UPDATE | Don Diablo has tweeted about the video apologizing to those who felt it was insensitive. As we previously mentioned, the intent of the video was positive, only poorly.
Apologies to those who thought the video I posted tonight was insensitive 🙏🏻 Obviously it was intended to bring people together in this time of confusion and uncertainty. My fans and everyone else know my only goal will always be to spread positivity. Sorry again, love you all ❤️
— Don-Diablo.ETH (@DonDiablo) March 31, 2020
Everyone wants to do something good to ease others’ suffering and anxieties during this tumultuous time, but consideration should be given to how one goes about doing that. It’s hard to think that an entire team saw this video from Don Diablo, from storyboarding to concept to approval, and still decided to put it out.
In theory, the video has a good message. “WE are facing difficult times but WE are in this TOGETHER,” Don Diablo writes in the caption. “Let’s stay strong, support each other and create an even better FUTURE on OUR beautiful planet.” Not so bad, right?
Unfortunately, the content of the video undermines the message it promotes, depicting CGI recreations of some of the year’s worst disasters so far, including COVID-19 (depicting it in particular with a caption reading Wuhan, China, rather than the name of the virus, something most have labeled as being dangerous to inciting racial prejudice), the Iran airplane missile incident, and, most egregiously, the helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant in February.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B-Xh6BfHlOD/
Don Diablo already deleted the tweet with the offending content, though it remains up on Instagram, where the replies are comparatively far more positive. Still, the replies on Twitter don’t disappear when you delete a tweet out of shame.
Plenty have already shared screen recordings of the video, as well, to make sure others are aware of what he tried to sweep under the rug. An apology would be a good first step, but it’s unclear if one is coming as keeping the Instagram video up, a social share with more positive reactions, implies he doesn’t think the content is wrong, just that he wants to hide the negativity it has unleashed in his replies.
We will update this article if and when an apology is issued. Until that time, see replies to the original tweet below.
https://twitter.com/snackdaniels/status/1244761534796124160
Sorry man deleting the tweet is not gonna be enough this time: pic.twitter.com/RaHiHUwfbd
— Josh Goodman (@JustJOSH_ingYa) March 30, 2020
Could be a career ender this one. Wow.
— Scott (@SeanEames1) March 30, 2020
https://twitter.com/JayKode/status/1244759411794436096
this man really hired someone to render a 3D video of Kobe's helicopter crashing into a hillside and put his own music behind it to tell us to stay strong in the current crisis lmao this is PEAK DJ social unawareness https://t.co/iRFv7XAKGX
— Hex (@HexCougar) March 30, 2020
looks like that Don Diablo tweet finally got deleted, but you know what, at the end of the day he actually was successful in bringing us together… to shit on his lack of judgement lmao
— Hex (@HexCougar) March 30, 2020
Yo you need to practice some social distancing from the computer and Twitter after this. Wtf lol
— Pablo Artigas 🎛 (@PabloArtigas85) March 30, 2020
you gotta just delete this and say you got hacked 😭
— justin fargo-p (@silly702) March 30, 2020
Love you don diablo but this is something else…
— 𝒜𝒽𝓃𝒾𝓀𝒶 ✨ (@ahnikalh) March 30, 2020
This promo and whoever came up with it needs some social distancing
— NADERI 💀 (@itsnaderi) March 30, 2020
https://twitter.com/GregLongman13/status/1244758120687120385
The virus is one thing, but the helicopter and the plane crash????? Nah THIS AINT IT.
— ΛPOLLO NΛSH (@ApolloNashMusic) March 30, 2020
https://twitter.com/JRKUERVOGAMING/status/1244757233189052416
— Harrison (@prodbyharrison) March 30, 2020
you gotta fire your entire team and then quit social media forever after posting something like this chief
— cal (@its_cal_yo) March 30, 2020
— kelso 🧸 (@kelseyremige) March 30, 2020
??????
— ASEEM (@hotelgaruda) March 30, 2020
— SHOTMINDED (@DorianoMagliano) March 30, 2020
I refuse to believe this went past managers eyes before posting.
— Eric Ananmalay @ Worlds 24' (@ericananmalay) March 30, 2020
Absolutely brutal, completely insensitive and tasteless. Delete this!!
— EMATA (@ematamusic) March 30, 2020
You and your team wylin
— TAE (@taeflakes_) March 30, 2020
lmfaooooooooooo
— chet porter (@chetporter) March 30, 2020
@DonDiablo WTF did I just watch? It's bad enough DJs are making Covid-19 inspired songs (all Trash btw), but this going waaaaay too far. I miss when EDM was about escapism…
— DARRIO (@ohwowitsdarrio) March 30, 2020
Bruh did y'all just really animate Kobe's helicopter crash and the plane getting shot down?
Please delete this.
— Bear (@BearUNLV) March 30, 2020
who thought this was a good idea
— GЯIMΞCRΛFГ ✧˖°. (@GRIMECRAFT) March 30, 2020
Photo via Rukes.com
