As an actress trying to make the creative dream of performing for a living work for her, I’m actually really shocked at the negative backlash Simon and Martina are getting for their hugely successful fundraiser.

Sites like Indiegogo and Kickstarter have forever been a source of funding for creative types…so their use of this medium to raise money is not at all unusual.

People seem to think that the money people are donating would be better spent donated to helping those “really” in need, victims of natural disasters, starving children, etc.

To that I say…ok.  Never go see another movie or buy another bluray disk ever again.  You have over a hundred channels on your tv?  Why not donate that money? Netflix membership?  DUDE! Hungry kids are so much more important than you getting to stream Breaking Bad.  

But seriously?  Entertainment is a supremely important part of your existence.  How many of you saw the Avengers or The Dark Knight asap?  You probably paid about $15 to see Avatar in 3D.  We love to watch movies and shows and be entertained, educated, and enlightened to other points of view…and this usually costs money.

Eatyourkimchi is free.  Any of you can sit down and watch a constant stream of their youtube videos for days and not pay a dime out of your pocket.  While some of you do not enjoy their videos (and I understand that, it’s your right as a consumer) Some people LOVE them!  Just look at the response that their fundraiser  has elicited.  It’s insane! I can only dream that one day I will be involved in a project that touches so many people. 

What they do is make a creative product.  And it is HARD WORK.  Anyone who has never been involved in any kind of film project, on either side of the camera, can never fully understand how much work goes into making just one frame of film.  Even normal projects have at least a small crew.  Simon and Martina do it alone. They are not asking their fans to make them rich.  They are not scamming anyone.  They are simply asking for help.  They could have tried this a long time ago simply to capitalize on their popularity, but they are doing it now because they were being faced with the possibility of closing the site and killing EYK for good.  But they have loving fans who want to help.

I’m not ashamed to say that I DONATED TO EYK.  I gave them $10 (less than a movie ticket, less than Netflix, less than a cable bill, less than a BluRay), because I love their videos.  They gave me a window to Korea that I had never had before, and a way to learn some things about the country, food, culture, music, etc.  All of this for free.  I find them hilarious!  I feel like they are my friends.  For over a year now, I have been NASTY.  

Keep rolling down those sexy windows, guys…