that challenge bc she would never dump ice water on herself or her children, it was mean. The way she wrote it implied that parents who did were being mean to their children and that she was above that. I read it and thought really???? does one disease trump another, and you yourself just used social media to bring awareness to your son's wish and his disease, why are you dissing this particular thing? It really left a bad taste in my mouth but I thought I would cut her some slack since her son is sick and I did not respond. I noticed later she deleted her post, it was probably not well received is my guess.

So there is "no", "no thank you" and there is "I would never" "this is dumb" etc. It is the latter responses that I have seen the few people IRL use to decline, like they are above dumping ice, not that they dont want to. YMMV

 

[TAX GUY]

Because they don't want to. Period. End of.

"No" is a complete sentence. No one should be bullied or badgered into this.

I completely support ALS research and will continue to financially support it. I watched a loved one die a long and tortuous death from ALS. I am fine with the ice bucket challenge, so long as no one is pressured to do it. I teach my DD that if she is dared (challenged) to do something that she doesn't want to do, to say, "No." Why wouldn't the same hold true here?

You assume they are high and mighty and it sounds like you are ridiculing those who do not want to participate. That is wrong.

No one needs to explain themselves. Why does it matter WHY they won't do it? They just don't want to do it. Enough said.

Settle down..... I don't think he was coming off like this at all. He's simply just CURIOUS as to why some might find pouring a bucket of ice water over their head is such a big deal. Its just ice water....what harm does it pose? Its not like trying to play Frogger and dodge high speed cars. FWIW, I like to think of his question like the following: if I ask my wife to do something and she says no, I then ask her why. If she replies with "because", I will continue to ask why not. Is there an actual reason or is it just she doesn't want to? If there's a reason, then I'll know not to ask next time (if something similar comes up).

Case in point, I did it. Didn't care and thought it would fun. I typically don't care for cold water unless I'm drinking it. Now, my wife DECLINED to participate because she has a "thing" about ice and touching it (think ringer nails and a chalk board...that's how she feels when touching ice). She gladly help record me and our son doing it though and was happy to help donate to ALS too.

 

[Mkrop]

No problem with a follow up.

I haven't gone swimming since junior high -- about 50 years ago -- except for a couple of swim tests that the Army decided I needed to take. Those were in full fatigues and boots. I can swim just fine, but the fun went away long, long ago. Now it just sounds like another activity that gets you wet. So, I haven't owned anything even remotely connected with water activity, other than soap and a towel, in decades.

And actually, nobody is asking me to do the challenge at all, so it's a moot point what to wear. I don't even know anyone who's been challenged or done the challenge. My friends wouldn't do it if challenged, and wouldn't pass the challenge along either. I wouldn't want to either, but after some thought, I don't know what I'd do in response to an actual challenge, properly presented.

Thank you. Better watch out or I might challenge you DeaverTex...just kidding. I get it. You dont swim, so you make sense. If people swim I dont see why this challenge would be a big deal

 

[DopeyDame]

By the way, when did it go from a bucket of ice, to being a bucket of cold water? The first I heard it was ice, period. The most recent videos show people dumping just water over their heads. I don't see me participating in the challenge, but if I did it would be with a large bucket of ice -- not cold water. That's just a field shower.
.

I think when it became so much more widespread and families got involved. It's one thing for a 20 year old to dump a bucket of ice on his head. But my 5 year old and 2 year old did it. I got tap water and put a few pieces of ice into the water to make it an "ice bucket" of sorts. But I wasn't about to drop of big bucket of ice on my 2 year old. That would have been cruel.

And yes, we did talk to the kids (well, the 5 year old) about ALS (the specific disease we didn't really address, just how some people get really sick from a disease called ALS) and how we gave money to the scientists and doctors who were trying to make people better. Did he understand? I dunno.

 

[Mkrop]

Settle down..... I don't think he was coming off like this at all. He's simply just CURIOUS as to why some might find pouring a bucket of ice water over their head is such a big deal. Its just ice water....what harm does it pose? Its not like trying to play Frogger and dodge high speed cars. FWIW, I like to think of his question like the following: if I ask my wife to do something and she says no, I then ask her why. If she replies with "because", I will continue to ask why not. Is there an actual reason or is it just she doesn't want to? If there's a reason, then I'll know not to ask next time (if something similar comes up).

Case in point, I did it. Didn't care and thought it would fun. I typically don't care for cold water unless I'm drinking it. Now, my wife DECLINED to participate because she has a "thing" about ice and touching it (think ringer nails and a chalk board...that's how she feels when touching ice). She gladly help record me and our son doing it though and was happy to help donate to ALS too.

Exactly I was curious to the why if anyone cared to share like DeaverTex as adversion to water, doesnt go swimming, so him declining makes sense.

Oh and I am a girl

 

[declansdad]

Because they don't want to. Period. End of.

"No" is a complete sentence. No one should be bullied or badgered into this.

I completely support ALS research and will continue to financially support it. I watched a loved one die a long and tortuous death from ALS. I am fine with the ice bucket challenge, so long as no one is pressured to do it. I teach my DD that if she is dared (challenged) to do something that she doesn't want to do, to say, "No." Why wouldn't the same hold true here?

You assume they are high and mighty and it sounds like you are ridiculing those who do not want to participate. That is wrong.

No one needs to explain themselves. Why does it matter WHY they won't do it? They just don't want to do it. Enough said.

No one is being bullied and Mkrop asked a simple question. There is no need to jump all over her.

 

[TAX GUY]

Exactly I was curious to the why if anyone cared to share like DeaverTex as adversion to water, doesnt go swimming, so him declining makes sense.

Oh and I am a girl

Sorry, habit to say "he" or "him"

 

[jrmasm]

Thank you. Better watch out or I might challenge you DeaverTex...just kidding. I get it. You dont swim, so you make sense. If people swim I dont see why this challenge would be a big deal

Exactly I was curious to the why if anyone cared to share like DeaverTex as adversion to water, doesnt go swimming, so him declining makes sense.

Oh and I am a girl

"I don't want to do it" doesn't mean it's a big deal. It means "I don't want to do it."

And you saying DTex's reason makes sense to you implies to me that you're assigning a value to his reason. Like it's good enough for you so therefore others' reasons might not be good enough for you. Did I get that right?

 

[ariel71]

Exactly I was curious to the why if anyone cared to share like DeaverTex as adversion to water, doesnt go swimming, so him declining makes sense.

No one is being bullied and Mkrop asked a simple question. There is no need to jump all over them.

It's a loaded statement when people keep saying things like "what's the big deal?" There's judgment behind Mkrop saying "him declining makes sense". What would the response have been if it the reason wasn't "good enough"? That implied judgment is why some people don't want to be called out publicly - they then are the bad guys if they don't respond.