If you are like me, many are the times we have mourned about the breakdown of society and how the fibre of the said society has become one tattered rag.
Truth is, many of us do that by sugar coating things …give it a nice sounding name/phrase and it becomes more palatable. For instance, a lady who is on the plump side of life is said to be full-figured. Well-rounded. A real African beauty. Keeping it real. Too blessed to be starved …yes, we even make it spiritual.
I for one think that it all begins with the family. Family teaches you how not to say things.
For instance, the little brat that broke the tv with a hammer to remove the little people dwelling inside there is described as being inquisitive. An engineer in the making. Ahead of his time.
The teenage son who has so many body piercings such that when he walks without his jewellery looks like a sieve is described as artistically creative. Psychologists tell us he is communicating something to the society. Of course he is, the nutritionist in me says he is screaming that he is struggling with an iron deficiency and he needs to be on some supplements.
This sugar coating becomes so addictive and we can no longer tell when to stop. In fact, we do not want it to stop.
For instance, I know my son should not have more than 6 lollipops a day but when I walk into the house, tired and carrying the weight of the world on my shoulders and my son hugs me and asks “Mum, is that a new hairstyle?”… I know my head looks like my hairdresser fled town and left no forwarding address but ooh, the warm feelings flood me and he can have all the lollipops he wants ….they do have fruits drawn on the wrapping foil, right?
And yet, I need to teach him that family can be honest with each other and yes, we love you and that is why we correct you …it is for your own good, even if we have to hunt you down, beat you up and then tie you down just get you to listen to our insightful, loving correction. We want you to know that we do it out of love…a deep and dark place in our hearts.
So, how come no family member tells those boys and girls going to audition for Project Fame (and really all other reality shows) that they cannot sing (or dance / model / cook etc) even if their very lives depended on it? That skipping is not a talent unless you are skipping on your head? Have we stooped so low that we get comic relief from watching our brothers and sisters making themselves laughing stock on national tv? Don’t those poor cannot-resist-the-urge-to-be-on-national tv-any-which-way-how-take-a-look-at-me-now kids (and some special adults) on these reality shows have family or even friends who love them? Do they not worry that these auditions are recorded? What will they tell their children? Will they ever be able to get jobs in the real world? Am not even going to wonder what some parents tell their kids they were doing on tv!!! Actually, I want to be in that room when the kids see daddy on tv auditioning and they had no idea he had entered the contest.
True, some real talent is discovered and polished but then some real clowns are also unveiled. Is that what they call win-win, they get their talent and I get my clowns?
I so can see it now, my son brings home a date and I think she looks familiar but only a few hours before their wedding, it hits me, I saw her on a reality show and she is talented all right …good thing is she is a millionaire, she won, “How Unclean is Your House!”
Ok, gotta check and make sure I get a proper recording of these auditions …they provide such great comic relief and at least for now I know that it is not any of my offspring on stage ….yet.
Blessings y’all.
