Are we desecrating the school uniform by looking the other way at the growing number of back to school fetes during Crop Over? Minister Stephen Lashley, attended the event and is captured talking to one of the Wadadah principals, what is he saying? Again we have Trinidadian Machel Montana the headline act in Cohoblopot –…
“Do you think Gabby and Admiral owe Bajans an apology?”
are u people so utterly stupid and childish to actually put such ‘idiotocracy’on a blob? are u really expecting deep comments on that oh so silly question? stupesssssssssssssssss
@me
Should your comment be interpreted that you don’t agree with the question posed?
If your answer is yes you are definitely entitled.
In terms of the picture it just shows, once again, that we have no creativity or pride when it comes to how we present our culture.
We “slut-shame” the girl in the picture, but how many of us just settle for the same old tired, meaningless, demeaning entertainment year after year each Crop Over and do nothing to demand more from those in charge?
Every year we laugh and/or shake our heads at Mother Sally, for example, – who is supposed to be an iconic symbol of Barbadian culture and our national festival. But who in reality is nothing more than a demeaning caricature and stereotype of black womanhood.
Why don’t we demand instead that, every year, Government pay one of our many talented fashion designers to design a different costume for Mother Sally that is still in keeping with Caribbean culture and give her a complete makeover, so that she becomes a figure to be proud of, and not just a caricature to “wuk up” on the tourists? We could transform her into an iconic symbol to be really proud of, similar to how the French have the Marianne.
As for the back-in-school fetes, each Crop Over instead have a competition where past students do something creative and useful for the area that their school is located in, or even for the school itself. If we are so proud of our schools as we claim to be, that would be a good way to show it.
I’m just thinking off the top of my head here, but these some of the creative ideas we should be coming up with each Crop Over.
I see nothing wrong with the concept of a “back to school” fete, however, for me, my school uniform is/was sacred, and I had a “headmaster” that always drilled that in our heads. Therefore, for pass students, or anyone elsae for that matter, who would disrespect a shool uniform MUST be chastised for it. Imagine we have many young children attending these schools for the first time and seeing their uniform worn in this manner.
BU is heartened to read people like Alan Shepherd and a few others stepping out question how the authorities could use Machel Montana’s poster alongside Rhino to promote ‘We’ festival. It is also instructive he is a Bajan/Trini White – and they say a minority voice can resonate.stepping out question how the authorities could use Machel Montana’s poster alongside Rhino to promote ‘We’ festival. It is also instructive he is a Bajan/Trini White – and they say a minority voice can resonate.
@Nia
“Every year we laugh and/or shake our heads at Mother Sally, for example, – who is supposed to be an iconic symbol of Barbadian culture and our national festival. But who in reality is nothing more than a demeaning caricature and stereotype of black womanhood.”
Google: Gelede; read the origins of “Mother Sally” and what the “exaggerated hips and buttocks” really signify.
We degrade ourselves because of a lack of knowledge of the root of some of the images we mimic.
Nigger used to be a derogatory word
but is now used differently.
Gay used to be gay but gay is now what ????
Things change Mr Dennis Johnson
Nothing is static
Turn negative into positive
Water into wine—it was water and then it became wine—CHANGE !!!!
Off topic , but Check this one out.
http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/news/article-2016282/Charity-worker-paid-5-000-Jamaican-brides-visa-left-heartbroken-flees-UK-home-20-MINUTES.html
There is no fool like an old fool
Why did he think that a young Jamaican woman would want to move to from sunny Jamaica to cold damp, grey Scotland, and to live in a Council flat with a poor old man?
Stupse!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Did I say there is no fool like an old fool?
Didn’t anybody tell him life don’t work like dat?
If you are an old man and you want to marry a young woman, you betta be as rich as Bizzy Williams (and as good looking too)
There is a sucker born every minute.
A fool and his money are soon parted.
Oh1 to be a fool in love.
If it seems too good to be true it probably is.
Love is blind.
@Nia | July 18, 2011 at 2:01 PM |
“…We “slut-shame” the girl in the picture, but how many of us just settle for the same old tired, meaningless, demeaning entertainment year after year”
it does not mitigate from the fact that she looks like a slut/whore ready to do business. the thing that females seem so to take a while to understand is that men rule, they will have a 100 females and be known as a stud, they will wuk-up on a women and so what and get cheers but a female cannot do that because in life’s DNA, a female should be chaste and decent.. now if bajans had any class they would not promote those vulgar and double meaning songs. mother sally is one of the most poignant images of the black female being portrayed as an object for sex only. i could never stand to see it.
once i was walking behind 3 young men at UWI, 3 females overtook these males. as they passed, the males whistled and made complimentary jokes to them. but the minute they were out of ear shot, i heard some of the most embarrassing comments coming from them. “u really think i would want any of them?” “the only thing i would do with them is*****them” “they could never be my woman” I was so shocked.. the girls were wearing very short and tight pants. in my opinion they looked liked whores and when the guys started whistling at them, i was surprised until i heard the comments. those girls had passed the guys smiling etc etc, if they had heard what those young men really thought of them, they would have drop into a hole.
no we do not have double standards, we know what we believe but men love to throw out bait to see what they can catch and sometimes it is any port for a storm. it is the females who really must see their bodies as temples and not taverns like that misguided female in the photo
comments are being made about the desecration of the school uniforms but i also see a female in a policewoman’s night uniform in the same photo. somehow it does not look as if she is on the job, she looks as if she came to play too but i could be wrong.
dr kiki says
there’s something disturbing about dirty old men fantasizing over girls in school uniforms like pervs and old woman role playing
Hey
Fattie
Bum-Bum
Bum-Bum
Situation
Quoting smooth chocolate ” if they had heard what those young men really thought of them, they would have drop into a hole.”
And why should they drop into a hole because of the thoughts of some silly lustful boys.
Girl grow up
Quoting smooth chocolate “it is the females who really must see their bodies as temples”
Female bodies are not temples. They are just bodies (as are male bodies)
Bodies are useful for sex, reproduction, dancing, wukking up, eating, drinking, working and other such physical/biological functions.
None of the bodies that we have her now will get into heaven. We will get new bodies for that (if we manage to get there)
Follow the link to see how ridiculous we have become in the region and we talk about Caricom and CSME., be sure to read the comments:
Machel’s image used to promote Crop Over
Bajans hopping mad
By Wayne Bowman wayne.bowman@trinidadexpress.com
Story Created: Jul 19, 2011 at 12:59 AM ECT
Story Updated: Jul 19, 2011 at 12:59 AM ECT
Bajans are hopping mad over an image of T&T’s 2011 Soca and Road March Monarch Machel Montano which is being used to promote this year’s Crop Over Festival in that island, according to a report in the Weekend Nation of July 15.
The poster which has provoked their ire shows the words “Crop Over The Sweetest Summer Festival” then at mid-poster, an image of Montano in dark shades, and below this the words July & Aug “Ah coming Again”.
The front page headline of the Weekend Nation also boldly states “Monta-no”.
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/Machel_s_image_used_to_promote_Crop_Over-125791828.html
@Cmooth Chocolate,
You are a clever one…..it is true..remember the old saying in how men look to play with one type of girl and marry another?
@Random Thoughts…you is either Bizzy or his friend…Lol.
@Random Thoughts, on female (and male) bodies.
Yuh aint going suck me into a pseudo-religious argument, BUT I agree to an extent but disagree beyond that.
Definition of temple in this case applies to the housing or sanctuary for our soul, of ‘who’ we are.
Hence, what does this housing do? True that it presents a tool to be used for the soul’s interaction with this world.
But, it also provides a protection for the soul, it provides sanctuary for the soul, giving it a shield from forces, negative and positive.
Therefore, to use the temple or housing in a negative way can have repercessions for what it is protecting. If we are disrespecting the housing, we are also disrespecting what is inside i.e. the soul, because we are ignoring what the body is housing, or not giving it adequate recognition.
So, my advice, without authority, is to experience and enjoy, but also respect the temple of the soul.
I done, before alla wunna come here with twenty paragraph epistles.
Lol
@ Smooth Chocolate,
Not 100% sure what you were getting at in your response to me, but my comments are directed at persons (usually women) who like to laugh at and criticize those kinds of girls in the picture, but who offer no proper solutions as to how our girls can and should be doing things differently, or who seem to have no problem with the ridiculous women are portrayed in general in our society. Where do you thing she is learning to dress like that from? It hasn’t got anything to do with an unawareness of double standards.
The girl is dressing that way because our same society that would have us believe they really want women to be “chaste and decent” has no problem sending messages to women that they should value their sexuality as being a commodity solely for the male gaze and that it is the only way she can have real power.
Poking fun at the girl’s body parts, questioning her motives and gender (i.e. “slut-shaming) are not, in my opinion, a proper way to teach her or other girls how to be “chaste and decent.” That’s why I tried to suggest having images of women at Crop Over (like Mother Sally) that are more powerful and affirming.
@Dennis Johnson – Yes, I am very aware of the origins of figures like the Mother Sally (fertility) and the Shaggy Bear, thank you. My point is we are still stuck in the old, racio-misogynistic way of doing things. With culture there is no limit to how we can develop and transform our creative symbols. I love Mother Sally but she needs a makeover.
@Tint: N______ger is STILL a derogatory word as far as I’m concerned. That there are people who would actually try to argue otherwise again kind of speaks for itself in terms of how we perceive ourselves and our culture.
Meanwhile over in Blighty……….
http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/health/article-2018134/Not-tonight-love–Health-fears-Britain-hit-condom-shortage.html
Some enterprising persons could become millionaires overnight………. Johny Cash.
David July 17, 2011 at 8:28 AM #
@Paul
Two veteran stakehlders/participants in our national festival who by their puerile actions last year besmirched its reputation and now have the gaul to snap a hunky dory photo?
EXACTLY Dave. Who would have the gual? Asterix, mebbe. He a Gaul.
You’ve read a book recently, Dave, right?
Wunna got de gaul to disagree?
I got de gaul.
You got the gaul, Charlie, but what do you think about women as “the other”?
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