The Death Of Morality and the Vaseline Ad

The death of Morality, The Rebirth of Pornography

Back in the year 2009, there was a controversial ad on the billboards of Nairobi and I believe beyond. The ad had a picture of a young girl sitted on the floor, wrapped in a blue towel with three-quarters of her thighs showing. I was at that time was using the product advertised on that advert, Nivea. I took personal responsibility to quit using that product, because I figured, I do not want to be part of that business of nudity. I did not hear a single complain even to the CCK.

 A year or so later, another one was put up, advertising a different product. Just then, Unilever, the manufacturer of Vaseline had just released their new products, Vaseline Cocoa Butter. Their brand ambassador, Sheila Mwanyigah, was pictured half naked on the bill boards and hand bills at the supermarket. The product was a good product, but the advert was abhorrent, at least to those who have a different moral standard. They had another one that was talking about touchable skin, very sensual but it went unnoticed, at least by we, the users of the products.

I do not know whether you remember the other ad on James Gichuru Road that had a topless girl advertising a pair of jeans. Someone, Nick Korir noticed and did a campaign. It was successful; the bill board was brought down. Later on came the products of Pwani Oil, with their sensual ad on a certain brand of oil, I had a few complains. It kept on running; I guess its removal was not as a result of our complaining, but that it had done its time.

Later on, not long ago, an ad at the Westlands Roundabout had a picture of a man and woman, kissing advertising a property company saying something to do with Passion about their work. We did not raise an alarm.

Then they started the controversial ad of weka condom mpangoni. We did not complain about the man who seems to be typing his thoughts on a computer about how he has this other girl and he is not sure whether he is safe. Then came the controversial Mama Michelle ad was on TV at Prime time, we complained, it was withdrawn, with a replacement, this time a man. That one passed, unnoticed. Now Mama Michelle is back, this time the gal does not feature. We were silenced and told those things are happening, why are we burying our heads in sand? They asked.

I do not need to talk about programs that are meant for an audience like High School students, then it is rated 16. We have kept mum on the values the program is impacting on our teenagers, that it is okay to date a teacher as long you are not found out, it is okay to go sleeping around as long you have protection. A parent of teenagers will not bother to know the content of Tahidi High and will be okay if their teenagers watch because anyway, it is their programs. Wondering why the C movement is popular today? I mean, put the contraceptive in the plan, movement? It is because the students think it is normal to go sleeping around, because their role models, on Tahidi High are doing it. What about the rise of rebellion among them? And the rude culture of speaking back to adults especially those in authority like teachers? They are watching too much of your TV. The values thereof, are sickening! We have not said anything about Tahidi High. Not to mention Sugar and its relatives.

Wondering why young girls have no respect for their Mother-in-laws? They have learnt it from the TV. The program portrayed as a family program, has few if any values for any family that wants to be counted after this generation.

Now we are complaining about Sheila Mwanyigah who is all over posing naked on an advert for Vaseline. If we had said it earlier, they wouldn’t have done it this way. She was half naked last time, she has stripped this time round. I am talking about the rebirth of pornography. Pornography is no longer happening on the internet and CDs and Play Boy magazines. It is right in our houses, in our TVs, and now worse still on our bill boards.

Pornography is not just watching nude photos. It is listening to your FM station in the morning to people speaking unprintable words and painting their bedroom pictures for you in the mind. It is watching your soap opera peddling ungodly values about marriage and relationships and unnecessary passions being displayed right on TV at prime time. Pornography is watching that Citizen Radio ad of a man in the shower listening to the radio. Pornography is reading the inserts of our papers today, the Likes of Pulse, Saturday Magazine, Eve Girl and so on. Pornography is walking in town and meeting girls looking like silhouettes dressed to literally kill. Pornography is simply appearing in public dressed like you are going to the shower.

May be these definitions do not shock you, but while the activities may look innocuous they slowly but surely lead the mind to a point of evil being the norm. They slowly blunt the conscience and destroy not only you but the generations that come after you.

It is sad, that we the church have allowed it to get there. No one else is to blame, the watchmen, as God calls us, have left the gate or are sleeping on their job. What really is my responsibility as a Christian concerning the media? How can I make sure that I man the gates as I ought to? The entrant of The Insyder was one saddest phenomenon for this great nation in terms of values and culture. If you have seen that magazine and you are a Christian, your heart MUST weep. Mine did, and I went home and wondered how I can be a gate keeper in the media, and www.timazi.org  was born. We cannot complain for example of the fake preachers that are conning an equally greedy population and just do nothing, what are you doing? Is there someone out there who feels me?