Comparative Essay: Caine's Arcade vs. KONY 2012

  I am going to compare the two videos, 'Caine's Arcade' and 'KONY 2012'. Before reading this, I suggest you to watch these videos first.

Caine's Arcade



KONY 2012



     We watched two videos, 'KONY 2012' and 'Caine's Arcade'. First, KONY 2012 is about one man, Joseph Kony and the children in Uganda. Joseph Kony kidnaps children when they are asleep and make them children soldiers. Then he orders the children to shoot their own parents with their gun. Because of this, children in Africa, especially in Uganda are not safe. They didn't know when they will be kidnapped. However, by KONY 2012 project started from the group Invisible Children, they are trying to stop Kony. The next video is about 9 years boy, Caine. He made his own arcade, toy machine like one in the real game shop in his father's autopart store. He made all of his arcade stuff by himself, and also tickets such as tokens and Fun Pass. His idea was fascinating, but there were few customers because his dad's store was located in the place where a few people go through. One day, one of the customer visited Caine's Arcade and he was impressed. He made a Facebook group 'Caine's Arcade' and many people was known about Caine's Arcade. Finally, Caine's Arcade become the popular arcade all around the world.

    Between these videos, there are similar things, but also different things. The similar thing is that both videos is known and became famous by Facebook, and also YouTube. Each video started from the Facebook group. Because Facebook is one of the most popular social networks, people could see about it and information about Kony and Caine's Arcade could spread all around the world. Both videos are also viral video that spread faster as the virus. They were uploaded in YouTube, and many people saw this video. Finally, they could be the one of the popular video in YouTube. Third, this video is mainly about the kids, which are having problems. In KONY 2012, a kid living in Uganda, named Jacob had a problem that he need to be always worried because he was living in unsafe environment that he didn't know when he would be kidnapped. In Caine's Arcade, Caine had a problem that he had a few, or none of his customers. But all of this was solved with a help of alot of people. This also could be the similar thing of both videos. In KONY 2012, all people around the world, including Invisible Children, help them to stop KONY and now Kony's actions are silent. Because of this, some thinks that Kony is dead. In Caine's Arcade, the customers from all around the world helped Caine to have many customers and play with his arcade. In addition, there are the last similar point about each project, not about the video. They are all collecting the money from other people. KONY 2012 is collecting money that will be used for help to Uganda children, and in Caine's Arcade, the owner of the Caine's Arcade site (the customer who was impressed by Caine's Arcade and made a Facebook group) collects money for Caine's education fees.

    Even though Caine's Arcade and KONY 2012 have similar parts, they are also having different parts. The setting and emotion of KONY 2012 in the video is mostly sad and scary. The 3D effect also make the video more scary. By the way in Caine's Arcade, I divided its emotion to three parts. First, when he had few customers or no customers, it felt lonely. However when there are the first customer playing with Caine's Arcade, a hopeful emotion could be found. Lastly, when the huge amount of the customers came to play Caine's Arcade, joyful and excited emotion could be found in the video.

  

    KONY 2012 and Caine's Arcade is extremely different video with different themes and contents. It is amazing that we could found the familiar parts between them.