The cultural divisions that separate Americans – factions of race, region, and economic status – have never been more evident than in the various benefit events being mounted around the U.S. in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Musicians from classical, country, pop, and hip-hop scenes are all doing their part for the relief effort – but all on separate stages. Some experts say that “the competition that has emerged among fund-raising efforts reflects cultural lines that were already drawn,” but others insist that the factionalized effort is merely a by-product of an already compartmentalized entertainment industry.