Who checks the sanity of media freedom?

29 Sep, 2017 - 00:09 0 Views
Who checks the sanity of media freedom?

The ManicaPost

Morris Mtisi Post Correspondent
Are public broadcasters ruled by the whims of the public or it is the radio or television or newspaper that is morally obliged or supposed to control the public from overtaking sense and running with sheer pornography?

Besides, it is important to listen carefully and distinguish cheers from jeers. Again besides, where is our dignity as a people? That is the debate that some of us want. Not censoring those who want to interrogate the sense or absurdity of some of these “nude” programmes?

Let us publicly debate the “soul” and sense if any, of these programmes. They should be indicators of something terrible and dangerous about hunhu hwedu as Zimbabweans or am I missing the bus somehow? Let’s talk then.

We all know how gullible the public is and how many of them are naïve even. Or do we not? For example many people for some funny reason think everything written in the paper is well researched and correct. Well, it must be so, but is it? They believe any opinion made by anyone on radio or television is authentic and correct.

They have no idea radio personalities and writers are ordinary people some of them intelligent and wise but others very simple and naïve like many of us-not the celebrities they call themselves. These so-called celebs are very much like them and in some cases even less in many ways.

We cannot underestimate the intelligence of consumers of the media, can we? Some –and many of them, have better moral and educational or academic dignity to question a lot of what they consume in the media. The Media must not take advantage of the section of the listeners or readers who are naive and gullible and feed them anything that comes from their whims and sometimes narrow-mindedness.

Those who take the media as a platform to educate, to inform and to entertain decently and thoughtfully must be congratulated. And there are quite many of them in the generality of the media. But those who control programmes and columns must be wary of the tendency today quickly growing fashionable, where some of their presenters become loose and idle with language to an extent of making their efforts and overzealousness repulsive and disgusting.

This may sound like an opinion. Indeed it is. But put a suggestion box just outside your media houses today. You will be wiser. Try it. You will be amazed and amused to hear what people think is disgusting and offensive on radio, some of them children who have manners and personalities to protect.

Take the story of Zodwa which almost made her a hero in Zimbabwe lately? If she were a hero and celebrity or icon to learn something from, why was she not allowed entry into a public arena-the Harare carnival, to ‘educate’ Zimbabwean people on her dance styles strangely most educative and fascinating when she has no panties on? And people we thought commanded some respect found time and space to discuss legs, pantiless bottoms and all of it. I know there are many women out there who don’t wear bras for instance…even wear no panties like Zodwa.

They don’t make a deal out of it and tell people their preference not to wear them. If Zodwa does not like panties, why is that news? And how come the whole country sneezes and easily catches the Zodwa flu? It only goes to show how the country is sick with Zodwalitis-an illness, a serious disease which affects both the spirit and thinking part of the brain.  Is there no shame?

Celebrating decay in broad daylight in a country where we have real issues to be pondering about and worrying about! If we are tired of thinking and working, is this how we can entertain ourselves as a country?

I would rather I spend time thinking of climate change and price hikes slowly invading the country again or why loved ones run knives on the necks of loved ones while they are asleep; why we all talk about love when we have none in our hearts; why we all want to go to heaven but don’t want to die, than think of Zodwa without knickers on. May be Lot’s wife did not have knickers too. Why do people not think about her?

And Zodwaism or Zodwa-fashion is clearly equal if not better than some of the verbal porno we hear on some radio stations today. Why are these not outlawed, the way Zodwa was outlawed? Zodwa attracted many Zimbabweans who have no values to uphold about women.

Or let me say Zimbabweans who think that there is gold or diamonds between Zodwa’s legs. And many think so and wanted to see. But why was she not allowed to be a public abomination in Zimbabwe? Because someone was sane enough to say, “No, no, no-we cannot have this sexual hogwash on our sacred motherland which came with the sacrifices and blood of our fallen and living heroes?”

Where is this sane person or are these persons I wonder, to bring the same sanity to some radio stations that think our wives and loved ones, our daughters and sisters are Zodwas who can be ‘dissected’ alive for everyone to learn sex gymnastics on radio? We hear lots of women share these lessons during kitchen parties-whatever they are called. That’s fine because they do not bring their experiences and ‘sporting’ antics to the public but to those who want to learn them.

Those who find entertainment in radio-sex, nude pole dancing and the rest of sex-demonic exhibitions must use Whats App-and Social groups to circulate their education amongst themselves- that’s bad enough, but to celebrate moral decay on public broadcasters degrades sanity to its core. And the church is fast asleep.

They complain about the new curriculum and alleged advent of Islam but are mute about radio programmes which teach their children to become more anxious about the sacredness of sex. The sex-on-a-platter presenters claim the programmes are not meant for children; but they are the keenest listeners of what is not meant for them. Anything dirty and unacceptable does not become clean and acceptable on account of the time of day it is discussed or exhibited. Zodwa was not going to ‘torch’ Zimbabweans in the light of day.

Even in the darkest of the day she was outlawed to make her nudity become Zimbabwean business because it was wrong to allow insanity to prevail no matter what time it came. We will continue to hate the owl no matter what time it chooses to hoot. Where are we going as a country? Who checks the sanity of media freedom? And why are nude pole-dance bars allowed to thrive in the midst of sane communities? I get hurt when I see traffic offenders ‘harassed’ on the roads for supposedly endangering road users.

How many citizens are endangered by these horrible nude dancers and they get away with it? Imagine how much revenue could be collected by Government if all these social-law breakers were rounded up and brought to book and fined for public perpetration of ABOMINATION.

Talk to me. My name is Morris Mtisi.  If you are really upbeat, make a date with me on Diamond FM radio. I will go Head-To-Head with you on Head-To Head with MM and invite listeners to participate in the debate. May be I and people who think alike have wisdom to learn from those who believe our freedom allows us to speak and behave the way we want in society. Be my guest (s).  Catch me on 0773 883 293 also on WhatsApp to make an appointment. My email> [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>

  • Please note that the views expressed here by Morris Mtisi are his personal views and not necessarily those of The Manica Post or DiamondFM Radio. Mtisi writes in his capacity as an independent social commentator.

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