Reality T.V is getting too REAL!

A couple of years back I heard Gareth Cliff comment on the state of reality television. His opinion was that this genre will one day soon take it too far. Cliff commented on how our society is amused by other peoples misery (Him included - he once made fun of a business owner who cried because something happened to his business).

Gareth Cliff said that the amuzement that the ancient Greeks or Romans found in the Collesium will soon hit our t.v screens(people would be thrown in the arena with lions and scores of spectators would cheer as someone would get eaten by lions.) Recently a reality Television show called the Contender was produced.This boxing show has people fighting their way to getting a professional boxing contract.

Yesterday I watched Khumbula Ekhaya and the reality aspect of that programme is too much. Why solve your family affairs infront of millions. Thats plain dumb, or are too bored with our own lives that we entertain ourselves by seeing other people have a hard time? Our situation as the human race is bad. At a time like this we need a savior.

Two weeks ago I watched the Irv Gotti’s reality show on DSTV. His soon to be ex-wife and son kept crying on camera! For me that was too much, I can’t stand to see another human being cry because of hurt.

My only question is how far will it go? With people requesting Saddam Hussein’s excetution to be played live, what else are we going to request? We are so obsessed with violence on television that we can’t live without it.

Maybe I’m a softie but it won’t be long and you will agree with me.

p.s I don’t even watch reality t.v shows (Apprentice,Amazing Race, Fear Factor, Survivor - you name them). I don’t even watch soapies! Give me news anytime. Ironic neh?

Malema and Vavi to die for Zuma

To some extent I understand Julius Malema’s and Zwelinzima Vavi’s statement regarding the ANC leader Jacob Zuma.Their statement tells me one thing,Zuma is a charasmatic,infuencial and beloved leader.

As far as I see it, they(Vavi and Malema) have not said anything new, they are simply echoing what our potential president has always said,khawulethu mshini wam(bring my machine gun).The only difference with Malema and Vavi’s statement is that they are specific about what they will do with their “machine gun”.Zuma must be a very happy man, infact I would like to add that he is a very lucky man.

To have two leaders of the country’s biggest union and the ruling parties political youth wing willing to put their lives down for you is flattering.I can imagine what the conversation was last weekend at some boere braais around the country, “I was right,those ANC people are terrorists.Sadly for Zuma he wont’t be getting any Afrikaner vote until he stands up and condems what Malema and Vavi have said.

Do not get me wrong when I say I understand their statement,I am by no means saying I support it.I understand it but I do not condone it!There is one question on my mind though, will they be sending out youth militia to intimidate anyone who does not support Zuma like Zanu PF is doing to anyone anti Mugabe.Are they to be labelled martyrs or terrorists.

I hope their statement stays just that, a statement or threat,if not, then the predictions of many post apartheid emigrants are at hand - “This country is going to end up like Kenya,Zimbabwe or any former colonial African country!God forbid!

A bunch of monochrome morphies!

We are such a sensitive nation,a bunch of morphies (couldn’t find a more appropriate word).

I think back on when a programme about the greatest South Africans was aired on one of the SABC tv stations, there was a big outcry from the black South Africans. Comments like - “how can a person who supported the apartheid regime like Gary Player be hailed as a great South African?” We winged and cried until the programme was canned! The man was a great golfer, nevermind his “racism”.

Our white counterparts have major issues too, how many times have you heard a white South African say - “go ask Mandela! You see your new South Africa!” I look forward to the day when this country will be able to take things lightly and by saying that I am by no means saying we should take crap, but let us be less sensitive and laugh a little, damn!

Oh by the way, I don’t think we’re a rainbow nation, we are a divided black and white (grey) nation!Let me elaborate on this a little - Afrikaners will not hesitate to think of Hendrik F. Verwoerd as a great South African. And on the otherside Chris Hani is a hero and a great South African for black people. Do these two different races agree on this issue, No!

So much for the rainbow nation neh!?!

Black Ball Pen.

On success…

In America they talk of the American dream or the bling, here we talk about riding the gravy train (It’s been sometime since I’ve heard that phrase). Is success a matter of acquiring material possessions? If not, what is success?This question has been bugging me for quite a while now, so in my quest to find the truth, I sort to reading. According to self-help books success is “never giving up” even when days are dark. Success is driven by the will to accomplish something; it’s the fire from within that tells you to get up after you have fallen. This is the difference between a looser and a winner, the courage to move on after a failure.My search for the truth about success did not end there, I asked around for some people’s interpretation on what success is and these are some of the answers I received; good education, good job, being the “top dog” - big car, nice clothing. These are the sentiments of a teenage girl on success. As far as she is concerned success is material possessions.The opinion of a 40something father was different from that of the teenage girl, he saw it as being able to provide the basic necessities for your family, things like food, shelter, transport, health, security and of course a few luxuries.

Both views make sense, though the former is more self-centered and the latter is family orientated. Success begins with a dream, and then you must set goals on how to reach for your dream and act on those goals. Living your dream is evidence that you are a success.
It is not what people think of you that can help you succeed but what you know about yourself can be vital in your way to living your dream. On Christmas Eve last year I met Patrice Motsepe, little did I know I was chatting to South Africas’ first black dollar billionaire (and I mean US $ NOT Zim) and the third richest man in the country (US $2.5 billion) – according to Forbes Magazines Rich List 2007/08.Being the inquisitive bloke that I am, I asked him for his definition of success – “Success is you” that’s what he said. This was a little vague but after some deep thinking this is how I interpreted his statement – Your success is up to you i.e. your attitude determines your altitude! or YOU GET WHAT YOU PUT IN.

Albert Einstein (TIME Magazines’ person of the century) teacher once said “nothing good” would ever become of him. Thomas Edison failed more than ten thousand times in his attempt to invent the light bulb, he said of his conquest “I did not fail, I just found ten thousand ways that do not work” Even a mistake may turnout to be the one thing necessary to a worthwhile achievement- Henry Ford. These are some of the successes of the last century.

You know want you want, act on it and believe in yourself and that way you will reward the fruits of your labour and you will proudly say “I HAVE MADE IT,I HAVE SUCCEEDED”

Dream big, Act quick and don’t quit – Dinilohlanga Mekuto

 

 

 

 

I could swear it’s a first

I don’t even feel like writing this because I know I could be crucified for writing it. Here it goes - Q:Is Mandela the first person to celebrate a 90th birthday? A:No! Then why the big fuss.I mean really, there must be some people wishing him a happy birthday who forget to wish their loved ones a happy birthday. He is even called a messiah now, COME ON.Ok I admit he had a part to play in our freedom but all this hype is TOO much. No wonder some people think he is the anti - Christ!( 4 666 4) ha ha ha, thats classic and stupid! Well I don’t think so, but I think he is a god of some sort.

Never in my life have I heard so many birthday wishes. Morning live(on SABC 2) has been reading loads of birthday messages through out the week! Give us a break! or I should rather say give ME a break. I’m reminded of the day or week or month he came out of prison(February 10 or 11, 1990) I still remember where I was and I was only nine years old - Mandela this Mandela that. Geez I really sound like I have major issues neh!?! maybe I do, maybe I don’t or maybe I’m not scared to write what I think. But why the big fuss?

Anyway, Happy 90th birthday ke Madiba. Kodwa inoba sowudikwe finish yilo phrase xhego lam.

Black Ball Pen

I hate it!!!

It has been a long-time coming! I had to open a blog after having an unfortunate situation yesterday.

 After knocking off from ‘work’ - ( I call it ‘work’ because its only internship ), I went to town with a friend for some retail therapy. To my disappointment the bloody bastards wre closed 10 minutes before their closing time. WTF!!!!!!!! I got so furious I wanted to give them the middle finger! I managed to control my anger and tried to beg them to open the door so I could ask them a question, but to no avail. My initial re-action was to diss the Mantshingilane (security guard) but I decided not to. There were two coloured ladies at the counter cashing up their cash for the day, and I so wanted to swear at them.

Anyway I ended up not swearing at anyone. In retrospect I was thankful for having sworn at the poor Mantshingilane, I mean, the poor guy was only taking orders from his ’superiors’. I should have sworn at those stupid tellers. I hope they work at that Markham store for the rest of their lives and not even get promoted. My only problem now is whether I should go back to the same store to buy goods or go to the east London store,mind you East London is 60 kms from where I stay (King William’s Town). Hard isn’t it?

Why is our customer service so bad, damn! I wish I stayed in a big city where I would spoilt for choice. I hate not being able to choose. Maybe I should relocate to Jozi. Ja, its a good idea neh!?! I should move maan, I should move.

 

Black Ball Pen.