Photographic Pornography

So Monday afternoon finds me actively procrastinating, BookFacing away while my Legal Ethics book stares accusingly at me, and I come across an interesting picture(the one above). At first, I did not actually know that the picture was of a Congolese man fleeing his home after devastation from war so imagine my slight surprise at the comments that followed what appeared to be an ordinary picture of an African man in the rain....

1. “OMG!”
2. “I actually have tears in my eyes”
3. “....The raw determination in that man's eyes is humbling. For them survival is the only alternative. There is a profound sense of duty and sacrifice. Very Emotive. Thank you for sharing. x”

My first thought: *Blank stare*

Me, secondly: *Er.....Why can’t he just be a man walking home in the rain and thinking “Stupid rain caught me two damn blocks from my house!...Shoot!...Umbrella-less as well....of all the bloody days....!”*

I know that’s exactly what would have had MY face in that mean-mug!


On seeing the picture and comments, I started to think of the relationship between the African as an individual and our depiction in the ‘Western’ media. Not Africa as a whole continent, just us as individual people. The media has done a great job of making all 900+ million Africans(yes, we breed...this is what we do. Get over it) into one big caricature. One suffering-disease-ridden-corrupt-AIDS-wielding-yet-stupidly-smiling-and-suffering stereotype. This attitude of stereotyping Africans and especially sensationalising our suffering trivialises the experience for those concerned. Someone once called it Photographic Pornography (thats neither here nor there, I just always wanted to use those words in a sentence).



And then I thought, do they know who we are?? Do they realise that our history as Africans is littered with Sages, Kings, Warriors, DIVAS, Amazons and Prophetesses amongst others? In Nigeria for instance, long before we were conveniently ‘discovered’, before the English ‘taught’ us representative democracy, we had our ‘Ohia-cracy’ (government of, for and by the people) in the East, the well structured Oyomesis and Bashoruns in the West and the scholarly Emirs in the North. Long before Mr. Mungo Park conveniently ‘found’ the Niger for us, we fished, bathed, washed...for goodness sake we ‘chillaxed’ on its muddy banks daily! Chinua Achebe and the other greats have detailed tales of warriors that drank from the skulls of slain enemies and women that led whole tribes to war. Where are they today? Where are the spirits of our ancestors?

Perhaps in the sultans that rule large villages and command the respect and admiration of their people? The revered herbalists with their alternative medicines? The 28 year old mothers working 10 hour days whilst caring for 2 toddlers plus one 32 year old kid? Or the African boys and girls sleeping in the library daily, working and dreaming of channeling their inner Barack in about a decade? These are todays africans, descendants of warrior tribes and Amazonian kingdoms. But, why don’t we see them on the news about Africa you ask? 

Well, they are the exact same people shown on your TV. But they are unrecognisable when they are reduced to one dimensional characters in the evening news or captured by the lens of modern day Mungo Parks on their gap year prior to university, intent on exploring Africa without attempting to understand the depth of its story. It’s little wonder that the stories and pictures produced therefore inspire “OMG’s!!” and “Tears in Eyes!” comments. The image of the african in the foreign media seems to be threefold only; Stealing & Smiling, Suffering & Smiling, or just Suffering.

Somewhere between the pictures of the African children clamouring hungrily around the foreign photographer’s camera and the last scene of the ‘Indepth Special on Africa’ on one of the popular foreign news channels, the humanity of the African is diluted. The simple joys found in the uninhibited celebration of small mercies, the contentment found in the life without the excessive trappings of wealth does not make it to the final footage shown on our t.v screens. The only thing that is apparent to the viewer at the end of these ‘specials’ is the idea that these people need your pity because they do not have your opportunity, your resources, your life. They do not tell you though, that some of these people don not in fact want any of the trappings of this ‘great’ life. They just want life as it is best lived; simple, unhindered and free.



Just remember the next time you are tempted to sensationalise a picture of an African that these are people like you. People living real lives, worthy of respect not just pity, fun loving, ordinary, happy and PROUD people. Just like you. I wish the media could learn to leave Africa to dance to the beat of its own drum or maybe tell our stories from our own eyes. Or just stop speaking for us and for goodness sake STOP translating when we are speaking English! The Texan accent is arguably as heavy as the Ghanaian yet they insist on using the 'invisible subtitles' for the Texans when they are interviewed on CNN. Lol! Ridamdiculous!

So, leave Africans to find OUR bliss if we choose not to pursue yours, after all who defines poverty? Who determines what suffering is? Maybe dancing in the rain (whilst watching the backdoor for signs of your mum’s arrival) is the new swing set? Or lying on a mat in the moonlight listening to grandma's stories is as good as a GossipGirl Fest? Who knows? Happiness is individual, like Africans. Our way of life is not less important or valuable or good. It might be simpler, easier, and freer....but never less.

In the immortal words of the Queen that is Kanye West “Let me be great, WHY WONT Y’ALL LET ME GREAT?????”...lol....I ask, “WHY WONT THEY LET AFRICA BE GREAT Y’ALL!?!!!!!!!?!”

*steps off soapbox and returns to studying*