No more long talk – just hypocrisy!
30.MAY.08
Editor: The excitement generated over the return of âBlakieâ to the calypso arena has drowned our thinking, as the focus has been on the messenger and not the message.
We speak from one corner of our mouths about the moral decay, yet the artiste and the song are given tremendous airplay and popularity. Our weekly newspaper publications have been caught up in the mild euphoria, giving credence to the artistesâ efforts.{{more}}
There is no subtlety in the message. The intention is plain. There is nothing left to oneâs imagination, as there was no attempt to improvise, pun or use the double meaning in the song. As it has turned out, the song is resonating in the minds of our vulnerable young people.
And, of course, many of the older folks, too, have been sucked into the sympathy of the character, Blakie, and his social problems with drugs and alcohol. But whilst his plight is seen as a move towards his rehabilitation, he, whether by accident or design, can create other far reaching social problems.
What if our young ladies are to take the instructions literally? One can just imagine the price we will have to pay for in a few years time, as a baby boom or the already high incidence of AIDS will be the product of their actions.
But what is also disturbing is that the song is being popularized by our womenfolk, who, in my opinion of the lyrics of the song, are looked on as cheap objects who need âno long talkâ, just action right away.
The actions of the radio stations, by popularizing the song, act against the efforts of the school system, as teachers become defenceless in this regard of trying to instill certain values in children.
How hypocritical we are in this instance as we moved swiftly and banned Jamaican dancehall artiste Movado for his gangster lyrics. Is the combination between Blakie and Skinny Fabulous the lesser of two evils?
We can be singing a different tune down the road, as we are planting the seeds today.
Rohan Thomas
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