Let’s talk about perception and what Nollywood has done to Nigeria. Writers have a lot of work to do in repairing the thoughts about who we are as a people. I encourage Nigerian writers to share their stories and businesses should outsource their stories. We have a dearth of good stories.
Nollywood is producing trash content and I won’t ever feel guilty for not watching their movies. One of the dudes in my residence at Pretoria accosted me and asked “Is it the Igbo girls that are always light skinned, those ones that wear skimpy clothes, and go to clubs? Are they not the ones that are always prostitutes?”
How Demeaning
Guess where he quoted as his source? Nollywood! You know sometimes when I say Nigerian artists are doing us a lot of injustice by doing some things on their musical videos, people say “stop being judgemental.” Now someone who has never stepped his foot into Nigeria feels “there is always an element of truth in every stereotype.” That’s what he said when I told him he was watching nonsense.
Yesterday, I wanted to post about the Las Vegas Shooting for a web page I administer. I went to check CNN and saw videos of the issue. I clicked on the video to watch and guess what? They said it’s not available to viewers in my region. This means anybody in any African region most likely would not be allowed access to that content.
Perception is Priority
They have successfully tailored the kind of stories they are allowing to filter out of their system. These “first world” countries are most times just as dangerous and corrupt as evil countries like Nigeria. But you know where we fail? Our ability to tailor the stories, provide the world with the perception that matters. Now if a cockroach dies in Abule Egba, Social media will be filled with one thousand eye witness accounts.
Nollywood will quickly make a movie about the cockroach that was killed by a trailer. DSTV and Africa Magic will put it on repeat play. What is wrong with us?
Some Comments on My Facebook Feed:
If Africans knew half of the mess that goes on in this countries they admire, they will buckle down and get their act together very quickly – A.i. Mercygrace
We have different shades of Nollywood but the side that foreigners get to see often is the bad one. I look forward to the day that one will be cut off – Udeolisa Onyinyechi
Although I watched the video through Business Insider, U. K., I understand what you mean. There are some apps I want to download and the response I get is not for people in your region. – Bello Oluwatobiloba Atolagbe
Jude idada wrote a script. He lives abroad. When he submitted the script, they said the script about Nigerian realities was too intelligent to be coming from a Nigerian. That it wouldn’t sell because it didn’t depict the usual Nigerian narrative where we’re killing ourselves, maltreating children, holding shallow dialogue and all other inanities filled in a typical Nollywood movie. – Favour Chidera Okeke
Create platforms for Africans. Africans will still rather patronise Oyinbo. Until we realise things like this … we have a long way to go. – David Oluwayanmi Oladeji
Let’s redirect our opinion leaders by demanding quality, rather than swallow the vermin they pour down our throats, and still lament in the background – Jerry Msok
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