CEO Sleepout’s use of virtual reality slammed as ‘tone deaf’
The Vinnies CEO Sleepout – which this year included executives and employees from various media and adland companies including Nine, Fairfax, Carat and Mamamia – has been criticised for giving CEOs virtual reality headsets so they can experience “the realities” faced by homeless people every day.
A video which showed eight CEOs weaing virtual reality headsets in a noisy room at the Sydney event was posted to Twitter, and it wasn’t long before people were pointing out the disconnect between the expensive technology and the situations regularly faced by Australia’s homeless.
Our Sydney CEOs using virtual reality to get a glimpse of the realities faced by the people who experience this everyday. #CEOSleepoutAu pic.twitter.com/b53wqESdLA
— CEOSleepout (@CEOSleepout) June 22, 2017
Yes! Dealing with the virtual cold, the virtual violence, the virtual hunger, the virtual untreated illnesses, the virtual despair …
— David Scott Aubrey (@davidakaclean) June 22, 2017
Come on, seriously? This is terrible, and every single person involved in this should be able to spot the flaws.
— Kale (@DarkestKale) June 23, 2017
This is vile poverty porn. Who thought of this? ?
— NoFucksGiven (@FionaGillen2013) June 23, 2017
The charity initiative began in Sydney’s Parramatta in 2006 and has since grown to be a nationwide event – this year raising over $5m from almost 1,500 CEOs and over 35,000 supporters – but many have pointed out the money invested in the executives’ VR experiences, could have gone elsewhere.
Really happy to see you waste 10 grand of funding on making a homelessness simulator for Tech babies
— ROMEOS DISTRESS (@BRUCE_STADIUM) June 23, 2017
Um, maybe with what you paid for the VR headsets, you could have fed, bathed and housed ACTUAL homeless people!
— saderman (@saderman) June 23, 2017
#CEOSleepoutAu that’s really really out of touch to think that a VR/AR experience can come close to homelessness.
— teq nomad (@teqnomad) June 22, 2017
Mamamia was involved in the event, but declined to comment on the VR controversy, other than to point out they were pleased with their fundraising efforts.
Mamamia founder Mia Freedman has so far raised $3,503, along with the publisher’s managing director Kylie Rogers who has raised $4,988. Collectively, the team has raised over $17,000.
Neil O’Reilly, Nova Entertainment’s Adelaide general manager (Nova 919 & FIVEaa), who will participate in the Adelaide event next week, said CEOs know their one-night stand with homelessness did not equate to the ongoing stuggles actual homeless people experience, but noted the charity and its marketing efforts were creating positive change.
“I am really proud to be taking part in the CEO Sleepout with Vinnies again this year. It’s an important cause and a great way to remind us of the difficulties some members of our community are facing. Beyond the obvious benefit of raising much needed funds, it’s also an opportunity to educate my own kids and raise their awareness about this serious issue.
“Having done this before, I can safely say that none of the CEOs go into this with a view that they are truly homeless for a day. We all know that we get to head home for a hot shower and a change of clothes the following morning. We simply hope that the exercise raises the awareness it needs, and raises much needed funds. I will happily participate in this cause in future years,” he said.
A number of other media executives and employees involved in this year’s sleepout were unable to comment on the use of the VR headsets, but told Mumbrella that, similar to O’Reilly, they were not pretending to know what real homelessness is like.
They did not want to discuss the controversy, and instead pointed to the funds and awareness raised by the initiative.
In response to the criticisms, a spokesperson for the St Vincent de Paul Society told Mumbrella the VR exercise was part of a comprehensive set of activities undertaken by the CEOs.
“The Sydney CEO Sleepout used fully-sponsored new technology to educate and inform CEOs about the leading causes and statistics of homelessness in Australia. The exercise also included face-to-face discussions with our frontline staff to discuss and get a better understanding of some of the barriers faced by people experiencing homelessness as well as some of the services provided by Vinnies to assist them,” the spokesperson said.
“The focus of the evening however was hearing firsthand the brave and courageous stories shared by three people who had experienced homelessness – Sharon, Wayne and Matt.”
The spokesperson also pointed to the wider objectives of the evening: “All funds raised at the Vinnies CEO Sleepout fund critical services including women’s refuges, medical clinics, education and life skill courses, and accommodation and food services.”
In a release leading up to the event, the organisation said the virtual reality room was part off its campaign to make people aware homelessness can strike anywhere.
“CEOs will get a glimpse into not only the physical realities for those sleeping rough through the cold, winter nights but they will also learn how people find themselves experiencing homelessness and just how hard it is to break the cycle. A Virtual Reality room will run throughout the night, showing different scenarios related to this year’s theme of ‘homelessness doesn’t have a postcode’ to drive home the message that homelessness really can happen to anyone, in any suburb,” the statement said.
St Vincent De Paul Society NSW CEO Jack de Groot said CEOs would gain valuable insights from the event.
“CEOs at the Sleepout will gain insight into why early intervention is crucial to prevent homelessness from occurring in the first place and how to sustain people as they try to return to a regular life. They need housing and they need services,” says Mr de Groot.
“The experience of being there is priceless and can change the perspectives and attitudes of all who attend. The money we raise from one uncomfortable night on a damp cricket pitch goes towards the services we offer people across the state who are experiencing homelessness, or who are at risk of homelessness.”
I met a guy one that used this as a networking opportunity. Sickening.
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This is a rubbish article. Why even mention the names of Mia and Kylie. Take the non-issue raised by a few people tucked up in their beds last night up with the organisers of the event not people who took the time to participate and raise money.
Mumbrella is becoming a bit like the Daily Mail sensationalised rubbish journalism.
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I think virtual reality is interesting.
I, for one, would volunteer to lead a team of micturating marauders who would randomly pee on sleeping CEOs as well as dress as police and drag them out of their cardboard beds to be searched.
Should be hilarious.
Wait, wait, I got an idea to support battered wives… see, what we’ll do is pretend to beat up rich women and, and, er, well that’s it.
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I rest my case if Mumbrella allows the offensive diatribe condoning the bashing of women from John Hollands to be printed then expect the rubbish journalism will continue. You should be ashamed.
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Don’t be such a dope. John Hollands is being sarcastic and making a point about the thought processes of the sort of people who think up virtual reality homeless experiences.
You’d have to be pretty silly (or deliberately misunderstanding to score a point) to think he’s suggesting beating up women,
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Mumbrella, thousands of people were involved in a phenomenal cause, the raising of significant funds for homelessness, and additionally investing in the future of this exceptional initiative by using powerful technology (VR) to immerse influential people in situations that they hopefully would never find themselves in.
Its this emotionally moving immersion that helps build long term empathy amongst a group of powerful ambassadors who can genuinely move the needle in helping this and other causes.
There was a great story to be written here, about the positive intent of thousands of people Australia-wide who actually did something, conceived this initiative, organised it, sponsored it, donated hard earned wages, slept out in the cold/wet.
Instead, you chose to focus on a few bored, nay sayer, thumb warrior haters on twitter who did absolutely nothing – apart from tried to tear it down.
This all comes back to INTENT, please think about the intent of those thousands who actually did something, versus the intent of a few lazy self righteous tweeters, and then maybe consider your intent in publishing this piece.
You have elevated the thought bubbles of a few naive negators who will never understand the important nuance of why a charity and sponsor would invest in such an emotive experience, and given those thoughtless bubbles weight over ALL of the hard work and positive energy of what’s a truly great cause.
This is exactly how disgraceful pile-ons start, and Mumbrella you need to consider your purpose and real value in the ecosystem if this is your ongoing approach.
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