Netflix has birthed a global sensation — the streaming portal's first African reality show: "Young, Famous & African."
Set in Africa, the seven-episode series follows a group of African A-list celebrities as it desperately tries to replace the usual stale and stereotypical images of Africa that have ruled Western media for years with vibrant and beautiful depictions.
The stars — Khanyi Mbau (South Africa), Annie Macaulay-Idibia (Nigeria), Tu Face Idibia (Nigeria), Diamond Platnumz (Tanzania), Zari the Boss Lady (Uganda), Swanky Jerry (Nigeria), Andile Ncube (South Africa), Kayleigh Schwark (South Africa), Naked DJ (South Africa), and Nadia Nakai — showcase glamorous lifestyles amidst a wild luxury ride.
The producers sell angles of Africa which global media rarely project: beautiful sceneries, awesome fashion — such as Swanky's eyepopping styles and accessories — as well as Khanyi's mesmerizing outfits. Not to mention the other cast members looking like models who have just stepped off the runways from international fashion shows.
The cinematography is top notch and gives the series a glossiness rarely associated with Africa.
Gold-digger monologues
Hot takes about the show have broken the internet and left many wondering if the more than seven hours investment into viewing the series is really worth it — beyond the glossy images and satisfying guilty pleasures.
The first episode begins with a very interesting and unapologetic "gold-digger" monologue from Khanyi, the series' protagonist.
Swanky and Annie turn up superexcitedly in a car arriving from South Africa. And the rest of the stars are introduced as they prepare for a glamorous ball being organized by Khanyi.
Then the show flings open the doors of disturbing narratives and denigration of women. Rousing more questions amid debates we see and experience every day.
Ugly stereotypes
Creative works for the screen can be powerful tools for both positive and negative impact and change.
The upsurge in human money-making ritual killings in Nigeria have been linked to movies which project such in the country. Now, there are calls in West Africa's most populous nation for such movies to be banned.
"Young, Famous & African" — like these ritual killing movies — reinforces more stereotypes associated with Africa while trying to replace bloodstained images of Africans with beautiful ones.
The show reinforces the sexual helplessness and irresponsibility of the African man, with Diamond declaring: "I have four kids, maybe five or six" and is unapologetic over his Zari-Diamond-Nadia toxic love-triangle while in the presence of his friends.
In short, this kind of irresponsible living is further reinforced with his example of not throwing away the chewing gum in your mouth over grapes you want to momentarily taste.
Andile had to ask him who is the chewing gum and grapes – Zari or Nadia?
There is so much gossip and bickering to the extent that the disturbing narrative of African men being more united and quick to apologize — and women being the exact opposite — is reinforced.
In one scene, for instance, after an unnecessarily dramatic outburst between Naked DJ and Swanky on the blue train, they subsequently apologize to each other and reconcile, but Zari would rather die than apologize — even when asked by Nadia if she would like to be friends with the other ladies.
The show reinforces the ugly stereotype of confusion, disunity and crab-syndrome being on full display wherever Africans gather! Hopefully there will be a second season to correct these injustices.
Typical African woman
"That is why you can't keep a relationship," Annie yells at Zari in one scene while walking out on her. Zari making reference to Annie's insecurities in her husband's — Tu Face Idibia — presence is the beginnings of a kind of cold war that impacts negatively on the duo throughout the series.
The reality series is making attempts at changing the poor narratives about Africa, yet this shaming line used to shut up women in Africa finds its way on such a show.
Gossipy! Scandalous. And oozing triggers and confusion.
The show paints pictures of African women being confused, weak and playtoys in the hands of disrespectful African men.
It begins with Diamond inviting his ex-wife Zari — whom he has still not gotten over — and Nadia, his love interest — whom he publicly professed love to — to the Arabian party he organizes and during which he acts all loved up with Zari, as Nadia looks on.
Andile also invites his two baby mamas to the party he organized and was all chummy with them. He even had Zari as the icing on his cake — with a cherry on top.
The show paints a baby mama normalcy amongst Africans.
Africa, the country — seriously?
A major disturbing stereotype painted by the show as it attempts to erase the usual global media's gloomy images of Africa is the notion that the continent is not, in fact, a continent — but actually a country.
Attempts at redefining the continent should perhaps include the setting of the show.
Although the cast members come from different parts of the continent, almost the entirety of the show is set in the Sandton financial district of Johannesburg, South Africa thus making one to wonder if this is "Young, Famous & African" or "Young, Disturbed & Sandton"?!
Giving the true picture of Africa is defeated without presenting multiple countries.
The show lacks a consistent arc with decent and satisfactory resolution, does so much of showing instead of telling, while the incoherent narrative leaves much to be desired. Aside the fact that the cast members are Africans — and the show is set in Sandton — nothing makes it unique to the African context it struggles to birth.
Except if some footages got missing — in a crashed hard drive or an angry crew member ran away with them during post-production — there is much to be desired with regards to storytelling and plot. It makes the show come across as masking its poor storytelling with unnecessary and very fake dramatic scenes.
Thinking I am the problem — I could be very difficult and hard-to-please — in the early hours of April 7, I reach out to my colleague and fellow creative Bouba Jalloh to pick his brain on "Young, Famous & African."
"As a creative filmmaker, I believe the African films that usually appeal to pop culture are quite often non-complex story telling – oversimplified or brainless narratives if you like," Jalloh said.
Close, but 'no orgasm'
"That is often combined with flamboyance and exaggerated display of affluence and wealth."
I was still caressing these words when he fired more: "However, if you look beyond what everyone is talking about, you would find amazing and brilliants films across the continent."
The series indeed has some charm to it and fills some guilty pleasures.
But after a repeated romance with it, I have yet to reach orgasm.
And, I am not the problem.
Tobore Ovuorie — a multiple award-winning investigative journalist and storyteller — is the 2021 Deutsche Welle Freedom of Speech Award recipient.
Edited by: Keith Walker.