Hello Darling Pweebers,
Welcome to my first deevanalysis for 2014. It’s been a long and bumpy ride. So much drama happening around the world. It gives me the feeling we are not going to be bored in 2014.
I’ll just recap a few stories which touched me in January, 2014. Some of which I didn’t feel necessary to share on my blog but which I’ve decided to talk about now.
1. THE AWARDS SEASON…LUPITA NYONG’O HAD QUITE THE JANUARY !
The month of January featured many award shows; The Golden Globes, Grammys, and the SAG awards. The red carpet fashion was never better. I saw a huge improvement on the style choices of the stars. Perhaps it’s thanks to the heavy critiquing from the Fashion Police on different media platforms.
We also saw some of our favourite stars take home the coveted trophy but none of them burnt a picture in my memory like our African sister, Lupita Nyong’o. Like a true African goddess, Kenyan-born Lupita’s rich dark chocolate skin glistened on the red carpet; so much that I badly wanted to paint my skin shades darker with black shoe polish.
Like a gazelle, she strutted in the best designs like it was originally made for her. I’m so proud of and obsessed with Lupita. We all need more girls like her to serve as a positive role models to other African women. To help them be proud of their natural features, and their inborn talents.
Since I started blogging, I’ve had two ladies cuss my nose. They told me to go get a nose job. One was a Caucasian American and the other a fellow Nigerian who was educated overseas. For the white girl, I told her the broad nose was a prominent African feature and that I wasn’t prepared to wipe out my identity because of her ignorant comment.
For the Nigerian who claims she’s the daughter of a popular Lagos socialite, let me say such mindsets are the downsides of sending your kids abroad to study. They not only return with a degree but also a ‘slave mentality.’
So I say, go Lupita!
Lupita wore a red cape dress by Ralph Lauren to the Golden Globes, but she lost the trophy to Jennifer Lawrence of American Hustle.
The 30-year-old actress won the award for Best Supporting Actress for her work in the movie 12 Years a Slave. She rocked a white Calvin Klein collection dress.
Lupita wore this gorgeous turquoise gown by Gucci to the SAG Awards where she also won for her supporting role in the movie 12 Years a Slave.
2. THE SAME SEX MARRIAGE BILL PASSED BY THE NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT
Early in January, Nigeria’s president Goodluck Jonathan signed the Same Sex Marriage Bill where marriages between homosexuals and lesbians were banned.
With the president’s signature, anyone convicted for getting involved in a gay relationship or entering into a same-sex marriage contract or civil union faces up to 14 years in jail.
The bill also stated that it was a crime to have a meeting of homosexuals, or to operate or attend a gay club, society or organization. Public show of same-sex intimate affection was also outlawed. Offenders may be jailed for up to 10 years. Part of the bill read:
“A person who registers, operates or participates in gay clubs, societies or organizations, or directly or indirectly makes public show of same-sex amorous relationship in Nigeria commits an offense and is liable on conviction to a term of 10 years.”
For many Nigerians, accustomed to attacking Mr. Jonathan over his failure to address many of the nation’s ills and its stinking corruption, the bill’s signing, largely a popular decision, came as one of the commendable steps taken by his administration. CNN reported that over 90% of Nigerians were in favour of the bill.
Across the social media and blogosphere, majority of Nigerians heaped praises on a president they were more used to criticizing and pointed out how he had defied international pressure over the bill, and acted in a way deemed to be in Nigeria’s interest. One Twitter post read:
“Jonathan got this one alone right. The Oyinbo(white people) can go to hell.”
The bill no doubt sparked international outrage with Canada cancelling President Jonathan’s already scheduled visit to their country immediately after he signed the bill. The American government also tried to persuade Jonathan to cancel the bill.
In the midst of all these drama, none amused me more like that of Hollywood actress, Goldie Hawn.
Goldie Hawn
On January 22, Hawn tweeted a photo of herself shaking hands with Jonathan at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. To the image, she added the caption:
“Met the wonderful President of Nigeria @JGoodlucktweets today in #Davos.”
Soon after she tweeted the pic, some of her followers blasted her; pointing out that Jonathan was an anti-gay president. The actress immediately deleted the pic and apologised to her over 515 followers.
Judging from the fact that Goldie Hawn is actually an LGBT (Lesbians Gays Bi-Sexuals & Tran-Sexuals) activist; supporting equality and acceptance amongst the LGBTs, she had every reason to be embarrassed, non? Addressing the controversy during an interview with HuffPost Live at Davos, Hawn said:
“First of all, it had every right to cause an uproar. I had no idea.”
Hawn said she “literally hadn’t looked at the news” because she’s been travelling and writing a book.
Human Rights Campaign President Chad Griffin, who wass in Davos with Hawn as part of a first-ever LGBT panel, said:
“President Jonathan of Nigeria is one of the most dangerous anti-LGBT leaders that we have in the world today.”
What I found to be most amusing was the fact that Hawn was practically flirting with President Jonathan, according to Nigerian officials who were there at Davos. One minute, President Jonathan was “wonderful” to her and the next minute, she regretted meeting the same man and was “deeply embarrassed” by him. As if President Jonathan ever had her time, Mtchewww!!
3. NIGERIAN BLEACHERS INC.
What I knew about Fade creams and lightening creams, was that it was used to clear dark spots. To even out your skin tone after a sunburn, to make darker areas like elbows and knees blend more with the rest of your skin colour or to get your original complexion back after being darkened by pregnancy.
I’ve used fade creams a couple of times to get back my original complexion after having a baby. As a Nigerian woman, the way we come out to church for the first time after delivery is very important. We dedicate our babies from one to three months after delivery. The way we look must be on point, as everyone is admiring your gorgeous dressing and glowing skin as well as the baby. So you can’t afford to appear with hyper-pigmented skin with patches everywhere.
But these creams are not used in such a way that if you saw me you’d find it difficult to recognise me as the Peace you used to know. I’ll still look very much like myself only with smoother, fresher skin. But today, so many ladies…and even men…have abused these creams, making themselves so fair that you’d think they were bi-racial or what Nigerians popularly call ‘half-caste’.
With the likes of Camerounian pop star, Dencia and a certain Pela Okiemute…a self-acclaimed bleaching expert who boasts of giving women lighter skin…the craze for over-bleached skin and total erasure of our African identity is on. Although Dencia has screamed times without number that her fast-selling Whitenicious cream only targets dark spots and small areas of the skin, we know Nigerians will use it all over their body just to look as ghostly white as Dencia.
The scariest thing are the bleaching tablets they swallow…Glutathione tablets. Glutathione is actually an antioxidant administered to patients; especially those living with HIV. It rebuilds and replenishes cells very fast which were otherwise ravaged by the disease. The side effect of Glutathione is that it makes the users skin paler than normal.
This is what the skin bleaching sellers capitalise on. They sell very high and potent doses of this chemical to the buyer. The stronger the dose swallowed, the lighter or paler the skin becomes. This skin colour is so pale that I can’t liken the hue to any known white race on earth. It simply looks unnatural. I even hear such high doses of Glutathione damages the internal organs.
Here are a few of the unnatural skin bleachers; including Nollywood actress, Thelma Okhaz who is the latest celebrity to shock us with her new look. In an interview which she reluctantly granted to MadameNoire, she said her ghostly white image making its way around the Internet was photoshopped. Thelma said:
“I take a lot of pictures for different purposes, some for movie posters. And this one is for a movie so when its out I’ll let u know.’
Thelma Okhaz
Dencia before and after
Many have accused these extreme bleachers of having a slave or colonial mentality by wanting to look white. At the end of the day like I always say, no race is superior to the other. Be proud of who you are.
Did you hear of the well-preserved skeleton of a 7000-year old man from the Mesolithic era discovered in a Spanish cave? The Mesolithic skeleton was originally discovered in 2006, but a recent DNA analysis of the man’s tooth revealed the hunter-gatherer man had dark African skin and blue eyes. From the findings which were detailed in the January 26th issue of the journal Nature, the study’s co-author Carles Lalueza-Fox, a paleogenomics researcher at Pompeu Fabra University in Spain threw more light on this mystery.
It hinted that light skin evolved not to adjust to the lower-light conditions in Europe compared with Africa, but instead to the new diet that emerged after the agricultural revolution.
Many scientists have believed that lighter skin gradually arose in Europeans starting around 40,000 years ago, soon after people left tropical Africa for Europe’s higher latitudes. It is believed that humans lived considerably longer than thought in Europe before losing the dark pigmentation that evolved under Africa’s sun.
So, does this piece of information want to make you keep your darker skin?
4. MY DEEVA DEN DIARIES
There’s nothing as mentally invigorating as a good read. Being that I consider myself primarily a writer before a blogger, I always love to share some of my short stories and articles with you. This I do under a category on my blog which I call the Deeva Den Diaries.
It’s vital for every woman to have a ‘Me Time.’ That time should be totally dedicated to YOU. It’s a time when you concentrate on pampering yourself, listening to yourself and doing what you love to do ALONE. You’ll find this time to be very essential after caring for the kids and hubby. If you’re a single lady, you’d be grateful to take time out from that relationship or demanding boss to care for yourself. This way you don’t feel too drained.
For me, I soon find that I lose my sense of self after a while, if I only pay attention to hubby and the kids. That gets me really drained and highly irritable. When I take out time to do things I love doing alone, I replenish myself physically and mentally. That way, I’m rejuvenated to become a better wife and mom.
One of the things I loved doing before I got married and had kids was snuggling up to a good book. Once I was done with my chores, I simply locked myself in and dug into a book; transporting myself to the pleasurable spot where the plot of the story took place. Nowadays, this private time for me has become a luxury.
I call the place where I have my ‘Me Time’ , a ‘Deeva Den.‘ Some men call theirs a ‘Man Cave’…while some women call theirs a ‘Ladies Lair.’ Whatever you choose to call yours, just make sure you create quality time for yourself to do fun stuff alone…or with your BFFs if you wish.
So to relax, I’ll share with you some of my Deeva Den reflections put into stories to stimulate you mentally.
When I moved my site, I lost a lot of those stories. I shall re-publish some of them and other new ones. If you’ve read them before, relax and read the re-published edition a second time. Otherwise, enjoy the ride. I plan to publish these stories every Wednesday.
If you haven’t read any before,click on these story titles below:
Keeping Our African Values
The Bondage Of Superstition
Broken Bridge Of Memories 1: Nancy’s Story
Broken Bridge Of Memories 2: Omolara’s Story
Broken Bridge of Memories 3: The African Cinderella…Elizabeth’s Story
5. DEEVA’S THROWBACK THURSDAYSYes…every Thursday, I plan to share pictures and stories of what happened in the recent past and in the olden days. It’s really fun to go down memory lane so join me every Thursday for the fun ride!
I don’t know who came up with these rules though. I don’t have to follow them to the letter but I intend to use them as a guideline.
Last Thursday, I shared a photo of Nigeria’s 1st president Nnamdi Azikiwe being welcomed by the Pyrates Confraternity in Unilag in the 70s. Who knows what you’ll get to see or read next?
If you have such fun photos or articles please send them to my email: deeva@peacebenwilliams.com and I shall gladly publish it; naming you as the source.
Please always drop a feedback so that I know areas I could improve on and how to satisfy you.
Here’s wishing you a happy new month filled with love and happiness. Welcome to February!
This is my Deevanalysis.
Yours Truly,
Peace Ben Williams