Nollywood or Nollynude?

One of the greatest sources of influence is the television. This is because the family has failed. We now have over ambitious career mothers, who have no time to train their children. The house girl and DSTV take over. Many children know the names of all the cast in Barney, CartonNetwork and Disney but cannot identify their Uncles, or recite States and Capitals. Asking them to say the Lords prayers, recite the 66 books of the bible or the heroic deeds of the Prophet in Medina, the Nigerian national anthem, is a death sentence.

Of the DSTV channels, none is watched more voraciously by Africans than African Magic. This channel carter for African films. It was created solely for African films because most African movies cannot compete with movies shown on Hallmark, Movie Magic and other movie channels. Another reason is because the capitalist owner of DSTV, wants to retain the teeming TV watching Africans and absence of an African movie channel, will rob them of a market. And nowhere is this market growing in limps and bounds than in Nigeria. Nigerian film industry Nollywood, dominates Africa Movie Magic. I have expressed by opinion about the poor quality of Noollywood films in my article Oh Nollywood! published by LEADERSHIPWEEKEND’s ORACLE of January 12^th 2008.

My major concern here, is the message content and the moral content of the Nollywood actors and actresses. Since the TV has taken over parenting and teaching (most play group centres teach nothing but to on a Carton CD/DVD for the toddlers to rock them to sleep), there is need for all concerned to scrutinise what the younger generation of Nigeria watches. The film censor board has disappointed me. Check out the film they rate 13 and PG? The subtle sexual content will make am imp blush. Another watershed is the rewriting of African cultures by the producers of these films. Africans are not violent people. The gun culture Nollywood is trying to plant in the psychic of our children, should be resisted. When you watch a Nollywood production of a campus scene, you ask yourself, is this not the same University you went to? Another poor content is the use of American accent to act a movie whose setting is 18^th century Africa. Another disturbing trend, is found in the Yoruba film department of Nollywood. No Yoruba movie, is complete without magic/juju. Is this a true representation of the Yorubas? A race that has the highest number of Pentecostal pastors and pride herself on the exploit of her returned slave Samuel Ajai Crowther.  The canny Hausas, not wanting anything that will abuse Sharia stayed away from Nollywood, started Kannywood and Hausanized India, Arabian and Chinese film. To their shame, one of the pervert sex symbol of Nollywood (Omotola) is now starring in their movies.

Calls I have received from onyibo friends after watching a Nollywood movie are embarrassing. I have been able to address the issue of texture of the films. I blame it on technology and that we are still growing. America has started Mars exploration while in Africa we are yet to find solution to gabarge disposal. I point out to them that Europe underdeveloped Africa and America and Asia are furthering it via importation of inferior goods which kill the indigenous industry.

When they hit me with complains about rituals, taboos in the Nollywood movies, I am at sea without a rudder. One actually asked me, “Do the Igbos still insist that a widow drink the water used to wash her husband’s corpse?” Instantly, I knew one nna men is finding it difficult to convince this lady. I blame is squarely the fault of Nollywood. Nollywood should stop scaring Nigerians and other members of the global village with twisted half truth. Let us rebrand Nigeria.  

Movies, Cinema, TV, Music, just name any arm of entertainment, is a powerful tool of influence. Before I had first hand information from USA, I thought all the streets in America are lit up like Christmas tree, that there is an ambulance at the end of each street, that zooms into crime scene before the smoke fades away from the pistol. Most Nigerian ladies dream of elusive Mr.  Right, who will open the car door, kiss her good night without going all the way, cook for her while she gist on the phone as a result of Hollywood movies of ideal American family. Forget it. Check your records, misogynists, failed marriages abound in USA but movies depicting these won’t be sold massively in Africa. This onyibos are better than Africans mentality was foisted by Hollywood and her counterparts in other onyibo’s country. Even India’s Bollywood, has improved the world wide image of Indians, from the Snake Girl and the over reincarnation (they always kill themselves and reincarnate to take revenge without the murderer getting old) to a Technological and scientific India. Indian movies now showcase India as emerging IT giant.     

 Having agreed that movies are important agent of socialisation, I dare ask, will you allow a prostitute to train your child or a naked house girl serve your husband dinner? Pick a copy of these glossy fashion/love magazines or any national daily on Saturday or Sunday, the pictures of Nollywood actresses on the centre spread gives me the feeling I am watching pornography forget what happens to my third leg. These papers not okay with page 3 girl, splash colour on these half nude actresses and go the extra mile of doing a pull out. Most Newspapers now sell their weekend edition by highlighting these nude actresses on the front page.

 Some of them are not contented with being confined to the pages of the Newspaper. At every award, charity show and even strictly children’s programme, they bare it all. At the just concluded Nigeria Musical Award in Owerri, it was breast baring galore. Different sizes gravitationally pulled out of shape by age and rough squeeze, were forced into undersized bra to give the impression of a Honda prelude headlight were on display, showing a cleavage that will make my grandmother look like a virgin. It baffles me that a woman will pay so high to have a dress that covers nothing to be designed for her. We now have more lewdness in Nigerian movies than the American films we wanted to escape from.

The male counterparts are not innocent. Their conducts in nightclubs and recreation centres dotted around town is a letdown. A good number are paedophiles, deflowering teenagers, in need of role models or a role in a movie. To crown their moral bankruptcy, their marriages are collapsing like a pack of cards at a rate that will make Elizabeth Taylor feel like a Nun.   

 

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