Kony 2012 | How Kony 2012 Took Over the World – And Fell Apart

Things I Learned Last Night

In 2012, a short film took over the internet. It was called Kony 2012, and its goal was clear: make the world aware of Joseph Kony, the leader of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). The campaign was created by Invisible Children, a nonprofit that wanted to stop Kony and his army from kidnapping children in Uganda. The video quickly became one of the most viral in history, reaching over 100 million views in just a few days.

Then, just weeks after the video went viral, the movement collapsed. Jason Russell, the filmmaker behind Kony 2012, suffered a public mental health crisis. A video of him breaking down on a California street spread quickly, intensifying media scrutiny. The “Cover the Night” event, meant to be the campaign’s most significant moment, failed. Fewer people participated than expected, and some took the opportunity to vandalize public spaces instead.

Things I Learned Last Night is an educational comedy podcast where best friends Jaron Myers and Tim Stone talk about random topics and have fun all along the way. If you like learning, and laughing a whole lot while you do, then you’ll love TILLN. Watch or listen to this episode today!

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