Operation MySpace / Kuwait
I went to Kuwait with MySpace. They financed a documentary I made on a concert they did for the troops there called Operation MySpace. The thing that was most compelling about the trip was, of course, the soldiers. They were young, mostly. They were there for the opportunity and paycheck, mostly. They weren’t what I’d expected. They were smart and articulate, and not necessarily aligned with the government’s intentions in the Persian Gulf, but were committed to the idea of national defense regardless… I interviewed them and sent cameras to their families and had them interview themselves. Ultimately it was a bit of a fiasco. At one point I got detained by some MP’s after a ranking officer got out of sorts when I focused my lens on a 3-star general. Apparently I’m not the sort the person that they’re comfortable with. In hind sight, I think I would have left my orange hunting cap at home.
Regardless, the soldiers loved the show; Carlos Mencia showed his bare ass to the the 8,000 people in attendance. Jessica Simpson sang, a metal band called The Disturbed and the Pussy Cat Dolls played. The high point was a band called Filter. The singer is an outspoken critic of the war whose song, “Nice Shot,” ironically emerged as a battle field anthem.
Here’s a few pictures from trip.
