Tweet
<span style="font-weight: bold">Hypocrisy and inconsistency: A call to inaction</span>
HOWARD GREGORY
Sunday, February 15, 2009
TROUBLED by a spiralling anti-social development in the world of music, individuals, institutions, and representatives of government have sought to join forces to bring an end to this situation.
As is now customary, there are individuals who have to make it their personal agenda to challenge and ridicule any attempt to bring a measure of consensus around anything that has to do with social values. Not surprisingly then, one hears vociferous protests of hypocrisy and inconsistency in the path being pursued, as if such protest should bring an immediate end to proposed actions and solutions.
There is no question about the fact that as part of our historical legacy, there are still many Jamaicans who cannot appreciate their home-grown rhythms as authentic expressions of who we are as a people, and as the creative work of our local artistes which can stand up to scrutiny and hold its own in the international arena. So contemptuous are some of the expressions toward our own music that there are churches which preach that the music is inherently of the devil and even to move to its rhythm is a sin, while at the same time some of the social prejudices surface as certain social groupings gravitate toward other genres of music within the Caribbean and Latin America as possessing more "cultured" expressions. So while we continue to denigrate ourselves and our own music, the international community claims it and uses it freely, as a source of entertainment and wealth creation.
I got the shock of my life over a decade ago while visiting Athens in Greece for an international conference on theological education. Our conference was being hosted in an ancient monastery of the Greek Orthodox Church with all of its mystical elements in evidence. I was invited by Orthodox priests to meet their bishop. As I was introduced to the bishop as an Anglican priest from Jamaica, his face suddenly lit up as he blurted out, "Hmm, Jamaica. Bob Marley!" Here in this most holy and mystical of settings was the music and person of an icon of Jamaican music being revered. I suspect that this Greek bishop could not move in sync to the beat of Marley's music, but he had a deep appreciation for the pulsating rhythm and the engaging lyrics of his compositions.
Clearly, not all artistes have to be carbon copies of Marley's style, and this reality has found expression in the various genres of reggae and dancehall music which have been created since. Furthermore, there has always been a stream of music within these genres which was never intended for airplay and which was composed with a particular audience and setting for promotion in mind. In recent times there has developed a 'genre' of dancehall music which has been designated "daggerin" songs which seek to not only blur the boundaries of what is acceptable for airplay but to demolish them.
As is true of many of the evolving social dynamics in our society, many persons were not even aware of the existence of such music until dub poet Mutabaruka made his bold appeal for the rejection of this music as unsuitable for the airwaves. He characterised it as music which compromises the tradition of music which has developed in the country and an influence which is corrupting of public morals. Since that time, it has become the subject of talk shows and has evoked responses from various individuals, groups, institutions and government officials. The Broadcasting Commission having acted with the promulgation of guidelines which restrict such music from radio, television and cable networks, there is now a lively debate, often characterised by recrimination and allegations of hypocrisy and inconsistency as motivating forces behind the actions of the Broadcasting Commission and those who support its actions.
The 'new' phenomenon called 'daggerin' is thought to be corrupting public morals.
In the course of my daily round of activities, I generally have no need to travel on public transportation, neither do my times of entertainment rendezvous take me to places where I am exposed to music of the "daggerin" genre. My exposure to this kind of music has come from walking the streets of Montego Bay and being forced to listen to the loud volumes coming from formal and informal taxi operators, and from young men who spend the day driving aimlessly and just as carelessly through the streets of the city. The music I have heard describes in the most violent, crude and vulgar terms relationships and sexual activity between peeople. It is my understanding that the term "bleeping" is being used to speak about the silencing of those words, phrases or sections of the songs which are deemed to be too explicit for airplay.
One of the realities of life in today's world is that the issues of sex and sexuality have become all-pervasive. It is being driven by a moral pluralism which says that we are to remove the barriers of everything that seems to be prudish, as well as a pornography industry which has exploded and is a major generator of wealth in the global context. The conflicts and debates of the Church, including my own branch of it, have kept sex and sexuality at the centre of the list of agenda issues. To this scenario one can add the focus on sexual activity and the prevention of the spread of sexually transmitted diseases brought on by the HIV/AIDS pandemic. When one adds further to this the high level of violence which has now become a feature of our society, then one can appreciate how this kind of music could have emerged.
At perhaps deeper levels there is need for even greater concern. The type of content which is coming through on these "daggering" songs is demeaning of persons and reflects and/or portrays a sense of self as a mere "thing" of animalistic features, whose engagement of relationships of a sexual nature is lacking in intimacy and delicacy. What is even more disturbing is the great reversal of the advances of those who have been proponents of gender studies, and who have sought to create a more positive appreciation of ourselves as Caribbean men and women and which these artistes of "daggerin" songs seek to destroy. Men are being portrayed in stereotypical ways as insensitive studs whose claim to fame is their sexual prowess and the power of their genitals, while the women are characterised as creatures to be the recipients and receptacles of male violence and sexual prowess.
While this does not capture all there is to the phenomenon of "daggerin" songs, it is clear that the content and thrust of these songs cannot be allowed legitimate access to the airwaves, and especially in ways that will shape the minds of our youth. Neither must the public be subject to music which it finds morally and socially objectionable because of some dubious claim that it reflects the reality of life in the society. If that argument is to stand (that it reflects our reality) in this society which daily sinks to new levels of moral depravity in the expressions of violence inflicted on citizens, then the worst of dancehall music and mass media airplay is still to come.
Additionally, it must be recognised that "daggerin" songs are not the only threats. Those who have called for a similar focus on Carnival must be heard, as it must be recognised that the rhythms and lyrics of one social class and pigmentation cannot be exempted from scrutiny. In fact, the present focus on "daggerin" songs may be the opportune time for looking at what is paraded in the media as entertainment or advertising by the Broadcasting Commission. In all of this, it must be recognised that there is a point at which persons have a right and freedom in terms of what they do and what they choose to listen to in private. If "daggerin" songs fill their menu, then there is little that we can do about it. At the same time, it is a totally different matter when those who make this choice in private proceed to make it compulsory for their neighbours or commuters on public transport to have to listen to the same. Hopefully there will be some legal vehicle to speak to this beyond the ruling of the Broadcasting Commission.
Clearly, the citizenry has a right to state what it will and will not accept as suitable music for airplay, and the duly constituted authority such as the Broadcasting Commission has every right to act on our behalf. Such rulings are never based on the appeal to moral perfection and consistency on the part of members of the society or that of the Commission, but this does not invalidate their reflections and decisions.
Early this week, prior to writing this article, I came upon a reflection by one of the writers in Christian Spirituality, James C Fenhagen, which I find most relevant to the matter at hand. He writes as follows:
Values are more than the ideals or moral absolutes to which we aspire. A value is an inner construct blending together religious beliefs, ethical principles, societal norms, and life experience in a way that empowers us to act. Everything we do, be it the decisions we make or the actions we take during the course of a day, is based on some consciously or unconsciously held value. Values are freely held and important enough to cause us to want to act on their behalf.
To the detractors who scream at us allegations of hypocrisy and inconsistency, we can say that we have acted on the basis of the values we hold, as imperfect as they may be. It is now up to them to show us theirs.
HOWARD GREGORY
Sunday, February 15, 2009
TROUBLED by a spiralling anti-social development in the world of music, individuals, institutions, and representatives of government have sought to join forces to bring an end to this situation.
As is now customary, there are individuals who have to make it their personal agenda to challenge and ridicule any attempt to bring a measure of consensus around anything that has to do with social values. Not surprisingly then, one hears vociferous protests of hypocrisy and inconsistency in the path being pursued, as if such protest should bring an immediate end to proposed actions and solutions.
There is no question about the fact that as part of our historical legacy, there are still many Jamaicans who cannot appreciate their home-grown rhythms as authentic expressions of who we are as a people, and as the creative work of our local artistes which can stand up to scrutiny and hold its own in the international arena. So contemptuous are some of the expressions toward our own music that there are churches which preach that the music is inherently of the devil and even to move to its rhythm is a sin, while at the same time some of the social prejudices surface as certain social groupings gravitate toward other genres of music within the Caribbean and Latin America as possessing more "cultured" expressions. So while we continue to denigrate ourselves and our own music, the international community claims it and uses it freely, as a source of entertainment and wealth creation.
I got the shock of my life over a decade ago while visiting Athens in Greece for an international conference on theological education. Our conference was being hosted in an ancient monastery of the Greek Orthodox Church with all of its mystical elements in evidence. I was invited by Orthodox priests to meet their bishop. As I was introduced to the bishop as an Anglican priest from Jamaica, his face suddenly lit up as he blurted out, "Hmm, Jamaica. Bob Marley!" Here in this most holy and mystical of settings was the music and person of an icon of Jamaican music being revered. I suspect that this Greek bishop could not move in sync to the beat of Marley's music, but he had a deep appreciation for the pulsating rhythm and the engaging lyrics of his compositions.
Clearly, not all artistes have to be carbon copies of Marley's style, and this reality has found expression in the various genres of reggae and dancehall music which have been created since. Furthermore, there has always been a stream of music within these genres which was never intended for airplay and which was composed with a particular audience and setting for promotion in mind. In recent times there has developed a 'genre' of dancehall music which has been designated "daggerin" songs which seek to not only blur the boundaries of what is acceptable for airplay but to demolish them.
As is true of many of the evolving social dynamics in our society, many persons were not even aware of the existence of such music until dub poet Mutabaruka made his bold appeal for the rejection of this music as unsuitable for the airwaves. He characterised it as music which compromises the tradition of music which has developed in the country and an influence which is corrupting of public morals. Since that time, it has become the subject of talk shows and has evoked responses from various individuals, groups, institutions and government officials. The Broadcasting Commission having acted with the promulgation of guidelines which restrict such music from radio, television and cable networks, there is now a lively debate, often characterised by recrimination and allegations of hypocrisy and inconsistency as motivating forces behind the actions of the Broadcasting Commission and those who support its actions.
The 'new' phenomenon called 'daggerin' is thought to be corrupting public morals.
In the course of my daily round of activities, I generally have no need to travel on public transportation, neither do my times of entertainment rendezvous take me to places where I am exposed to music of the "daggerin" genre. My exposure to this kind of music has come from walking the streets of Montego Bay and being forced to listen to the loud volumes coming from formal and informal taxi operators, and from young men who spend the day driving aimlessly and just as carelessly through the streets of the city. The music I have heard describes in the most violent, crude and vulgar terms relationships and sexual activity between peeople. It is my understanding that the term "bleeping" is being used to speak about the silencing of those words, phrases or sections of the songs which are deemed to be too explicit for airplay.
One of the realities of life in today's world is that the issues of sex and sexuality have become all-pervasive. It is being driven by a moral pluralism which says that we are to remove the barriers of everything that seems to be prudish, as well as a pornography industry which has exploded and is a major generator of wealth in the global context. The conflicts and debates of the Church, including my own branch of it, have kept sex and sexuality at the centre of the list of agenda issues. To this scenario one can add the focus on sexual activity and the prevention of the spread of sexually transmitted diseases brought on by the HIV/AIDS pandemic. When one adds further to this the high level of violence which has now become a feature of our society, then one can appreciate how this kind of music could have emerged.
At perhaps deeper levels there is need for even greater concern. The type of content which is coming through on these "daggering" songs is demeaning of persons and reflects and/or portrays a sense of self as a mere "thing" of animalistic features, whose engagement of relationships of a sexual nature is lacking in intimacy and delicacy. What is even more disturbing is the great reversal of the advances of those who have been proponents of gender studies, and who have sought to create a more positive appreciation of ourselves as Caribbean men and women and which these artistes of "daggerin" songs seek to destroy. Men are being portrayed in stereotypical ways as insensitive studs whose claim to fame is their sexual prowess and the power of their genitals, while the women are characterised as creatures to be the recipients and receptacles of male violence and sexual prowess.
While this does not capture all there is to the phenomenon of "daggerin" songs, it is clear that the content and thrust of these songs cannot be allowed legitimate access to the airwaves, and especially in ways that will shape the minds of our youth. Neither must the public be subject to music which it finds morally and socially objectionable because of some dubious claim that it reflects the reality of life in the society. If that argument is to stand (that it reflects our reality) in this society which daily sinks to new levels of moral depravity in the expressions of violence inflicted on citizens, then the worst of dancehall music and mass media airplay is still to come.
Additionally, it must be recognised that "daggerin" songs are not the only threats. Those who have called for a similar focus on Carnival must be heard, as it must be recognised that the rhythms and lyrics of one social class and pigmentation cannot be exempted from scrutiny. In fact, the present focus on "daggerin" songs may be the opportune time for looking at what is paraded in the media as entertainment or advertising by the Broadcasting Commission. In all of this, it must be recognised that there is a point at which persons have a right and freedom in terms of what they do and what they choose to listen to in private. If "daggerin" songs fill their menu, then there is little that we can do about it. At the same time, it is a totally different matter when those who make this choice in private proceed to make it compulsory for their neighbours or commuters on public transport to have to listen to the same. Hopefully there will be some legal vehicle to speak to this beyond the ruling of the Broadcasting Commission.
Clearly, the citizenry has a right to state what it will and will not accept as suitable music for airplay, and the duly constituted authority such as the Broadcasting Commission has every right to act on our behalf. Such rulings are never based on the appeal to moral perfection and consistency on the part of members of the society or that of the Commission, but this does not invalidate their reflections and decisions.
Early this week, prior to writing this article, I came upon a reflection by one of the writers in Christian Spirituality, James C Fenhagen, which I find most relevant to the matter at hand. He writes as follows:
Values are more than the ideals or moral absolutes to which we aspire. A value is an inner construct blending together religious beliefs, ethical principles, societal norms, and life experience in a way that empowers us to act. Everything we do, be it the decisions we make or the actions we take during the course of a day, is based on some consciously or unconsciously held value. Values are freely held and important enough to cause us to want to act on their behalf.
To the detractors who scream at us allegations of hypocrisy and inconsistency, we can say that we have acted on the basis of the values we hold, as imperfect as they may be. It is now up to them to show us theirs.
Comment