Popular comedienne, Bose Ogunboye, aka Lepacious Bose, was not in the mood for jokes on Thursday when she took a measured swipe at the Nigerian youth for being obsessed with gossip and rumour-peddling.
. Posting on her Instagram page, the comedienne blasted the youth, especially the female sex, for preferring the content of blogs and other social media platforms that thrive largely on gossip about the life styles of celebrities over novels and other literature that elevate the mind.
Making a case for the lack of healthy reading culture among younger Nigerians, she wrote, “When I was a teenager, every girl of my age read novels. In fact, we often engaged in a competition to know the fastest reader among us and how many novels that each person read. We could read anywhere we chose; in a bus, in the toilet and at mealtimes.
“Nowadays, I meet a lot of girls on the way, but I have never seen them reading a book. They don’t even hold novels in their hands, at least to show off or in pretence. Instead, they are always glued to social media. They know who is dating who and who is wearing what. Many of them do not even know the names of the governors of their states, but they know the name of Kanye West’s mum.”
Also, lamenting the fact that many youths had embraced the path of ignorance, she continued, “They do not know the capital of Kaduna State, but they know Kim Kardashian’s home address, even the colour of the paint on the wall of her toilet. Ask them what is happening in Syria, they cannot tell you because they don’t know. But they know that Jay Z and Beyonce had a fight this morning and why.
“In fact, they know the details of Emeka Ike’s divorce more than the actor and his wife do. If you ask them which state in Nigeria is preparing for an election right now, they don’t know. But they can tell you about Tiwa Savage’s whereabouts, what she is wearing and even what she ate for dinner.”
Admitting that her own generation had failed to live up to the expectation of the society, Bose wondered what would become of the next generation of Nigerians. “Our generation is not living up to expectation, I know. But what happens to the next generation that will take over from us? They are a disaster waiting to happen. Yet, I quote Asa, who said, ‘Who is responsible for what we teach our children? Is it the Internet or the stars on television?’ So sad.”
Responding to a fan, who thought that she was unnecessarily attacking the social media, Bose said, “I never condemned social media. We are talking about mental development here. It is pertinent to grasp the essence of the write-up. Back then, ladies read romance novels and in the process, their written and spoken English got better. Nowadays, they speak with fake accents and cannot spell words in English.
The comedienne known for her biting humour also bemoaned the fact that many university undergraduates she met could not tell the difference between ‘there’ and ‘their’ or ‘these’ and ‘those’. The situation contrasted with the past, she argued, when young people read romance novels in which the history of events and monuments, such as the first and second world wars, the statue of liberty, the Nazi dominance of Europe and what they stood for.
One of Bose’s followers on Instagram, Alajokeade, blamed the situation on parents, saying, “We parents are the cause. How can a parent buy an Internet phone for a child of 10 years? It is uncalled for.”
Another fan, Football fun tv, also blamed some blogs for feeding children with unhealthy information. He wrote, “Kids of today emulate and aspire to be what they see in the media. Imagine what will happen if a blogger reports that she just finished reading this novel and it was so interesting. Those with the means to speak and be heard have a huge role to play.”
Nowadays more Nigerian entertainers appear to be taking to the social media to express their views on critical issues affecting the society. With this write-up on Instagram, Bose has joined the likes of celebrated stand-up comedian, Ali Baba, and Basketmouth who seem to have taken up additional roles as social critics and commentators.
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