No more double standards

THE EDITOR: Now that the organisers of the Chutney Competition have ruled against Nermal “Massive” Gosine performing his hit song “Rowlee Mudda Count” the people should also have their say.

A boycott of the Chutney Monarch show would equally send a message and force the conversation beyond strong arming and convenient piety into what this issue should be really about, fairness and respect for all.

As offensive as some Massive Gosine’s song Rowlee Mudda Count is, it is also empowering to a large cross section of society fed up with what is seen as a government of bullies led by a man himself so obscene and disrespectful to others they wanted an opportunity to cuss him and them back, and this song gave them that, a way to register their displeasure.

If calypso and culture is the people’s voice, as many have claimed over the years, then we are bound by fair play to allow this be the people’s voice as well. Banning it wont change how people feel, and I caution those who would prevent the people from venting to read history.

Look, you do not have to be a rocket scientist to know where Nermal “Massive” Gosine was taking his listeners when he penned his song and the average person can easily find enough reasons to object to it, the only problem I am having is that a lot of these same objections could have and should have been applied to culture decades ago.

Some calypsonians have won millions of state dollars exchanging satire for venom, have gotten away with inciting violence against sitting Prime Ministers, called for the kidnapping of political party supporters all in the name of culture, but this attracts our ire?

What was tongue in cheek about Cro Cro’s 2011 Lick Bottom African? Where was even the attempt to hide his hatred and racist overtones? Or was that hate speech and violence masquerading as culture?

We in TT do hypocrisy and double standards well. Have you ever listened to how humiliating and degrading to people of Chinese descent the song Chinee Parang is?

Two wrongs do not make a right, but in this instance a case can be made for do so not liking so.

We have to decide if we want to establish standards for culture based on respect for others and apply them across the board and not just in a song by song basis or who it may hold in its focus.

Do we want absolute freedom to say what we want in calypso? Or do we censor what makes us uncomfortable?

Let us convene a national conversation with a view to setting acceptable standards of respect that applies to all, and not just those who learn to shoot back.

Banning this song after having let much worse offenders pass is itself obscene that sets a double standard for society, and we as a people should not stand for that.

Phillip Edward Alexander via e-mail