Coimedian Shaniqwa, who features in Kenya Television Networks Jameni show. Media ought to protect children from potentially damaging information.
Author James Steyer in his book, ‘The Other Parent: The Inside Story of the Media’s Effect on Our Children’ says, “Think about it. If another adult spent five or six hours a day with your kids, regularly exposing them to sex, violence and rampantly commercial values, you would probably forbid that person to have further contact with your children. Yet most of us passively allow the media to expose our kids routinely to these same behaviors – sometimes worse – and do virtually nothing about it”. A decade ago, former powerful minister for Justice Kiraitu Murungi found himself in unfamiliar grounds when he was forced to eat humble pie and apologise to women over remarks he had made with regard to rape. Kiraitu made the remark while responding to donor criticism of the then government’s fight against corruption by saying that it was “like raping a woman who is already willing”. Women rights organizations rose against him and demanded an apology from the minister. Women rights groups said the statement that was attributed to Kiraitu had negated the gains made by women in the fight against rape of women. This brings me to one Shaniqwa, who has been hailed by some as the hottest socialite in Kenya after Vera Sidika or Huddah Monroe. Shaniqwa is a male actor who plays the role of a “cheap” lady socialite in KTN’s Jameni Show. ‘She’ is a popular comedian because of her unique and crazy stuff. Shaniqwa is well known because of her use of the phrase, “Nitakumuurder!” (I will murder you). Taken as a merely comical statement, the statement looks innocent but in the light of the fact that media has a lot of influence on children, the statement ceases to be that innocent. Shaniqwa is a public figure just like Kiraitu and what ‘she’ says has an influence on many people, especially the young. In recent days, I have heard children as young as five years old quoting Shaniqwa and threatening their friends with ‘murder’. Even though this may be said to be just an innocent joke by a young person who does not know the implication of what they are saying, I am afraid for the kind of values we are passing to the young generation. If Kenyans rose up in arms against Kiraitu for a statement that was deemed to be disrespectful to women, how much more should we rise up against a statement that demeans the value of life and has the potential to influence children negatively? Research has shown that people internalize the messages that they interact with in the media. Moreover, it has been said that children want to act like what they see on the screen. Young people take as the gospel truth everything that they see or hear from media e.g Sex gives one happiness; that people can lie and hurt others and by so doing conquer; that money guarantees security; that swearing is cool; that your weight is one of the most important things; that all relationships are subject to cheating and lying; that crudeness is acceptable; that celebrities are remarkable people e.t.c. Our society today is suffering because of lack of values. Young people lack role models and when they get role models, the role models end up sharing with them damaging and misleading information, the way Shaniqwa is doing now. As an adult, I understand that what Shaniqwa does is just comedy and needs not be taken seriously. An older person would understand that; but what about children who do not have the ability to understand what Shaniqwa does in that manner? The Jameni show is a family show which is broadcast when children are still watching TV with their parents. The tragedy we have in our country is that TV shows like Jameni do not debrief viewers after the show to put things in perspective. Another tragedy is that parents too have abdicated their responsibility of guiding their children. At the same time, many lack the media literacy skills that would enable them guide their children. Media houses, consumer lobby groups and the media regulator have failed in their responsibility of regulating the content that comes up on our TV screens. Children should be protected by these parties because they are vulnerable and do not have the means and power to protect themselves or fight for their rights.
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