“Imitation Is The Sincerest Form Of Flattery…?”
Oscar Wilde
By Wenona Russ
I was watching Arise TV sometimes last month. I saw this show called ‘Your View’ on the screen.
There were 4 females around a roundtable discussing the contemporary Nigerian trending topics of the day. I immediately thought about a popular Morning Talk show that comes on in America, ‘THE View.’
On that show, there are more than 4 females that air around and discuss the topics of the day I kind of thought to myself… “This looks awfully familiar!”
I chuckled to myself as I thought about the obvious similarity. There is this movie that came out in the 1990s “Coming To America” starring Eddie Murphy.
In one scene of the movie, John Amos is the father of Eddie Murphy’s love interest who owns ‘McDowell’s,’ whose entire brand is an exact replica of that of McDonald’s. (View the clip of his explanation of McDowell’s existence here: https://youtu.be/djI_ret3S9g?si=S2Q97TdmNv5VEFAf )
Insert McDowell’s pix here
I then thought about all the Nigerian movies I absolutely LOVE to watch on TV-which are all created in Nollywood.
Insert Nollywood/Hollywood pix here
Nollywood. Hollywood.
It makes me wonder… WHY are Nigerians so fascinated with Amerikkkan culture…?So much so that you would imitate every aspect of Amerikkkan society? I don’t ask this disparagingly. I honestly am curious-and maybe somewhat grieved -at this reality that Nigerians seem to worship EVERY other culture EXCEPT her own😟.I mean from entertainment. To television shows. To music. There are other television shows you have that are imitations of Amerikkkan shows.
Nigeria Got Talent. Your View 🤣
Big Brother Naija The Real Housewives of Lagos?
I laugh because I am not a huge TV person – I didn’t watch much TV while in Amerikkka because I honestly believe most of it is trash. So I was shocked to come here and find Big Brother Naija playing on every TV I came across!🤣I guess I was expecting more culturally relevant TV Programming here that proudly educates and emphasizes Nigerian history and culture. Not more white programming and imitation of Western entertainment.
But I guess I can’t say I am surprised because I am learning that Nigerians emulate Western politics and religion as well. This is why megachurches even exist here. And the prosperity gospel-the prosperity gospel is a religious implant by white people (and Blacks who WANT TO BE WHITE) that programmed folks into believing that the gospel is all about megachurches, getting paid and stealing folks’ blessings. I bet they don’t teach that mess in the mosques!
But white people lied to you and your preachers ran with it. They replaced your spirituality and knowledge of who our Savior is and replaced him with a blonde-haired, blue-eyed hippie who could care less that you cannot house or feed your families, educate your young, or take care of the widows…as long as the idols called preachers can’t ride, look, live and smell good while the people suffer…
TOTALLY a Western mindset…and YOU copied it into your church systems. At least in the ‘christian circles’ anyways.
WHY??? And you took on the democratic form of government. For the past almost 30 years, you have done politrix the Amerikkkan way. You held elections. You had governors and presidents.
How is this working out, by the way????
Nigeria has SUCH a rich culture. An amazing history. You have knowledge of that history! Your elders are walking encyclopedias, not riddled with dementia, or senile or sickly.
They are healthy, minds and memories in tact..waiting to pour that history into willing young Vessels. Vessels that at least WANT TO learn WHO THEY ARE!
NIGERIANS, BE PROUD OF WHO YOU ARE! THERE ARE MILLIONS OF AFRO DESCENDANTS THAT DON’T KNOW WHO THEY ARE ON AMERIKKKA…
It’s like a hole on our collective souls. Most of them don’t even realize what is wrong with them.
But I have diagnosed it- When a people sincerely do NOT KNOW WHO THEY are…or do not APPRECIATE who they are, they lose their identity. When a people start to believe that the white man’s lie that THEIR form of governance, entertainment, religion, sports ideals on family is superior to that of the African -no matter WHERE they reside in this world…
Those people truly start to hate themselves. To be ashamed of themselves. They lose their identity. They change their names to a European name.
They wear lace fronts and don’t sell kinky hair products. Their beauty supply stores sell straight hair products ONLY because the native women don’t believe their kinky hair is BEAUTIFUL!
They sell skin whitening products because dark skin is somehow viewed as ‘ugly.’ It’s funny, because I hardly ever saw a skin whitening product in the U.S. Coming to Nigeria is when I saw SOOOO many skin whitening products! Truly sad!
BLACK IS SO BEAUTIFUL!
Insert my pic here
All I am saying to you, Nigeria, is DON’T CHANGE! DON’T BECOME AMERIKKKA!
Start to embrace your profound and unique culture. Stop allowing whites to culture jack your style, your wedding traditions, your PEOPLE!
Don’t water down, who you are to fit in. WE NEED YOU TO be YOU!🇳🇬
THE Diaspora needs you to teach us YOUR WAYS. WE really have no desire to come here to find Nigerian replicas of Amerikkkan culture.
Amerikkkan culture and systems has stripped us of EVERYTHING .
THIS IS A PLEA TO YOU TO BE YOUR AUTHENTIC SELF, NIGERIA!💯
It’s ok to practice a different form of governance. It’s ok to have more TV programming that proudly broadcasts NIGERIAN culture! Speak in your native tongue(s).
TEACH US YOUR NATIVE TONGUES!
You knew about our Saviour before anyone else did…so YOU KNOW WHO HE IS! Don’t embrace Western religion … It’s a TRAP!
I know imitation is flattery and you flattered Western cultures because you were told it was better. We were supposed to be better at governing ourselves, making money, education, building churches.
BUT you are beholding that ALL was a LIE.
It’s TIME for you, Nigeria, to return to your OWN landmark’s …culturally. Politically. And spiritually!