AIRTIME PLUS By Onoshe Nwabuikwu, Email: airtimeplus98@gmail.com
Have you noticed that any mention of God on any of the DSTV channels is often bleeped out? That’s not all, wherever God is used in subtitles, it’s equally blanked out. I can’t recall when this became a trend on DSTV but it was while I was watching Eja Nla on Africa Magic Yoruba (dstv channel 157), the night of Tuesday April 26, that I got another rude reminder. One of the male characters Badmus Adekunle (Muyiwa Ademola) mentioned God as he was talking to his wife, Abimbola (Bimbo Oshin) but it was blanked out in the subtitle. Even though the audio was off, I could’ve sworn I saw his mouth bleep as it missed a beat.
DSTV obviously takes the feelings of its viewers very seriously. And would not want to expose them unduly to anything harmful. Like God? So where does the word ‘God’ fit into all that? Did some viewers or a group of viewers complain about the damaging effects of the word God? Is there a good explanation for DSTV deciding that the word God is a profanity? Why is it so offensive that viewers (and listeners) need to be protected from its harmful effects? Remember we are not talking about Jesus Christ or Prophet Mohammed.
Meanwhile on the same platform there are all kinds of visually obscene musical videos that no one is blocking or attempting to block. As there are obscene words.
To be clear, I’m more curious than anything else about this God-blocking move by DSTV. I really would like to be enlightened. It isn’t the first time this sort of confusion would be happening. I recall how some years ago a DSTV channel rated a Nigerian christian musical video ’16, L’. I think it was Buchi’s music. But that wasn’t the most incredible part. It was the fact that during that same period, programmes like ‘The ‘L’ Word’ were rated either 13 or Family. I think Playboy Mansion was rated ‘Family’.
Can we hear from the good guys at Multichoice Nigeria? We the good viewers need an explanation about how God became a swear or vulgar word which we need to be protected from.
FESTIVAL NEWS
Lagos Under Toronto Film Festival Spotlight
The Toronto International Film Festival, TIFF has announced that the 2016 City to City programme will focus on the city of Lagos, Nigeria. Cameron Bailey, Artistic Director of the TIFF is the curator of the City to City selection. And of Lagos he says the city is: “Vital, complex and inspiring. Lagos is entirely unique.’
Still waxing poetic, Bailey goes to say that Lagos, “the city of Fela Kuti’s music has also given birth to one of the world’s most vibrant film industries. The 1,000 low-budget features ‘Nollywood’ produces each year generate about $1 billion in box office. Now, from that commercial hotbed, a new generation of filmmakers is emerging to both advance and challenge Nollywood. Bigger budgets, greater artistic ambition — the new cinema of Lagos is bold, exciting, and ready to take its place on the international stage. We’re excited to share the creativity of this remarkable city’s filmmakers with TIFF audiences in September.”
In its eighth year, the City to City programme ‘showcases filmmakers living and working in a selected city, regardless of where their films are set’. Past editions have showcased cities like London, Tel Aviv, Istanbul, Buenos Aires, Mumbai, Athens and Seoul.
The ‘City to City: Lagos’ lineup will be made public in August. just before the 41st Toronto International Film Festival which opens September 8th, 2016 and runs till the 18th.
Meanwhile, film submissions are now open for the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival. Deadline for submission is May 6 with the possibility of a late submission deadline by June 3.
•Cannes Film Festival Announces Official Selection
As activities for the 69th Cannes Film Festival hot up, organisers have announced the official selection which comprises films ‘In Competition’, ‘Out Of Competition’, ‘Un Certain Regard’ and ‘The Cinefondation.’
There are also the Short Films Competition, Midnight Screenings and Special Screenings. There are 17 films in Un Certain Regard, 4 films in Out Of Competition featuring Spielberg and Jodie Foster. According to the organisers, for the Cinéfondation Selection in its 19th year, ’18 films (14 works of fiction and 4 animations), were chosen out of over 2,300 works submitted by film schools from all over the world in which 15 countries from three continents are represented’.
For the 2016 Short Films Competition, the selection committee received 5,008 short films, 458 more than they did in 2015. Ten of those films made it into the Short Films Competition and will be in the running for the 2016 Short Film Palme d’or, to be awarded by Naomi Kawase, President of the Jury.
To put things in perspective, there will be a sea of films to literally swim in when the 69th Cannes Film Festival begins on May 11, 2016.
COME AGAIN?
“Speaker Dogara calls for attitudinal changes from Nigerians in tandem with changing times.”
-NTA news headlines, Tuesday April 19, 2016, 11.58 am-ish.
If speaker Dogara actually spoke all this grammar, perhaps he’s missing his fellow APC man Hon Patrick Obahiagbon otherwsie known as Igodomigodo. Meanwhile why is it only the citizens need ‘attitudinal changes’? Elsewhere we hear Gen. Buhari, the mai chanji himself telling Nigerians change sometimes comes with pain. And again I ask: How many people in the executive, judiciary or legislature are feeling the pains of this change? The ones —- air miles aboard a luxurious private air fleet or the ones buying already expensive SUVs at even costlier prices? Abeg ee!
“2016 Budget-Reps ‘slams’ Rotimi Amaechi over Lagos-Calabar project as senators summon tribunal judge.”
-STV news headlines, Tuesday April 19, 2016, 12.04 pm-ish.
I’m not usually a violent person. But for once I appreciate our violent journalism where people can only be ‘dragged’, ‘slammed’ or ‘carpeted’. If the Reps can slam the progenitor of the now infamous Port Harcourt ‘monorail to nowhere’, they’d better do one better than slamming.
“President orders release of 10,000 tonnes of ‘grians’ for distribution nationwide.”
NTA news headlines, Monday April 25, 2016, 11.39 am-ish.
Grians for our groans, right? Sounds like the title of a badly written poem. I’ll refrain from going into the politics of releasing, or rather ordering the release of grains which were stored by another administration. We must not waste time on such inconsequential matters. What’s more important is that the grains were ordered to be released.
“Governor Udom Emmanuel tasks ‘communites’ over oil companies.”
-NTA news headlines, Monday April 25, 2016, 11.46 am-ish.
Communities is the correct word.
Speaker ‘Yakuba’ Dogara assures traditional rulers of constitution role.”
-NTA news headlines, Monday April 25, 2016, 11.47 am-ish.
I don’t know why the traditional rulers need assurance from Speaker Yakubu on their constitutional role or their role in the constitution? The grammar confuses me. Anyhow, we have quite educated traditional rulers nowadays. Surely they have some idea of what the constitution says about them?
“Join hands with Buhari to end insurgency-Gowon tells Nigerians.”
-NTA news headlines, Monday April 25, 2016, 11.53 am-ish.
Poor Nigerians. One moment we are told an attack on the evil terrorists (now rechristened insurgents) is an attack on some powerful northern VIPS. Another moment they are addressed fondly as misguided brothers. Then when there’s no Christian Ijaw man to blame, we the downtrodden Nigerians are asked to ‘join hands’ with Buhari to end insurgency. have to wonder where this ‘hand-joining’ will take place: aboard the presidential jet?
Hopefully, there are still a few Nigerians who are not too weary from queuing for fuel, or too hungry from the general hunger in the land to ‘join hands.’
Next thing, some other mascot will step out to ask us to join ‘jerry-cans’ to end the fuel scarcity. We really have ‘tala ahuhu’ as the Igbos say: We don suffer.
“Bear with me, change will come.”
-STV news headlines, Monday April 25, 2016, 12.06 pm-ish.
I have only one or two questions: Who else, apart from ordinary people, is suffering the negative effects of the almighty change?
Sure, a few people’s lives have already changed… for the better. But those are not ordinary people. So while our ‘elected’ and selected leaders are living it up, enjoying the dividends of ‘change’, others are asked to endure more hardship.
Well, it’s not too late for the APC slogan to change to “Change Will Come.”
