Randolph I’m annoyed. But some background first.
South Africa has “celebrities”, because there really isn’t an A-list and B-list differentiator. You qualify as a celebrity if:
- You act in a soapie (Egoli, 7de Laan, Villa Rosa)
- You have your photo taken at a rave (Cassie Booyse, a.k.a. Vernon Koekemoer)
- You release a CD
- You host a children’s TV show
- You sing Neil Diamond songs
- You play rugby / cricket
- You sleep with a celebrity*
(* see qualifications above)
Robbie Klay, who is apparently an Afrikaans singer (and therefore a celebrity), is presently involved in a court case accusing Jurie Els, an older Afrikaans singer (and therefore a celebrity), of molesting him when he was under 18.
In SA, we don’t have a specific law for criminal male on male penetration (anymore), so they call it indecent assault. If it were me, I’d call it either paedophilia or rape, but it’s not my court case.
I’m upset, though. I’m upset because Klay can’t get his story straight, as it were. Els has denied all charges (because admitting rape would be stupid), but he has a good lawyer.
I’m upset, because for all we know, this is a ploy to sell more CDs, in much the same way that Joost is selling books because he admitted to adultery and possession of an illegal substance (cocaine), which was of course caught on video.
I’m upset because this shit being dragged across our media is improving the celebrity profile of these subhuman cretins who shouldn’t deserve the time of day.
We as a country are lapping it up, like a real life soap opera.
Which brings me to that self-confessed kiddie fiddler, Roman Polanski. He must face a judge and go to jail. I don’t CARE if he makes good movies. He’s a damn paedophile, no matter how you swing it. Laws to protect children (however misguided in implementation) are there for a reason. If you have money and talent and Oscars, you’re still a damn paedophile. And don’t get me started on Michael Jackson. Yes, arguably the most talented musician in living history, but he was also a self-confessed kiddie fiddler.
And that’s why I’m upset. I know a number of gifted, talented, hard-working artists in their respective fields (TV, film, music, drama), who will never get anything close to the recognition they deserve, because we’re too engrossed in whether some half-wit mullet-wearing “singer” can remember the “facts” through therapy.
My father died in 1994. I remember it vividly. So does my brother. Klay can’t remember a sexual assault? Please.
I’m sorry for giving them more attention than they deserve, but I need to write it down to get it off my chest.
Oh, and I suggest that if you want to support REAL talent, help the SA Guild of Artists get recognised as a labour union, so that the hard-working, underpaid lifeblood of our cultural heritage can protect their interests. Look them up on Facebook.