A New Low for US Media
The US media’s perverted obsession with Paris Hilton lends credence to widespread criticism in the blogosphere of the mainstream media’s objectivity or in this case, the lack of objectivity. For one, how are we supposed to take NBC news seriously when reports are surfacing that they offered Ms Hilton one million dollars to appear on their ‘Today Show’? It doesn’t matter whether it’s true or not. If anything, we should learn from Jeff Koinange’s recent exploits in Nigeria that there are no ‘free’ interviews . Additionally and curiously, CNN, which eventually won out in this obscene media frenzy to first interview the socialite, has continuously and vehemently denied ever paying for any interviews. It doesn’t matter if they did or not or if they still do, or if they give the appearance that they don’t ! In the true sense, the media frenzy over a skinny wealthy white girl sent to jail, being news in and of itself has to make you think; Is this world so devoid of news and valid material worth coverage that our media houses are slopping all over themselves to interview this individual? One positive I will take from this though is how it highlights the maverick role the blogosphere plays in news coverage. If you want real news, the so-called report from the trenches, my friend, you will definitely not get it from ABC, Fox or CNN News. You will find it in the blogs. What has effectively happened here is that the mainstream media has created a frenzy and then fed into it to satisfy its incestuous drive to generate advertising fees from bloodthirsty corporate sponsors. Saddest part of this whole issue is that someone will win an ‘Emmy’ for this. Just you wait!
10 Minutes Ago
I was at the ‘Miss Kenya USA’ pageant held in Houston Texas over the memorial weekend but before I get into that here’s an aside..
One of the most common comments I get when I talk about my music passion and interest in deejaying is ‘So you must know the best clubs to patron’. I actually don’t. I rarely ever go out, unless the Groove Squad is involved in an event in my area then I am definitely there! Someone mentioned to me once that frequenting the Kenyan parties in the UK and US, there really isn’t much to choose from. Infact his actual quote was that if you frequent the same watering hole twice or thrice, you’d get to meet mostly the same people that were there the week before. I quote my boy Brian verbatum: “Dude every time I’m here I feel like I was here 10 minutes ago!”
Thus my 10 minutes ago post.
This year’s Miss Kenya USA pageant was held at the renowned Club Hush (previously owned by Beyonce Knowles). The club setting was quite attractive. This is the second time I have been to club Hush. It is quite the place. Two dance floors, (actually 3 if you count the patio that was converted to a dance floor for those who wanted to enjoy Houston’s ridiculously hot and humid nights while listening to some really good old school music) a great bar setting, elevators to the second floor and VIP rooms, and an elaborate stage, quite the picture of elegance for the young ladies partaking of the event and the organizing committee.
Details were sketchy as to how the pageants were chosen. In fact, the whole idea around Ms Kenya is quite sketchy. I talked briefly with the outgoing Ms Kenya USA, a lady by the name of Ms Eunyce Karanja, about what she had accomplished in a year in her role. She talked about being able to appeal to younger women on certain issues on being bold and believing in themselves. Quite the noble deed although I’d like to have seen her do more. Address issues that are just as/if not more important - our high drop out rates from college, alcoholism, abuse(a rapidly growing problem I have to say) and others.
The event had a distinctly African feel to it. The event organizers, an entertainment unit by the name of Frakaz entertainment and the Miss Kenya USA organization, had multiple MC’s who did a decent job in keeping the crowd interested. Just so you know, anyone who can keep an increasingly belligerent and intoxicated crowd of Kenyans at bay deserves some kind of a medal. Sound (an oft overlooked part of Kenyan events) was on point! It was neither too loud nor too low. Certainly, the MCs knew their part, having been to various events by now, I know blaring out the ubiquitous “Tuendelee ama tusiendelee ” or “Mko freshi lakini” does not do much.
There were 6 categories in which the contestants were adjudged on; Personal introduction, The interview, Evening wear, Casual wear, Swim wear and my favorite, African wear.It was quite an event. We saw some of the finest clothing designs from back home and elegant outfits modeled by the ladies and some not so flashy ones. Next time I’ll have my digital camera with me but for now, feel free to enjoy the show on Frakaz’ gallery. Ms Kenya 2007 was chosen, if you ask me the runner up should have been the winner but hey! what do I know! We then enjoyed some great music by turntablist extraodinaire DJ Stylez of Codered fame. As we left club Hush that night I took a look around, it was an event with a twist - suddenly a strange feeling came over me. Yes, it was a first, I couldn’t say I had been to such a well organized Kenyan event before, yes Bryo, ‘Dude!I had not been there 10 minutes ago!‘
Ms Kenya USA (MKU), is an upstart organization that has tremendous potential if they can reel in and continue to expose the talent that they were able to showcase as far as modeling and designing goes. One of the contestants told me that they had to foot all their expenses and did not even get so much as a gift certificate or acknowledgment from the organization.This is truly not the hallmark of a good organization and I’d like to see them change this. The least they can do is make it worthwhile for the contestants or at least offer certificates of appreciation for the effort that I imagine goes into preparation for such an event. Additionally, I’d like to see them expand on their objective beyond just helping Kenyan women in the diaspora develop “self-esteem and confidence while having fun and meeting new people.” While their mantra is to “provide a nationwide forum for today’s young women to express their viewpoints, talents and accomplishments to the public at large during the ensuing year”, MKU remains largely out of the limelight as far as social events within the Kenyan community in the USA. Still kudos for an event well organized and definitely a step in the right direction.
Transformers! Finally, real superheroes!
Superheroes never appealed to me. Superman didn’t impress me, neither did Spiderman, He-Man (remember?), She-Ra or Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I mean don’t get me wrong, I was just as excited as the next kid to indulge myself in Popeye the Sailor’s exploits but I just never really saw what the fuss was all about.
What’s so super about this man?
The Flintstones and Jetsons were ok as far as I was concerned. This great Dane and his brother fascinated me especially during his hunt for the for the 13 Ghosts. Actually, as a kid, my first real feeling of disappointment was when my old man was late one Monday picking my siblings and I up after school, so late that we missed the first episode of the 13 in which scooby was to start his hunt for the ghost. I was crestfallen. This episode acutely stands out so much so that I consider it my first experience of ‘real disappointment’. Despite all this I can unequivocally say that most cartoons were just good enough to get my attention but not capture my imagination or blow me away. I was never a sucker for Sesame street, the duck,the muppets or this silly rabbit either.
Move over spidey!. Your web’s spun out!
This all changed when a friend brought a ‘transformers’ toy to school one day. The envy. I mean, this toy literally could transform itself into an innocuous form. One minute I had a soldier fighter and the next I could have a plane? I mean, forget opposable thumbs - this here was the historical tipping point as far as my version of ‘man’s history’ was concerned. I tried to wrap my mind around the idea that one minute I could be destroying enemy combatants with my twin loaded high powered, radar emitting guns and then transform into a plane and obliterate them with my laser guns from the air? Talk about multi-tasking! That’s why this July 4th represents comeuppance for me. The new Transformers movie premiers. I am so excited! The ultimate man vs. machine battle.
I have been a fan of director Michael Bay’s movies such as The Rock, Bad Boys, Bad Boys II, Armageddon, The Island and Pearl Harbor. I have no doubt his involvement together with super-producer/director Steven Spielberg on the team will make this flick worth watching. To me it’s a breath of fresh air. Hopefully we are at an end of a time period in which comic book heroes have been overblown by Hollywood and clumsily depicted in such fashion that their comic strip predecessors, whom they are supposed to be depicting on the silver screen, have literally nothing in common with them. I am still counting the numerous faces and journeys of Clark Kent (Superman) stories I have watched from the silver screen to the small screen. The Spiderman trilogy is the sole possible exception of a superhero flick that seems to get better with each twist but I can only wonder how long this story line can be stretched. How many sides of Peter Parker can hold an audience’s attention? How many villains can the man-spider,the human by-product of an irradiated spider bite slay? Apparently, according to Hollywood, who knows? If the dumb, blond or otherwise, gum popping, braces and acne demographic continues to buy tickets or convince their insipid parents to buy tickets for them, as long as it is still ‘cool’ for them and their contemporaries to rule the theaters and cinema halls on Tuesday afternoons, why not continue mass producing superheroes? How ‘Fantastic Four‘ has a sequel, is still beyond me. What can I say, I guess Jessica Alba must have some appeal after all.
Back to the Transformers, from what I have seen so far, I hold that there is reason to be hopeful that this will not be another hyped up blockbuster flick with a weak storyline and an overabundance of CGI’s. But this is hollywood and it is always advisable to err on the side of caution, my enthusiasm is curbed especially after my experience at another blockbuster opening weekend! Do you know that I actually fell asleep at the theatre during Pirates of the Carribean: Dead Man’s Chest? I kid you not! At a packed theatre, surrounded by hundreds of Pirate enthusiasts and a booming surround system, I found this movie so unbelivably boring that I found serene peace and quiet enough to actually catch up on my sleep and almost dream a little. And no, I was not drunk!
He’s just a fast rabbit, nothing special about that.
3.0 and the business of life with baby girl
Magaidi.com 3.0 is now up and running. Beyond numerous technical issues about loading backgrounds on the previous template, the absence of a neutral color made it difficult for me to include certain other things within the site that I would love to, for example pictures. Additionally, the links were abit difficult to follow thus I have settled on a minimalist theme. Content though has not changed. I will painstakingly be updating links over the next few weeks.
I have been following closely the recent happenings at the TED Global conference and the way forward. With bloggers such as Ethan Zuckerman, I almost feel like I am at the conference myself. I am encouraged by what I have read and seen and look forward to learning more in the following days.
THE ONE
On a more personal note, baby girl and I have decided to undertake the business of life as one. I am excited, exhilarated and in awe all at once. The proposing part (surprisingly enough) was quite nerve racking I have to say. I could barely sleep knowing the next day was to be the first day of the rest of my life. A good friend asked me how I knew she was ‘the one’. My answer is that it was very difficult to explain how ‘I knew’. The best analogy I can give is that I felt like it was the final day before a really tough test - and I knew that I had read every single book! I will blog about this soon.
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About
Magaidi.com is the journal of the African kid. A diary of sorts, a collection of musings and a discussion point on the way forward for the motherland.
