OVER THE WEEKEND, I viewed a video online showing students from a rural secondary school performing at an event at the school.
It showed them, the majority being female, doing a choreography with dance moves that were blatantly sexual in nature.
This video was shared widely across social media and generated many condemning remarks.
I would like to also share my thoughts and comments on the video.
1. A reflection of parental values
A child knows what is expected of him or her by the parents and children are aware what consequences or responses arise as a result of not meeting those expectations. As a result, a child generally chooses what and what not to do in public in the event it may get back to their parents.
I believe these young girls represent a home environment that either encourages or tolerates the type of slackness displayed in the video. They were very comfortable to perform these sexually-themed moves before the student body and teaching staff and showed no outward evidence of worry. You may be wondering, “worry of what”. Worry of my mother or father knowing I behaving like this.
Secondly, “puppy tail”, “twerking”, “one drop” and such moves require a level of practice to be able to master the dance and also isolate and move individual butt cheeks. These girls didn’t learn these moves overnight and would have been practising them somewhere over a period of time. I assume at home.
2. A reflection on the teaching staff
I can’t say definitively that all schools have the same standards and procedures. However, based on my teaching experience and working in schools, students who communicate an interest in contributing a performance for a school event must first have that performance vetted by a member of the teaching staff.
It is highly unlikely this was the first time any member of the teaching staff saw this performance and even if it was, one would expect they would have been bold and responsible enough to stop it when they either realised it was not what was presented at the vetting process, or it was inappropriate behaviour.
Most people only saw one video but there were nine posted and in one of them, a teacher (I assume) jokingly commented over the microphone to students about the performance on stage. Just sad.
3. A reflection on adults
Children follow the examples we as adults present. The behaviour of these children is a mirror image of what many adults practise and portray. This week, adults are condemning, students for their slack behaviour but come Soca On The Hill, Soca Royale, Foreday Morning Jam and Grand Kadooment, all of what they did on that school stage and more will be encouraged and practised with adults joining in; all in the name of culture and having a good time.
4. A reflection on culture
Most of the comments I read condemned the slack behaviour taking place during or at school and not necessarily that the behaviour was inappropriate for children, full stop. “This is we culture” is what would be used as a stamp of approval for children engaging in lewd and provocative behaviour.
From the response of the students when the songs began and the dances were performed, it was evident they knew the music and the dances and cheered on their peers. The ease of use of profanity by the students is a topic on its own.
5. A reflection on bashment soca
Before, all the blame for sexually-themed dances and lyrics was directed to the Jamaican dancehall artistes, but a lot of that blame now is on our own bashment soca artistes. If you compare what you saw on the stage and the content of the local bashment soca music videos, you see an exact replica. Go on YouTube and check out Bam Bim by Marz Ville, Bring My Glide by Mole, Squat by Stiffy and Ruff by Snap Brandy. It was sad to see young children in the music video Ruff; this should not be.
6. A reflection on the future
In 2007, it was Dutty Wine, 2008 Daggering, 2011 Bruk It Down, around 2012/2013 the ubiquity of twerking, to what we have today. Society is designing and advocating for a world where morality is relative so it shouldn’t complain when the fruit is carnality. Wunna tink it bad now? It will only get worse.
• Corey Worrell, a former Commonwealth Youth Ambassador, is director of C2J Foundation Inc., a project-based NGO focusing on social development. Email: coreyworrell@gmail.com