A BBC documentary series set in slum areas of Lagos has been branded "condescending" and "colonialist" by Wole Soyinka, the Nobel laureate and one of Nigeria's most famous living writers.

Speaking to the Guardian, Professor Soyinka said that Welcome to Lagos, the BBC2 observational documentary which follows various people in poor areas of the city, was "the most tendentious and lopsided programme" he had ever seen.

More . . . http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/apr/28/soyinka-bbc-lagos-documentaries-criticism

Well, i'm sure people will say Prof. Soyinka must have slept on the wrong side of his bed to be speaking against the documentary that "shows us what Lagos is all about"

For Nigerians in support of the BBC documentary title. . . keep paying homage to your slave-masters.

BBC dey use Lagos/Nigeria practice jounalism

Prof Wole Soyinka is right.The BBC documentary is disgusting.
BBC should concentrate more Time to UK Slums and leave Nigeria alone.

I think Wole Soyinka is right on the money with his comments. Especially when he said." What I saw I found very unjust and sensationalist. What I saw was not an honest reportage. The problem is the title – it programmes the mind of the viewer in advance and sets the overall context" Perhaps BBC shouldve titled the show "welcome to the slums of Lagos"

Personally i enjoyed the show, the spirit of the characters impresses more than the images of slums.

Wole will always say d truth no matter whose ox is gored.He should be appointed d next INEC chairman.

I'm prolly slow, but can someone please explain to me what part of that documentary is tedentious and lopsided?

If my senses are right, the arguement should be that The BBC only focused on the lives of the poor but hard working Lagosians and then maybe intentionally left out the Rich and affluent areas in Lagos. If this is the case then I might agree with Soyinka.

But I really do not see how bias the program is/was

Hi guys!
Listen, this welcome to lagos series does it show on dstv, 'cos the part 3 airs today, eh?

The show is on now,it is like some new found tribe in the jungle of andes,but however,Ester one of the main character of the show is cool,bright,calculative and full of hopes,e go better foram

Mr Soyinka is always moaning about everything. I am quite surprised that he would have a problem with the title of the program. After all he of all people should know what poetic license is all about.

Let the dickriding begin,

I finally got to the part of the interview I was waiting for:

Soyinka says:

"What I saw I found very unjust and sensationalist. What I saw was not an honest reportage. [size=18pt]The problem is the title – it programmes the mind of the viewer in advance and sets the overall context.[/size]

"One could do a similar programme about London in which you go to a poor council estate and speaking of poverty and knifings. Or you could follow a hobo selling iron on the streets of London. [size=18pt]But you wouldn't call it Welcome to London because that would give the viewer the impression that that is all London is about.[/size]"

When I tell some people here that we are not at the same level in thinking, my thinking is a stratospheric spaceship when compared to their thinking, they would say I am arrogant and boastful not realising, as hauteur as it is, I am only asserting a truism. Soyinka portrays the level I think at. 

Na wa

Do not really know which is worse or scarier; that some 'im-posters' on Nairaland now place themselves on the same pedestal as Wole Soyinka for the simple reason that he offers an opinion albeit baseless but similar to theirs, or the simple fact that people still do not get it.

UpBendel:

Na wa

Do not really know which is worse or scarier; that some 'im-posters' on Nairaland now place themselves on the same pedestal as Wole Soyinka for the simple reason that he offers an opinion albeit baseless but similar to theirs, or the simple fact that people still do not get it.     

No, not because he only offers something similar but because he is a brilliant man with history of sagacious opinions and because of the history of my opinion on NL that has virtually always been right as time goes by. Please go and check my historical posts and join the haters.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfuN2DngNL4

UpBendel:

Na wa

Do not really know which is worse or scarier; that some 'im-posters' on Nairaland now place themselves on the same pedestal as Wole Soyinka for the simple reason that he offers an opinion albeit baseless but similar to theirs, or the simple fact that people still do not get it.    

Na Wa

I think it is you who doesn't get it.

So far, the only person i see placing himself on the same pedestal as Wole Soyinka is you. You think your opinion is more valuable than other people's baseless opinion including that of Wole Soyinka.

ziga:

Na Wa

I think it is you who doesn't get it.

So far, the only person i see placing himself on the same pedestal as Wole Soyinka is you. You think your opinion is more valuable than other people's baseless opinion including that of Wole Soyinka.

Don't be harsh on him.

He seems to be new on NL.

With time he might learn to appreciate my position on issues if he has any brain cells.

Hmm

For starters, with the internet age ignorance has become redundant and truly is no longer an excuse.  Wole Soyinka has been at this before but from the last time he made this sort of comment (2005), has anything been done to improve the situation?  

Exhibit 1 - http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa5391/is_200511/ai_n21383032/

Secondly, I would not dream of comparing myself to Wole Soyinka and doubt very much that I offered any inkling of such a comparison.  Perhaps you have a complex or something?

ziga:

Na Wa

I think it is you who doesn't get it.

So far, the only person i see placing himself on the same pedestal as Wole Soyinka is you. You think your opinion is more valuable than other people's baseless opinion including that of Wole Soyinka.

Dude

You use your arguments like a drunkard would use a lamp post, for support rather than illumination. Make a valid point, defend it, and learn to appreciate dissension rather than start to hurl insults. Contrary to your opinion I am not new here. When you identify certain kinds of people you learn to ignore them and their comments

Sagamite:

Don't be harsh on him.

He seems to be new on NL.

With time he might learn to appreciate my position on issues if he has any brain cells.

UpBendel:

Hmm

For starters, with the internet age ignorance has become redundant and truly is no longer an excuse.  Wole Soyinka has been at this before but from the last time he made this sort of comment (2005), has anything been done to improve the situation?  

Exhibit 1 - http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa5391/is_200511/ai_n21383032/

Secondly, I would not dream of comparing myself to Wole Soyinka and doubt very much that I offered any inkling of such a comparison.  Perhaps you have a complex or something?

Perhaps.

UpBendel:

Secondly, I would not dream of comparing myself to Wole Soyinka

I will.

I have full confidence in my perspicacious and stratospheric thinking.

Having engaged with a lot of people on NL definitely adds jet-fuel (not ordinary fuel) to that confidence. It confirms my suspicion that very few can attain that level of thinking aptitude.

UpBendel:

Make a valid point, defend it, and learn to appreciate dissension rather than start to hurl insults.  Contrary to your opinion I am not new here.  When you identify certain kinds of people you learn to ignore them and their comments

I do that, mate. Feel free to highlight places I have not. Insults are only meant for those that can't.

You sure only have less than 40 posts on NL.

Then surely you most know in your infinite "perspicacious and stratospheric thinking" capacity that when you throw insults people no longer take you seriously and can't tell the difference either.

Sagamite:

I do that, mate. Feel free to highlight places I have not. Insults are only meant for those that can't.

You sure only have less than 40 posts on NL.

UpBendel:

Then surely you most know in your infinite "perspicacious and stratospheric thinking" capacity that when you throw insults people no longer take you seriously and can't tell the difference either.

That is a conjecture. See my signature.

And by the way, I only care about the opinions of a select few. Could not give less care for that of the majority in most cases.

UpBendel:

Then surely you most know in your infinite "perspicacious and stratospheric thinking" capacity that [size=13pt]when you throw insults people no longer take you seriously and can't tell the difference either.[/size]

How dare you reveal the obvious? ROFLMAO!!!  

Kobojunkie:

How dare you reveal the obvious? ROFLMAO!!!  

I hope you know most people do not take you seriously as you are scared to give an opinion, only comfortable with challenging other people's own without having one of yours.

That was a ridiculing discussion at the last BBQ.

Sagamite:

That is a conjecture. See my signature.

And by the way, I only care about the opinions of a select few. Could not give less care for that of the majority in most cases.

Had to prove me right.

UpBendel:

Had to prove me right. 

No, just clarifying for you, so you know I don't really give too much toss about what you think about my delivery.

It is all strategic, I take delight it pissing some people off and love to be arrogant to them whilst flogging them with logic. I know it bites but its the reason I joined NL and my only vice. I don't drink, smoke, gamble or take drugs.

If you ever feel you feel like challenging my opinion, you are always welcomed.  You might end up joining Kobojunkie or MrCrackles. 

Nigerian reaction to issues like this always baffle me, yes the English press expose issue like this when they do affect their own society. The only difference is that if such a thing is filmed (and no one would stop anyone who decides to film such just like Michael Moore did with 'Sicko' showing the state of health insurance in the US) in the developed world, it would become an election issue where parties and contestants would have to formulate policies to deal with such issues, it is unfortunate that in Nigeria it is rather the people who expose such things who get the heat rather than the government who should be making people's life better.
With all due respect to Prof. Wole Soyinka's person (and he is deserving of a lot of respect for how he has portrayed our country in a good light to the outside world), I think his call on this issue is wrong both from an art and journalistic perspective. We are no longer fighting colonialists presently but the evils of our own society of which we are lord and master and not the English who left us 50 years ago.

duduspace:

Nigerian reaction to issues like this always baffle me, yes the English press expose issue like this when they do affect their own society. The only difference is that if such a thing is filmed (and no one would stop anyone who decides to film such just like Michael Moore did with 'Sicko' showing the state of health insurance in the US) in the developed world, it would become an election issue where parties and contestants would have to formulate policies to deal with such issues, it is unfortunate that in Nigeria it is rather the people who expose such things who get the heat rather than the government who should be making people's life better.
With all due respect to Prof. Wole Soyinka's person (and he is deserving of a lot of respect for how he has portrayed our country in a good light to the outside world), I think his call on this issue is wrong both from an art and journalistic perspective. We are no longer fighting colonialists presently but the evils of our own society of which we are lord and master and not the English who left us 50 years ago.

Read Soyinka's response again.

He is not condemning them for showing it. He is condemning them for not showing a balanced view based on that title.

That is what some of us have been saying. Either:

1) Show a balance

OR

2) Don't use that title

Not that we object to showing Lagos poor, we object to the subconcious and indirect misrepresentation.

UpBendel are you getting it?

Logic?

My bad, totally forgot about you. You use conjectures, I use axioms. See my previous posts. The one about ignoring certain people when you identify them.

UpBendel:

My bad, totally forgot about you. You use conjectures, I use axioms. See my previous posts. The one about ignoring certain people when you identify them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfuN2DngNL4

As Nas said:

"Niggas fear what they don't understand, hate what they can't conquer
Guess it's just the fury of man
Became a monster, on top of the world, never fallin
I'm as real as they come, from day one, forever ballin . . . . .


. . . . . You can hate me now
C'mon niggas
But I won't stop now"

Sagamite:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfuN2DngNL4

As Nas said:

"Niggas fear what they don't understand, hate what they can't conquer
Guess it's just the fury of man
Became a monster, on top of the world, never fallin
I'm as real as they come, from day one, forever ballin . . . . .


. . . . . You can hate me now
C'mon niggas
But I won't stop now"

This is more appropriate:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjNTPPkU9KI