Reuben, Tony, Jide and the clash of cultures — by Gani Balogun

A few years ago, a young reporter on TV network either forgot he was working in Nigeria or was fantasizing he was on an American network by calling the presenter, a man that was a few years away from his 60th birthday, by his first name.

The middle aged man, let us call him Reuben, was obviously not one to suffer fools gladly, immediately laid down the law.

The reaction on the social hemisphere was both savage and enlightening.

Traditionalists believe that there was no Hierarchy in public communication, especially broadcast media, using western models as their go to in establishing their argument. But Culturalists, like myself, believe every situation should be contextualized within the cultural reality of its environment.

Since TV was introduced in Western Nigeria in 1959, there was always a thin line between the expected informality tnat came with the medium from where it was imported, and the expected layers of respect inherent in an African setting,

It was an uneasy arrangement, but most organizations made it work.

Until yesterday.

When I heard the young lady called out the government name of the billionaire founder of a multi billion Naira Financial Conglomerate, let us call him Mr. E. I can assure you I physically recoiled in horror.

Not that she committed the ultimate sin. But the African in me felt insulted, or let me not generalize as some ethnic groups are founded on insults, as a Yoruba, it made me uncomfortable.

I know calling people by their first time at formal setting is part of the continuous colonial imprint on our society. But even over there, especially outside the US which was founded on the premise of equality before God, the hierarchy remains intact.

Once you are knighted or honored by the King, you become tnat title. Even in the US that they flaunt as the paradise of the first name myth, there is still an important emphasis on common prefixes like Mister, Madam, Senator, Doctor, Congressman and Professor in formal setting as per the demand of protocol.

So, before you come at me with accusations of a being archaic and rigid in sticking to old school protocol, remember, no amount of copycatting, if there’s such a word, would delete our culture and turn us into mini Americans.

If decades of studying Arabic and visiting the religious sites did not turn black people to Arabs and kissing and wailing at a wall did not turn black Africans to Jews, why do you think refusing to be disrespectful would make us like them.

For example, despite his insistence, I cannot call Citizen jones his first name either on radio and Television, no matter how western I become, just like younger presenters call me GKB and jide BKO or Reuben as Dr. Abatti.

Which brings me to the down side of the social media universe and the abuse of the freedom it bestows on its users.

In the last few days,some low foreheads decided to make it their life ambition to demystify the Lead Analyst of TVC’s flagship News and Public Affairs Programme, Journalists Hangout.

Not only did they state, incorrectly, tnat he predicted an APC victory at the last gubernatorial elections, they also edited a portion of his analysis to suit their agenda, whatever that is.

Despite dedicating almost half of the Monday edition to show the level of robust analysis he did prior to the election, some people who are stakeholders in the media landscape also,piled on, pretending not to see the full clip.

Anyway, in this electoral season, it seems there would be no rules of engagement by the pen fraternity. But taking on one of their shinning stars maybe be a good strategy for political hatchet men in the short run, but we all know that ultimately, it is the liquid spouter that would ultimately become exhausted.

Fortunately, there’s always the block and the delete buttons available to quietly remove the unruly ones or delete their uncouth posts, and if still not abating, report the mofos.

I wish all freeborn Omoluabi who believe that Isese is about our cosmology as an ethnic nationality and not about religion a blissful Isese day, and kudos who had the courage to declare the day a public holiday.

Because, like Alhaji Sikiru Ayinde Barrister, the creator of Music once crooned, it is only when we get to heaven tnat we will know the truth. Because while heaven remains a mystery, I don’t think that Jewish and Arabic ancestors would leave their direct descendants in limbo to attend to black African converts.