BIG IDEAS

In case you missed it, the very first post on this blog tried to set the tone for a global look at the oddities and trends in global culture and politics. To that end, I threw up this clip from the finale of Big Brother Africa 2 and a rocking performance by Kenyan rap duo Gidi Gidi Maji Maji. It’s become a theme song of sorts for EbonyJet.com:

“We buried this video a week ago in a post about the TV show Big Brother in an item about how much cooler the show seemed than the American version.Turns out, after some digging, there’s much more to that song.Seems the tune, by Kenyan hip hop duo Gidi Gidi Maji Maji, was used as the theme music for Kenya’s winning Rainbow Alliance party in the presidential race of 2002.

According to those who know, The song “Who Can Bwogo Me” also known as ‘Unbwogable” is a taunt, if you will. “Bwogo” means “to scare” and so “unbwogable” means “unbeatable, unshakeable.” Sure beats ”Don’t Stop Thinking About Tomorrow”.

Makes you wonder if the 2008 candidates are playing T.I. before their speeches.

Here’s the video again just in case you missed it:

�

I’ll call myself an Africanist proudly on any day - except maybe today when I went to do an update on our ongoing coverage of the drama surrounding the TV show Big Brother Africa II. But first let’s recap:

I started off by hipping you to the huge party that was the finale of Big Brother Africa I, a show that was something of a milestone in its cross-continental appeal.

Next, we introduced you to the then new cast of Big Brother Africa II, which premiered in August.

Then the trouble began, when several conservative governments in Africa attempted to ban the program, accusing the the housemates of loose moral behavior in general, as well as adultery and unprotected sex between married housemate/immature jerk Richard and engaged Angolan hottie/vixen Tatiana.

And as if matters couldn’t get any worse, aforementioned jerk Richard was involved in what amounts to the first live television episode of date rape when he fondled drunken and passed out roommate Offuneka in front of millions of viewers.

Now a winnner has been announced, and guess who won the US$100,000 prize? You guessed it, our boy Richard. Which gets to the title of this post. Africa needs women running things - bad. You can talk about the horror of AIDS and the need for increased compassion toward Africa all you want. But all through rape accusations and infidelity, Richard was almost universally hailed as the favorite among fans and received nearly all the fan votes to get the victory. His victim, Offuneka, came in second. Oh, and Tatiana, his house love, got only one vote (from her home country of Angola).

At some point, somebody needs to realize that the kind of misogyny that stems from a male-dominated society where women are still fighting for a place at the table is fundamental to many of the continent’s problems. There’s a level of responsibility and accountability needed that Bono and The Gap just can’t finance. Not to take a reality TV show too seriously, of course. They’re all so much fakery and drummed up histrionics. But this instance is indicative of so much in real life outside of the cameras that it’s hard to ignore.

A blog post from the continent on the issue says it all.

For the last couple of months, we’ve been following the highly watched Season 2 of Big Brother Africa. In our last post, we talked about efforts to ban the show in certain countries because of its rampant nudity and “morally loose” behavior - which included apparent adultery and unprotected sex.

Could it get worse? Absolutely.

Now, charges of rape (filmed live for posterity nonetheless) are being heaped on one of the last three contestants on the show, Richard. The whole issue is once again exposing the continent’s still rather sexist leanings. Most people are, unfortunately, still rooting for the dumbass.

I’ll spare you the video. Read about it HERE. Or here. Or here.

M-Net, for all intents and purposes the African version of HBO, recently launched its second season of the hugely popular Big Brother Africa 2. This season, whcih is filming in South Africa, features 12 housemates from a range of nations around the continent, including Angola, Malawi, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, and Nigeria.

The new twist this time around is an uncensored“Shower Hour” that, based on your TV service, is either under an age-appropriate restriction or maybe not. And that’s just one of the controversies blowing up blogs and websites across Africa with accusations of low morality, unprotected sex and general loose behavior. In Uganda, parental groups are asking that the show be banned.

We buried this video a week ago in a post about the TV show Big Brother in an item about how much cooler the show seemed than the American version.

Turns out, after some digging, there’s much more to that song.

Seems the tune, by Kenyan hip hop duo Gidi Gidi Maji Maji, was used as the theme music for Kenya’s winning Rainbow Alliance party in the presidential race of 2002.
According to those who know, Tthe song “Who Can Bwogo Me” also known as ‘Unbwogable” is a taunt, if you will. “Bwogo” means “to scare” and so “unbwogable” means “unbeatable, unshakeable.”

Sure beats ‘”Don’t Stop Thinking About Tomorrow”. Makes you wonder if the 2008 candidates are playing T.I. before their speeches. Here’s the video again just in case you missed it:

No, no, not like that. No longer satisfied with repurposed WWE matches and Jeffersons episodes, West Africa is falling in love with American TV franchises just as much as everyone else. After months of auditions, nervous performances and the road to the Final 12, it all came down to a classic battle between TImi and Omawumi on Idols (West Africa). Timi won. Unfortunately, even in the country that nurtured Fela, Omawumi still sang Gloria Gaynor’s I Will Survive

Say what you will about the talent, but at least the producers aren’t making the contestants do cheesy commercials. No singing and dancing about a car for them.

The continent is now anticipating the start of Big Brother Africa: Season 2 in August.

Speaking of Big Brother Africa, their finale was ever so slightly more fun than ours.

More Links:
Idols West Africa
Purpose Driven Life
Wikipedia: Gidi Gidi Maji Maji