Who would have thought that placing a Zimbabwean woman in the Big Brother house would have caused such a storm? Less than 4 days after Makosi entered the house and News Zimbabwe declared that ‘Every Zimbabwean should be ashamed ‘of ‘this chicken-brained sanctimonious squit’ (sic). The general message being that Makosi is a bad representative and the people of Zimbabwe should disown her.
Personally, I LOVE Makosi but I am not writing this in her defence. My reason for blogging about this is slightly more selfish. The News Zimbabwe article got me thinking, what if one of the Big Brother UK contestants was a Kenyan?
I am not talking about a Kenyan that I know, or even know of. I am talking about a total stranger. A random Kenyan living in the UK who is successful in his/her application to join the Big Brother UK house. How would I react?
As soon as is announced that contestant number X is Kenyan I will probably be on the phone to Mshairi. After screaming “uuuuuuuuwwwwiiiiiiiiiii!!!â€? my first statement would be, “ I hope he/she is good lookingâ€? quickly followed by “he/she had better not be thick”.
Shallow, I know, but I am being honest with myself.
From the minute the contestant steps out of the limousine I shall analyse and critique every aspect of their clothing, body and body language looking for signs that make him or her an unworthy ambassador. Lord forbid that within their first minutes in the limelight they fail to meet my standards of acceptable ‘Kenyan in Public/Foreign Land/on National TV’ behaviour and I shall undoubtedly ask Mshairi,
“Ngai! Couldn’t they find anyone else to represent us?�
Yes, I shall label this person our ambassador.
In an ideal world I would say that what he/she does is his/her business and he/she should not be lumbered with the undue burden of representing Kenyans. Unfortunately we do not live in an ideal world. For many UK viewers this may be the first time they see a Kenyan person (other than the millions of nameless, faceless barefoot athletes). They will be going in to that house as a minority, if not on racial grounds, certainly on the basis of his/her nationality and as is the case with all minorities, it is usually the behaviour of one person that is used to justify and perpetuate stereotypes. How this person behaves may set the precedent for how the rest of the UK views people from Kenya, me included.
As a blogger I would blog about the first Kenyan in the Big Brother UK house however the News Zimbabwe article has made me rethink the way I would approach this subject.
After reading their harsh criticism of Makosi, be it justified or otherwise I can now honestly say that I would never publicly utter a bad word about a Kenyan Big Brother contestant. By publicly I mean in a forum that is accessed by many who are non-Kenyan. This includes my blog. In fact I would even go one further. If, on any non-Kenyan public forum, I found that our Kenyan was being subjected to criticism or ridicule I would jump to their defence (where possible) especially if it was an attack on their Kenyan identity.
As a Big Brother addict I know the types of personalities they throw into the house. It is usually the loud, the exhibitionist, the self-centred, the annoying, the obnoxious, the arrogant, the eccentric and a whole load more. Our Kenyan would be no different.
Like all Big Brother contestants I expect this Kenyan to annoy me and irritate me. The very nature of the show means that they will do crazy and embarrassing things. These things make great TV. That is the role of a great Big Brother contestant.
In private, on the phone to Mshairi or possibly on those Kenyan forums I would be the first one to bitch and moan if they do something embarrassing. It would, however, be wrong for me to publicly ‘disown’ a contestant because of his/her behaviour because I know that while on the one hand they are an unofficial Kenyan ambassador they are first and foremost a Big Brother UK contestant. They are in it, like everyone else in the house, to win £100,000. That sort of money will make you do crazy things.
I, the ‘normal one’, on the outside, however should not be engaging in public name calling and mudslinging. I should act as any other ‘normal person’ would and be shamelessly patriotic in public, cheering our brother/sister on.
After all, the minute I come out in public as a Kenyan, I too become an unofficial ambassador and if the rest of the UK can’t say a good thing about us I would at least like them to know that when it us against the world, we are unified and we stand by our own.
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Guess says
True that. I hold the same views on how “we” would be cringing in shame if a Kenyan was in the house and behaving like a prat. I went over to your link and the Zimbabweans arent a happy people. I (obviously) havent watched her, but I sometimes ask myself if I was to go into the BB house, how would I behave, what skeletons would stumble out of the closet of my life, what would my parents think?
Ambassadors or not, it takes guts to go to that house, and I personally know I aint got that much.
Mama JunkYard Says: It does take guts. Even if you have no skeletons, the very fact that everything about you, your insecurities, shall be analysed and laughed at…only a brave person would put themselves through that.
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HumanityCritic says
A dude from work who is from Zimbabwe calls her every name in the book. Good post.
Mama JunkYard Says Thanks. Do you know why he doesn’t like Makosi?
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nicholasgichu says
in big bro africa- the kenyan was a source of shame and ridicule. from his childishness to arrogant ego centric behaviours…but guys should realise this is just a game involving individuals, not ambassadors/high commisioners. there is a fine line discernin the person and the country they apparently seem to represent which i dont think is the case
Mama JunkYard Says I hear you…but it is easier said then done. The minute we see a Kenyan, we start to label him/her as our rep.
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Msanii_XL says
Should the notion “with Fame comes some sort of responsiblity” factor in this? Swali tu.
Personally not huge fan of reality shows but i see where you are coming from
Mama JunkYard Says Yes, but one would argue that housemates in the Big Brother house are not yet famous, they are merely real people in the public eye.
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WM says
Er…”squit?” Is this a term of art?
lexiconally-challenged.
Mama JunkYard Says: I wasn’t sure if it was a typo or perhaps a slang word that I had never heard of. I decided to copy it as I found it. It could be their own ‘sheng’ word or maybe they meant squid? Sijui..but it sounds like a harsh insult.
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kipepeo says
some people forget that reality tv is just that…reality…its a window into ordinary lives and people…in the raw, no script, no director just raw human reaction. nobody is perfect and thats what causes the conflict and on tv, the entertainment. so cast the first stone, he who is of absolute perfection!
Mama JunkYard Says Kabisa!
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Memoire says
So true about the ambassador thing being unfair; on the by from Makosi’s photos it looks like girlfriend’s wearing a clown’s wig dyed black! The Kenyan guy in big brother Africa was similarly criticised heavily.
Mama JunkYard Says I have to say I am loving her hair. Can you believe that 11 days into her stay and she has kept that ‘fro dry…even when in the pool!
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mshairi says
I feel rather sorry for Makosi – having to represent the the whole of Zim on telly for an extended period (or on reality telly). Everything she does is harshly judged whether by Africans or British people. The good thing is that she seems to be holding her own – she certainly takes no prisoners! I will miss her when she leaves BB house. Who will be left to make those daily roundups worthwhile, Mrs. Cooper? Craig, Roberto or Maxwell?
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Nyakehu says
I am one of those who was astounded by Makosi’s arrival in the BB house and I said that if you take away the i and replace it with an a what do you get?? Big mistake but reading your blog I changed my mind about attacking anyone stupid enough to want to win £100,000 this way.
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Mambo says
Ai. I also thought, hah, if only she were called Makosa and if only the other housemates knew! It would have been so apt. I think that Zim paper is utterly ridiculous – it must be the mouthpiece of Zanu PF? How stupid could it get. Makosi is by far the star of BB this year, and is on course to win it. I say good for her! She is the most likeable, intelligent and fun person in the house, although in the first week I wasn’t sure she had understood her task and thought she might be a bit fuzzy under that afro, but now she deserves to win. I wonder what that Zim paper will have to say if she does win!?