Bonaduce rips stars' no-Tweeting schemeWas 'Digital Death' day a good idea? Celebrities were boycotting Twitter and Facebook on Dec. 1, 2010, to raise money to fight AIDS around the world. WYSP host Danny Bonaduce criticized it as "emotional blackmail."Posted on Wed, Dec. 1, 2010 By Peter Mucha Inquirer Staff WriterKim Kardashian went "digitally dead" today, along with Lady Gaga, Justin Timberlake, Serena Williams, Usher and other celebrities in a drive to raise money to fight the global AIDS crisis.
The end is noble, but the means sure riled Philadelphia's Danny Bonaduce, the Partridge Family kid turned morning yakker on WYSP (94 FM).
He railed at length in his daily segment on CBS3's morning news show.
In observance of World AIDS Day, a raft of famous names declared that they'd refuse to Tweet or post on Facebook on World AIDS Day until fans donated $1 million to Keep a Child Alive, a charity started with help from Alicia Keyes.
As of early afternoon, less than $25,000 had been raised, according to numbers superimposed on a black coffin shape at www.buylife.org. The site lists all the stars involved and tells how to donate, including by using smart phones to scan barcodes.
After emphatically agreeing that the disease has had catastrophic consequences, "wiping out nations, millions of entire families," Bonaduce spelled out his irritation to anchors Ukee Washington and Erica Von Thiel.
What kind of fight begins with quitting something? Bonaduce began.
"Isn't it sort of emotional blackmail? Ryan Seacrest isn't going to tell me he just pet his cat until I offer some money?" he continued.
"I think this is a mistake the way they are doing this," he said.
The rant was merely revving up.
"Doesn't that seem like an abuse of power in a way, that you don't get to see what Kim Kardashian is up to?" Bonaduce continued. ". . . And didn't Ryan Seacrest just sign a contract for $60 million? Do I really need Lady Gaga to tell me about her meat dress, and until she does, I have to give money? How about if these three get together and just put up $333,000 each and take care of the million bucks on their own since the American public pays their salary in the first place? Why don't they make the first step and put up the first million, rather than blackmail me on the minor musings about their days?"
"I am not alone in my opinion," he said.
He said he called Seacrest at home and suggested the American Idol host use Twitter to remind his followers to donate instead.
"Ladies and gentleman, charity begins at home, and that goes for you, Kardashian, that goes for you, Gaga, and that goes for you, Seacrest," Bonaduce concluded.
By 3 p.m., the fund was up to $60,000 but rising at a pace that might take a week or more to reach $1 million.
For more on the cause, go to www.keepachildalive.org.
Contact staff writer Peter Mucha at 215-854-4342 or pmucha@phillynews.com.
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