People look up to role models, often in entertainment, for guidance on key decisions concerning their lives. It could have to do with fashion choices, relationship decisions or identity issues. But these people might not be the best people to dispense advice on some topics.
Over the past week or two, I have been fascinated by responses on social media to two people who are considered celebrities and whose views are often taken seriously.
It made me wonder why people listen to certain so-called celebrities and what qualities these people bring to the party, apart from being popular.
One of them is Trevor Noah, who appeared to have upset many people who identify themselves as “coloured”.
His comments were attributed to his book, Born a Crime. He apparently wrote: “Most coloured people don’t speak African languages. They speak Afrikaans. Their religion, their institutions, all of the things that have shaped their culture, came from Afrikaners. The history of coloured people in South Africa is, in this respect, worse than the history of black people in South Africa. For all that black people have suffered, they know who they are. Coloured people don’t.”
Noah’s comments have been shared thousands of times, with some people questioning how he could speak about the “coloured experience” when he was not coloured, but “mixed race”.
%%%twitter https://twitter.com/Trevornoah?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Trevornoah's book
Kaantie Trevor, this kak don't sit well with me.
Don't write about the coloured experience if you haven't lived it, I cannot ever write or speak on what it is to be Xhosa. Very problematic pic.twitter.com/qdgWHLDBOo
— Day 67 #90DaysWithoutSugar2020 (@KelEldine)
As someone who prides himself in his understanding of different, and sometimes complex, people, Noah should have known that this was not a topic that could be reduced to a one-liner. I have written a book and many columns about race and identity, and I will not be bold enough to claim to understand everything about what some people call coloured identity. I would normally say “coloured”, but I understand that this is real for many.
Noah might have more than
10 million Twitter followers, but that does not make him an expert on anything, least of all something as complex as the smorgasbord that is known as coloured identity.
The other is rapper AKA, aka Kiernan Forbes, originally from Mitchells Plain, who has more than four million Twitter followers.
AKA tweeted: “If someone tries to give you advice, ask yourself: does this person live in the house I want, drive the car I want, or generally live the life I want if the answer is no, then ask yourself what qualifies this person to dispense ANY sort of advice to you in the first place.”
When someone as popular as AKA uses dismissive language and gives such bad advice to people who idolise him, then it raises questions about the values that he is trying to promote and how much worth he attaches to the contribution made by our elders.
Many older people, especially in the black community, sacrificed so much so that young people can have the freedom to follow their dreams. Their advice is mainly based on real-life experiences, which are invaluable.
I recently watched an interview with an overseas soccer coach who was asked about the coronavirus. He told the journalist to ask an expert. “Football coaches cannot be expected to be experts on health matters,” he said.
It was one of the best and truest responses I have seen from an influential person. Maybe Trevor Noah and AKA can learn from him?
You don’t always have to pretend to be clever. Sometimes you must know when to shut up.
* Ryland Fisher is the chief executive of Ikusasa Lethu Media. Follow him on Twitter @rylandfisher
** The views expressed here are not necessarily those of Independent Media.