Lately I’ve been talking to myself a lot. OK, so in my head, but you know, still talking. This is what I say: I say, you know Os’ you should really write a short story about that.
Every day, a new short story idea. I’ve been so busy writing down ideas for short stories that I’m much likelier to publish a glossary of short story ideas than an actual short story.
Today’s short story would, hypothetically, go like this. A little-known tribe of hunter-gatherers from the Central African Republic who call themselves Ba-Banjalle are discovered, thanks to a New Jerseyite, by a former country singer who has lately taken to traveling the world over and helping local musicians enter the big-bucks genre of world music. Like the country singer’s former productions, the album he produces with the Ba-Banjalle gets picked up by a big label and is heard frequently in houses of wealthy leftists in the Bay Area.
But then craziness happens. The album is selected as the best album of the year by Pitchfork, a popular website for indie music aficionados. (If you think this part of the short story is unrealistic, look at Pitchfork’s review of Tinariwen.) One week later Kanye West samples a hook from one of the Ba-Banjalle songs in what will become the first single of the highest grossing album of all time. The music video comes out. Kanye, wearing his patent sunglasses, is walking through the jungle of the Central African Republic until he finds a clearing where he is joined by 100 or so Ba-Banjalle tribesmen and women. All together they do an incredible choreographed dance which mixes the best of the Ba-Banjalle’s dance moves with Kanye’s Chi-town flair. Even modern dance critics pronounce it the best piece of pop choreography since MJ’s Thriller.
A 20-something White entrepreneur originally from the Southern Californian suburbs who introduces himself as ‘Taz’ and likes to speak in Ebonics has recently opened a trendy night club in Las Vegas. He’s tapped his wealthy family members for tens of millions of dollars to put the night club’s name on the map. They have all the sexiest dancers, the cleavagest bartenders, the biggest DJ’s. But they’re not yet bringing in enough money to cover their initial investments. So Taz comes up with the brilliant idea to pay for all of the Ba-Banjalle dancers featured in the Kanye West video to come to Las Vegas and work in his nightclub. They are put on pedestals where they dance, just like in the Kanye video. Taz’s nightclub becomes the hottest thing in the world. Even celebrities have to make reservations. And ordinary people wait in line for 12 hours only to pay the $150 cover and $20 for a beer.
The idea, like all ideas, came from elsewhere. In this case, David Weinberger’s monthly newsletter and Ethan Zuckerman’s blog. I rarely ever disagree with what either one says. So when I do, I figure I might as well speak up about it. Or, write a short story about it. Or, better yet, write a post about a short story.
Yes, Ninjas are cool. Duh. No question about it. But I have a very hard time believing that we know more about Japan than Nigeria because of ninjas. We (and by ‘we’ I mean Americans) know more about Japan than Nigeria because we went to war with Japan. And that, my friends, is how we Americans learn about other countries. So, if you’re really passionate about Americans getting to know more about Nigeria, well, plan an attack. (This, it turns out, isn’t difficult. Just say that have ‘weapons of mass destruction’. You don’t have to get any more detailed than that.)
Regardless if we decide to go to war with Nigeria or come up with a ninja equivalent (uh, hello, Nollywood? A Nollywood night at the local indie theater is every urban hipster’s dream), what good does that actually do for Nigeria? I assume the idea is that if people start paying attention to a particular aspect o Nigerian pop-culture, they will then want to learn more about the country itself. Its people. Its culture and customs and struggles.
I’m highly doubtful.
Take Medellín for example. Last year none of my friends new anything about Medellín except for one name, Pablo Escobar, the drug lord who commanded a fearsome control over city during the 1980’s. Half of my friends only new about Pablo Escobar thanks to a fake film from the popular TV Sitcom called Encore Entourage.
There is actually one other thing that Medellín is becoming famous for in the United States, I learned last month thanks to WNYC culture editor Allison Lichter. Apparently Chivas trucks are becoming all the rage in New York City. The brightly colored open-air trucks pass through the streets of Medellín on Friday and Saturday nights with ragingly drunk middle class 9-5ers leaning outside and blowing their whistles at smiling passerby.
A perfect weekend activity for New Yorkers. It’s also a perfect example of a ninja equivalent. Chivas are “cool”. But do those ragingly drunk New Yorkers then go home and look up Medellín on Wikipedia?
I’m highly doubtful.
I think there are better ways to promote Americans’ interest in foreign countries. The first step is to improve foreign language education at the high school and college level. Why are Americans so determined to be monolingual? Step two is simple word of mouth. Now almost all of my friends know about Medellín. They know that it is much more than Pablo Escobar and cocaine. They know that Medellín has a truly amazing metro system, very kickass libraries, an impressive art museum, and tasty late night chuzos.
Step three, recommend foreign writers. Last night I read a brilliant (and I really mean brilliant) short story by Akinwumi Isola, a Nigerian writer and film producer. Now, not only do I know more about Nigeria, but I want to learn much more.
It is easy for countries to brand themselves with smart marketing campaigns. Just look at what Estonia has done. When I go to Estonia (if Cyrus ever invites me) I expect to feel like I’m in SoHo or Silicon Valley. Surely that’s not how it is, but that is how they’ve marketed themselves.
But in networked age we should try even harder? We should be learning new languages, we should be introducing our friends in one country to our friends in another. And we should always drink at least three mojitos when we do.
Thanks for this post, Oso — it’s triggered several trains of thought in my own mind. That’s a great point about the connection between Americans’ knowledge of Japan and WW2. But it’s more complex than that, of course — American (and Western) fascination with Japanese culture dates back to the late 19th century, when there was a craze for Japanese art that strongly influenced the work of, for instance, both American and French Impressionist painters. And not by coincidence that was just around the time that American capital was trying to engage with the Japanese market. It’s not just the act of going to war but a kind of imperialist attention — colonial, economic, political — that has, historically, driven one culture to want to learn more about another — hence the early 19th-century French fascination with Egypt, Europe’s 18th- and 19th-century fascination with the whole “Orient”, the late 19th-century and early 20th-century British fascination with India etc etc.
In other words, it’s not that Americans like Japan because ninajs are “cool” so much as that they think ninjas are cool because for all sorts of reasons Americans have wanted things from Japan for the last 150 years — cheap goods, to start. What do Americans want from Nigeria? For the most part, nothing.
This is a fascinating conversation which of course ties into Ethen’s homophily worries. I want to find the time to clear my own thoughts on some of these questions, especially — to bring it all closer to home — as they have an impact on the Caribbean and its relations with the rest of the world — the way the world understands or fails to understand us and vice versa.
I also read the Ninja Gap piece in David W’s newsletter and it got me thinking too, so I’m with you for much of this, except for the part about the mojitos. (And would you believe I’m serious).
If we actually want our friends to remember the things we teach them, we shouldn’t teach them while they’re drinking alcohol, as studies have proven that alcohol consumption impairs the ability to retain information. A shame, as drinking alcohol is so closely associated with sociability, but unfortunately that’s how it goes, which I know are strong words from someone you recently witnessed down many a gin and tonic.
Maybe we’d also do well, therefore, to figure out ways of engaging one another in relaxed and authentic ways that don’t involve the use of mind-altering substances.
Did you just make up a word? Cleavagest? Wow.
And yes, I did get much more out of this than laughing aloud at your short story idea.
Oh, the show that the Medellín “trailer” is from is Entourage, now Encore. I think Encore is a cable network.
Cuidate, Os’.
Nicholas,
There is also the fact that American men (and recently women) seem to find Japanese women much more attractive than their Nigerian counterparts. Google registers 3,830,000 pages for “japanese girls” and 367,000 for “nigerian girls”. I think this also ties in to what we were talking about in Jamaica a couple weeks ago. Americans ‘know’ much more about Jamaica than Trinidad and Tobago. But then, do Trinidadians and Tobagans think that’s a good or bad thing?
GAP,
As I remember the research (while sipping a beer, mind you), you tend to remember what you read/hear better so long as you’re in the same state as when you read/heard it. This is the reason, of course, that my college buddies and I would grab a pint before taking tests.
Ethan,
I feel like there’s a contradiction between the “ninja as an entry drug” argument and the “cognitive dissonance” argument. If Americans recognize Colombia as a drug country (which they certainly do), then I would believe that they keep reading more articles about drugs in Colombia – but not articles about other aspects of Colombia.
Which leaves us a choice between a misrepresentation of a country (Cocaine Colombia) and a non-representation of a country (Uruguay). I don’t want to speak for Colombians, but I have a feeling that they’d prefer no representation rather than the current misrepresentation.
Cindylu,
Ha! Of course, Entourage. I’m miserable when it comes to pop culture.
How is it that the four of you – all uber bloggers – don’t have Gravatars?
Ha! Obviously we read the studies that suit our purposes. 🙂
I think that one thing we need to make room for in the all of these arguments is the sort of complexity Nicholas hints at in his comment. Japan, for instance, probably registers on the sensibilities of people for a variety of different reasons which may have to do with age (I’d argue that for an American teen Ninjas and anime are probably more persuasive than the fact that the US was at war with Japan), educational level etc.
I think it’s also safe to say that Jamaica has made a stronger impression on the world than other Caribbean nations because of reggae (and, notably, Bob Marley), which would seem to corroborate David W’s argument. Jamaicans, on the other hand, also often make a stronger impression on immigration officers than other Caribbean nations because of the country’s associations with marijuana and crime…
Really looking forward to talking more about this.
To be honest it’s never occurred to me to create a gravatar. Are they that important? Sometimes I like to let my words speak for themselves. 🙂
I do not know if the americans know more of Japan than of Nigeria because of Ninjas or War… I do know that Colombia is well known for drugs… and I know we deserve it… However I wish people will bother to see further but this just happens when you have some kind of incentive or is impressed for something. I guess that´s what happens in your case your friends have you to get involved!… that is the good part it is also a social issue. So I guess bits by bits we will tell those who want to listen that there is more, but it is difficult to dismiss drugs it is part of reallity, isn´t it?
On the other hand it is impressive for instance to confirm how we in latinamerican know a lot about american culture but little about your politics, laws or system, this is weird if you consider USA is our main commercial partner, while on the other hand it is certainly impressive to see the american university libraries about latinamerican countries laws, politics and system, plus the money they expend to analyse us… (IMPRESSIVE) ofcourse when facing multilateral or bilateral negotiations we go bared naked to meet a misterious and powerful counterpart that we believe we know… it is funny don´t you think so?
Those are all very good points Carolina. I’m always surprised to know how few people know about the US’s electoral voting system outside of the US. I’ve been meaning to write a post on Obama and the US elections in Spanish. But first I have to finish the Campus Party documents and presentations. 🙂
Well, I´ve heard my fair share of podcasts trying to explain the US election system and I´m still in the shadowy part of comprehension. HOWEVER I do believe that we should take into account the same segments of the population when we make statements about… well, mostly any comparisons. If we’re talking about University students studying Latin American Studies… we can expect knowledge about currency and economy and history and what-not in Latin America. However, go to Podunk, USA and you may be hard pressed to find someone to point to Colombia in a map. Same thing here. I know enough people who take the time to read about US history, politics and other information, not on purpose, but just because it´s accessible, and I know people who have no notion of the countries on the globe. Pointed example? A classmate who asked if Hungary was far away, and when I replied it was in Europe she asked. That’s far? like another continent?
Now, to answer Oso’s and Ethan’s question… I think it is better to not be known at all than to be known negatively. If someone plans to bring a multinational company to Uruguay, no-one will question that decision, it would be weird, but nothing to get feathers ruffled about. HOWEVER try and tell CEOs that you wish to open a franchise in Colombia, and watch them run away. Then again, I think that it is the US that connects Colombia THAT strongly to drugs. In Costa Rica, Colombia’s current image is of a land that has gone through trouble, but has beautiful women and truly hardworking people who open great bakeries. And in India, people heard Colombia and they started singing Hips don´t lie in their best Shakira interpretations.
With the sequel “Madagascar 2: escape to Africa” about to be shown in theater, I fully expect a major hike in google search about Madagascar. As you expect, I am not thrilled that that is how Madagascar is mostly known as by the vast majority ( and let’s not talk about the escape to Africa sub-title, that is so wrong on so many levels). However, if any of this attention can trickle to a few people wanting to know more about Madagascar, Malagasy people and considering visiting the country, then I am 100% glad this movie happened. Accidental interest is better than no interest at all, in our case, I believe. Many people came to visit the region just on a bet and happened to contribute greatly to our development. I thank you all for this awesome discussion and really looking forward to seeing where it will lead.