Analysis+of+KONY+2012

“KONY 2012”  media type="youtube" key="Y4MnpzG5Sqc" height="315" width="560" align="center"

In early March of 2012, the non-profit organization Invisible Children released a video titled “KONY 2012” on YouTube to raise awareness around the world of the atrocities committed by the Lord’s Resistance Army and its leader, Joseph Kony, in central Africa. The video became an immediate hit online, reaching 70 million views within a week of being posted. The video sought to combine the capabilities of social networking with advocates and endorsements from politicians and celebrities alike. “KONY 2012” became a digital phenomenon seemingly overnight.

The video itself clocks in at just under 30 minutes. It begins with images of a digitally created earth rotating in space leading to several shots of people living around the world with pieces of technology being used. Screenshots of Facebook and YouTube in action spliced with “heartwarming human stories” is meant to be uplifting. Videos used are of a young boy enthusiastically learning how to ride a bike and a woman hearing herself talk for the first time in 29 years with a new hearing device. The filmmakers intend this to show how technology has created a global community online; through incredible technological advancements, people are no longer confined to their own physical local community, but are part of a larger web of human connectivity.

Throughout these clips, a “voice of God” narration begins by Jason Russell, one of the filmmakers and directors of Invisible Children. He explains our world is evolving into a complex network of people while detailing some of the themes of technology and humans as described above. Home video footage of his son, Gavin, being born are used as an entry way into Russell’s life and serve as a jumping off point for the rest of the video. Jason’s word choice and tone could be described by someone as “idealistic” and “lofty” as he talks about “humanity.” Russell talks about wanting to create a better world for Gavin and introduces his experiences of traveling to Africa and learning about the tragic conditions in central Africa, especially Uganda. He frames his ambitions in the beginning by interviewing Gavin, around five-years-old, as he tries to explain to him what has been going on in Africa.

The viewer is brought into the innocent life of a 6 year old Gavin and his relationship with his father. This innocence would later be juxtaposed against the lives of children of similar age in Uganda as they desperately try to survive the atrocities perpetrated against them by the antagonist of this documentary, Joseph Kony. The comparison between Gavin’s happy seemingly carefree life and the children suffering in Uganda is designed to appeal to the viewer and compel them to support the documentary’s over all message. The documentary goes on to use the idea of innocence and simplicity to drive home the point that Kony is bad and must be stopped. The simplicity of this concept is highlighted in this footage of Gavin as he learns who Kony is. Watching Gavin conclude Kony’s behavior is “sad” is designed to compel the viewer to draw a similar conclusion. After all, if a 6 year old can see that Kony’s behavior is sad, then why can’t you?



As Russell explains to Gavin and us the situation in Uganda, he uses pictures and film footage of Ugandans homeless and displace in dire living conditions and uses computer-generated graphics to show the number of people who have been affected. Russell and the filmmakers employ pathos as a way to reach the viewers. These images are sad and heartbreaking. They also include footage of the filmmakers showing other films based on Kony and the LRA at schools and show the audience’s reaction, which consists of young people crying and looking shocked as they watch the movie. These images are meant to elicit a similar reaction and make us feel sad and angry at what is happening to these people.



Russell uses ethos as well as he tells us Kony’s story as he intercuts interviews with politicians from Uganda and a prosecutor from the International Criminal Court (ICC) as they condemn Kony and his organization. In addition to the interviews, the film shows government documents from the United Nations and the ICC, showing that they have indicted him for the murder and assault of women and children of central Africa and that they are looking to bring him to justice. These images and interviews give weight to the atrocities Kony has caused over the years, legitimizes his actions and show that he must be stopped.

As the film progresses, Russell ultimately has a “call to action.” Whenever the film showcases what can be done by us, the viewer, and how we can help, upbeat pop music begins playing. This is meant to be uplifting. Images of young people posting flyers and packaging “Action Kits” are paired with the music that is meant to draw the viewer in and get them excited about helping out the cause. Ultimately, Invisible Children wants to alert the world of Joseph Kony, make him the most recognizable man in the world so he can be captured, arrested and brought to justice.

The main target demographic of the video appears to be young people, as it is mostly these kinds of people that are shown helping out and being involved in protests and demonstrations throughout the film. The filmmakers use a lot of images of social networking sites (such as Facebook, YouTube and Twitter) as a means to relate to them, but to also advocate their use in getting the group’s message out into the world. This video is meant to utilize technology in capturing and stopping a war criminal.



This was a very evocative film that swept through the country quickly and became a hit. However, it was not without its detractors. As quickly as it became popular, people were just as quick to point out some of its faults. Some politicians and humanitarians in Africa felt disappointed with how the film portrayed the situation in central Africa. They felt it oversimplified the problems facing the people and even suggested that Kony was somewhat irrelevant at this point. They also took exception at the fact that Invisible Children is led by mostly white Westerners, and that the video took a “Great White Savior” approach in trying to solve Africa’s problems. Another criticism of the video was that it distorted some facts, notably the number of people currently involved with the LRA and how many women and children they have abducted recently.

The message in Kony 2012 is that Joseph Kony and the LRA are a group of guerrilla soldiers who are responsible for committing inhumane atrocities against that people of Uganda for no documented reason. Russell and his colleagues encourage the viewers to participate in their campaign to stop Kony by making donations to their nonprofit organization and using social media to make Kony famous. [|The Alarming Truth About KONY 2012], questions are raised about the financial integrity of the producers of Kony 2012 as well as the seeming contradictory support of military organizations that are accused of perpetrating inhumane atrocities upon the people of Uganda that rival the atrocities performed by the LRA. The Alarming Truth About KONY 2012 causes the viewer to consider if the producers of Kony 2012 might have financial motivations for generating the documentary instead of purely ethical reasons as the documentary suggests.

These criticisms, coupled with the meteoric rise and pervasiveness online of the video, led to some backlash directed towards Russell and Invisible Children. In addition to the increased attention, Russell was detained by police in San Diego for “bizarre and irrational behavior” shortly after the video premiered and the planned “Cover the Night,” campaign set for April 20th, as promoted in the video, was considered a flop and anticlimactic by many. By now, the overall campaign seems to have fizzled, as evidenced by the lack of publicity the sequel to “KONY 2012” has received compared to the first one.

“KONY 2012” uses mostly emotional images and graphics meant to highlight the problems occurring in central Africa and how people can use the tools of technology and the internet to help bring Joseph Kony to justice. This film has a lofty goal and feels epic in scope with the use of several images of the world used in the film and shots of large groups of people working together. It is a very polished and dynamic video and can be considered successful in its use of pathos based on the reactions of people who watch it.