By
Obododimma Oha
Radio and television are important narrators in modern
culture. As important narrators, they have to be identified with gate-keeping
and their ownership or control also has to align with power or control. In
Africa, this can differ from culture to culture. Whereas in some African
cultures women can have property, for instance land and houses or have
professions that could keep them away from home for a long time, like being a
market woman in Yoruba culture (or iyaloja),
women, in some cases, have some freedom to maintain radio sets. Previously in
many Igbo communities, the narrative power of radio and television was expected to submit to the headship of the family. However, in recent times
where cultures shift and many mobile phones have radio and TV as part of
built-in multimedia application, ownership and control of these narrative
devices are fast changing. Many women in African local communities could tune
the radio and listen to news and even other favourite programmes like soccer
commentary while waiting for customers in their shops.
Also, as a way of
managing daily stress in their daily lives and with the hold Nollywood films
have on their lives in their typical narrations, they may have favourite
television programmes like comedy series, sermons, or African Magic (which
enacts s new form of magic in their lives, exchanging fiction for reality or
presenting what they consume as reality, to reinforce the powers of falsehood
in the African society.
Another
interesting angle: yes, this ownership or control of the media is comparable to
that exercised by governments and some very rich people in society. Don’t ask
me whether they influence views or shape them for they do. Don’t ask me if they
influence popular thinking and dominant logic for they do. They package and
shape and disseminate meanings. The meanings suggested by ordinary and poor
folks do not “hold water” and influence little, if they ever do, in society.
Yet, another
interesting angle: the ownership and control of the radio set need to be seen
also in relation to the ubiquity of mobile phones which many wives can buy and
possess. They operate radio apps from these mobile devices, too, even while
they work in the streets (sweeping, for instance) and while cooking. Of course,
if they are not careful, the distraction from the phones could cause them to
add too much salt or too much pepper to the food, Or even add the phones
mistakenly to the boiling water! That means, calls and music while they work
could be risky!
Whatever may
be the case, it is getting very outdated to construct masculine authority as
dominant narrative power that can even harness the gramophone, turn-table,
television, radio, mobile phone, etc. Such a construction is also laughable. I
believe that masculinity may have started leaving radio and television, or even the computer, to look
for other allies!
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