First Experience
The first class of Inter-Cultural Communication generally left a good impression on what we should expect from the unit for the rest of the semester. It was very interactive and lively. I enjoyed the fact that its content is relatable in real life, therefore much easier to contribute during open discussions. In other words, It’s half research and half reality.
One discussed issue that impacted my thoughts was that of the western entertainment industry receiving more attention and praise than our local entertainment industry of Kenya. My conclusion was that this can be attributed to the reason that there is inadequate investment in the entertainment industry of Kenya as compared to the West. To support this claim is the fact that even Nollywood movies of West Africa are more successful in our country than local films. Personally, I can name up to ten popular Nollywood stars but I don’t think I can name even six popular film stars of my country Kenya. There is little to no support from the Kenyan government and this can be highly attributed to the high levels of corruption. Entertainment stars of my country experience frequent financial instabilities which causes many talented people to not invest in their gifts as careers thus weakening the entertainment industry due to fear of being exploited and belittled by society.
The Western entertainment industry is much revered locally due to its high appeal. Western governments take pride in their entertainment industries as they are a high source of revenue. Due to this, a lot of attention will be paid towards investment in this industries. Furthermore talented people are dying to be part of them as it can sustain their livelihoods due to the low levels of exploitation. A lot of money is spent in production and promotion of content and as a result, the content is more pleasant, unique, rich and original to consume.
The idea of White Supremacy is not to be ignored. It seems to be getting more prevalent day by day. We have been brainwashed to praise and worship Western entertainment as more superior. Majority of us are much more attracted to Western features and content and in the long run we find ourselves neglecting and rejecting our own. Even in our radio stations, foreign music receives more airplay than local because the audience is more intrigued by western music as opposed to local.
Another advantage to this is the fact that they do not revert from their culture as opposed to the Kenyan local content which at times comes across as inauthentic. One argument for this is the success of Bongowood. Bongo of Tanzania is hugely successful because of its authenticity. It has followed its culture to the latter and that is perhaps the main reason why it is widely popular in East Africa. Today, it is the home of the most successful artist in Africa, Diamond Platinumz; who has close to 5 million subscribers on YouTube. At times, local content may feel predictable and jaded thus the reason why it is ignored. However, I am proud of the success of Maria, a local soap series aired on national television. Its popularity has defeated most Philippine and Mexican soaps that are currently being aired. This can be attributed to its authenticity and the fact that it has been highly promoted in most communication outlets.
This only means that we are indeed capable of becoming an entertainment powerhouse. It can only be achieved if we stay true to our culture, be consistent and work hard to promote the industry. We should stop mimicking westerners most especially in our music videos. This can be seen in the explicit content portrayed in the current music scene. We should understand that the African culture and its people embraces decency. Our culture is much more reserved. Let the West do what it does and let us stick to what belongs to us and we shall indeed climb the ranks. The sky is the limit.
