I would be remiss if I did not mention that I've noticed an increasingly, and less subliminal, homophobic tone creeping back into radio, barely one quarter after the Broadcast Commission stepped up efforts to clean up the airwaves.
Certain radio DJs that I've come to expect it from started out the year a bit subdued in their hostility as it relates to musical selection and the personal commentary they typically inject into their broadcasts but as the weeks have gone by and the new songs have been released I've noticed a new boldness in homophobic lyrics as well as a seeming resistance of station managers to either edit these references out, or demand different versions of the song as stipulated by the broadcast commission in the first place. There is inconsistency at the stations as one DJ will play an obviously radio friendly version of the song at one slot, and then his colleague will play another later in the day. Granted, to be fair it has not been outright fire and brimstone as in years gone by, but for some reason the hostility is starting up again.
Examples:
That last I-Octane song is getting HEAVY rotation lately, with ZJ ICE choosing to mix it with the intro to Buju Banton's infamous "Boom Bye Bye" one night while listening to Zip 103, and then pausing the track to chime in with his own short but stinging commentary which made his agreement with the sentiment 100% clear.
ZJ Liquid has also done similar things and today I was surprised to hear Arif Cooper playing the same game...yes Arif Cooper who is married to the station manager of FAME FM, a station that despite a few flubs has gained a reputation for being more mature and less inclined to cater to the base elements. I was certainly surprised.
I'm watching these developments and really hope it will not descend into the stupidity of times past because the music industry and radio scene were just beginning to get more enjoyable.
I guess we should never take it for granted that homophobia is on the decline, and also we should never forget that in this music-obsessed culture the disc jockey is a powerful gatekeeper wielding tremendous influence as a kind of charismatic preacher of cultural values.
Lest we forget...homophobia is NOT dead.
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2 comments:
I don't think that they can get away with a new wave of homophobic commentary/content. The artistes will simply get into more trouble with the 'international community,'
which is already aware of jamaican dancehall gay bashing. I don't see doom: the movement for gay civil rights has grown so big that Jamaica cannot but be carried along to a certain extent.
these subtle ways of playing were always there it's just that when the BC were in full enforcement mode they infractions were mostly done at nights or early morning in particular IRIE FM or Zip FM.
Great take on it though.
H
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