Of Stereotypes, Perceptions, Realities And The Quest For Power

Casanova. That word certainly evokes a meaning associated with sexual promiscuity. Many people may not know Casanova was a real person. The Venetian lived his life in the 18^th century Europe.

Giacoma Girolamo Casanova, at age 17, had a Law degree. He is also known to have studied chemistry, maths, medicine and moral philosophy. Aside his promiscuous and hazy lifestyle, Casanova’s scholarly works exist, and his political life is there to be learnt.

However, today, the legacy, the impression that is passed on to generations about him is that sexual tag. Blame generations? May be, may be not.

Marketers believe perception is a powerful variable of the marketing mix that need not be treated lightly. Some even say perception is everything. Granted.

Granted that the deeds and misdeeds of people help fuel perceptions, it does hold that, one which I believe, these perceptions are born out of people’s beliefs, observations, cause or even motive.

The United States of America, today, has one of the most vilified, ridiculed and stereotyped personalities as President. Donald J. Trump is perceived as a character, regardless of his wealth and fame, who isn’t a presidential material. People still are in dreamland, in self-denial, they just can’t believe Trump is manning the White House.

Some say Trump was fit for the screens; that he chalked his popularity on television, having been on screens for over three decades. Trump has played cameos in “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air,” “Home Alone 2,” WWE Raw, and the ever popular reality show “The Apprentice.”

President Trump’s “screen-life” had been used against him. They made it personify him, turning it into reality. The media, of course, will be that channel, but today, America has a TV star as President.

If it were in Ghana, I doubt it would have been any different, a country where anybody associated with the arts, one way or the other is touted a “concert person” – a narrowed meaning that basically translates as “joker.”

In our part of the world, entertainers are perceived as non serious people, people who have no life to live regardless of their level of education.

In recent times, when rapper Pope Skinny made his infamous “I am in love with Samira” declaration, the popular alibi was that, he was an entertainer, hence he’s free to say what he liked; that he was just being himself. This mentality is what makes those in the arts to be considered subservient to others.

The Socrate Debate
Ever since filmmaker Socrate Safo confirmed his interest in becoming a deputy minister for the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry in President Akufo-Addo’s administration, I questioned his resolve to settle for the deputy, and not the substantive minister.

It is public record that I thought he need not be a minister or deputy for him to help his party achieve their goals for the industry, considering what he had said in the past, and his values that I have observed from afar.

That Socrate was very close to the Creative Arts Ministry in the past administration is a fact. He was instrumental in the drafting of the policies for the industry under that administration, so may be, having been that close, and considering his wealth of experience, he probably believes it takes nothing “special” to man that ministry.

And I believe that special thing required to man a ministry is the competence and diplomacy to make things happen.

But there are a lot who have literally rubbished Socrate’s ambition purely on the “class” debate. Some have likened him to a mechanic who by his wealth of experience thinks he is qualified to become transport Minister. Some have questioned his stance on overly placing emphasis on theoretical knowledge over practical knowledge; something he believes has been our bane as a country.

In Socrate, all they see is his engagements on radio and the titles of his movies. The movie maker has been lampooned by people who claim to be his friends, hiding behind smoke screens churning out missives of destruction, all in the name of power!

For me, I see competence beyond qualification and class: having degrees, working in the formal sector, and associating with the rich and famous. These, do not necessarily make one competent, and the lack of these do not make one less qualified.

If Socrate had been a true and true politician, those we call career politicians, I doubt he would be vilified this much; he would adorn the tag “honourable” and all he would have done were honourable deeds.

Isn’t it public record that some of these honourables who have become Ministers of State and parliamentarians, and still are, are Form 4 leavers? Some did not even have elite certificates, but their influence, worth and competences were evident.

Lessons to be Learnt
The goings-on tell me one thing: that until you seek public office, you may think your friends support all you do. It also tells me another thing: that when one seeks power, the perceptions and stereotypes that people have about you, whether true, fabricated or make-belief, become the reality that is fed people.

The onus is on us to “play’ our political cards very well, if we desire for political office. Politics isn’t a dirty game. Dirty people make it dirty, and that’s what I see going on in the industry.

Whoever gets the nod as deputy minister has a vetting committee to meet. In there lies the opportunity to quell, deny, explain and straighten these perceptions or realities.