Taylor Swift is Dreaming of a Very White Africa

[josieposy]

www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2015/09/01/436653602/taylor-swift-is-dreaming-of-a-very-white-africa


The video for American singer Taylor Swift's new song "Wildest Dreams" has been viewed more than ten million times in the two days since it debuted.



The video was shot in Africa and California.



In it, we see two beautiful white people falling in love while surrounded by vast expanses of beautiful African landscapes and beautiful animals — a lion, a giraffe, a zebra.



Taylor Swift is dressed as a colonial-era woman on African soil. With just a few exceptions, the cast in the video — the actors playing her boyfriend and a movie director and his staff — all appear to be white.



We are shocked to think that in 2015, Taylor Swift, her record label and her video production group would think it was okay to film a video that presents a glamorous version of the white colonial fantasy of Africa. Of course, this is not the first time that white people have romanticized colonialism: See Louis Vuitton's 2014 campaign, Ernest Hemingway's Snows of Kilimanjaro, the 1962 film Lawrence of Arabia and of course Karen Blixen's memoir Out of Africa.



But it still stings.



Here are some facts for Swift and her team: Colonialism was neither romantic nor beautiful. It was exploitative and brutal. The legacy of colonialism still lives quite loudly to this day. Scholars have argued that poor economic performance, weak property rights and tribal tensions across the continent can be traced to colonial strategies. So can other woes. In a place full of devastation and lawlessness, diseases spreads like wildfire, conflict breaks out and dictators grab power.



Swift's "Wildest Dreams" are a visual representation of what the Kenyan author Binyavanga Wainaina writes about in his Granta Magazine essay, "How to Write About Africa."



"In your text, treat Africa as if it were one country. It is hot and dusty with rolling grasslands and huge herds of animals and tall, thin people who are starving. Or it is hot and steamy with very short people who eat primates. Don't get bogged down with precise descriptions. Africa is big: fifty-four countries, 900 million people who are too busy starving and dying and warring and emigrating to read your book. The continent is full of deserts, jungles, highlands, savannahs and many other things, but your reader doesn't care about all that, so keep your descriptions romantic and evocative and unparticular."



Why be encumbered with the African people or show them in your "Wildest Dreams" video when they are busy mutilating each other and their genitals?



The bigger problem is that many Americans have never had an African history lesson. So we don't totally blame Taylor Swift, but the people behind the video should have done a little more research. They should have wondered how Africans would react.



To those of us from the continent who had parents or grandparents who lived through colonialism (and it can be argued in some cases are still living through it), this nostalgia that privileged white people have for colonial Africa is awkwardly confusing to say the least and offensive to say the most. Alison Swank in her critique of the 1985 movie Out of Africa explains it well when she considers the character of Karen Blixen, portrayed by Meryl Streep: "The nostalgia her character creates for a time when an elegant, strong white woman could run a farm in Africa covers up the ugliness of that {colonial] idea. It undermines key colonial truths, like the fact that her 'strength,' or privilege, relies on the colonial order."



Across the continent, we are in the middle of an exciting African boom and a technologicaland leadership renaissance of sorts, led by the children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren of the formerly colonized and enslaved. Waterfalls and mountains and majestic animals do not represent a full picture of our homelands.



Swift's music is entertaining for many. She should absolutely be able to use any location as a backdrop. But she packages our continent as the backdrop for her romantic songs devoid of any African person or storyline, and she sets the video in a time when the people depicted by Swift and her co-stars killed, dehumanized and traumatized millions of Africans. That is beyond problematic.



And then she decided to donate the proceeds from advertisements linked to her video to the charity African Parks Foundation of America. If you travel to some of Africa's parks, you'll see the rangers and guides are black Africans.



So why not show them in the video?

[Michelle]

wrapped up that ammo for Nicki Manaj with a pretty bow, didn't she?

[summer]

"The video was shot in Africa..." I really had to read no further than this to know this is gonna be no bueno.

[meggers5]

There are few things that annoy Fi more than people talking about Africa as though it was one big country.

[taratru]

I am having a hard time with this. I watched it and it's a video about a dumb ass actress in the 40s who happens to be filming in Africa when she decides to bang a married guy and then is sad that he stays with his wife, featuring bad acting by Taylor Swift. I'm wondering how that narrative was supposed to address the many landscapes of the continent or the racial struggles?

I agree that the proceeds statement is...weird. Do music videos create revenue?

[foundmylazybum]

Sept 1, 2015 18:40:36 GMT -5 taratru said:

I am having a hard time with this. I watched it and it's a video about a dumb ass actress in the 40s who happens to be filming in Africa when she decides to bang a married guy and then is sad that he stays with his wife, featuring bad acting by Taylor Swift. I'm wondering how that narrative was supposed to address the many landscapes of the continent or the racial struggles?

I agree that the proceeds statement is...weird. Do music videos create revenue?

I dont know if this directly answers your question but they were discussing this on E news today and they just said it was important that if a video was filmed in Africa then use local labor forces to bring revenue to the country. Things like camera people, lighting, makeup, catering etc. I thought it was a good point.

[tacosforlife]

I am usually a T. Swifty defender, but eek. This does not sound good.

[ksun]

I'm in agreement with taratru - you have to see the video to understand it a little better. Were there many Africans (in Africa) working in film in the 40's so that you would expect to see them behind the scenes? (I don't know, that's why I'm asking). I actually think it's a bit of a reach.

[pixy0stix]

So I watched it, with sound off because no.

That definitely definitely is a depiction of white colonialism in Africa, right down to the romanticization on the big screen.

Too bad the lion didn't get her.

[ksun]

Obviously I know that Africans "engage in the arts", but I don't know what the film culture of Africa in the 1940's was, that's why I asked. It wasn't said to be offensive to anyone, and if I did offend I apologize.

[ksun]

Tulo, and no. But he doesn't mind wearing this one.

[meshaliuknits]

Sept 1, 2015 22:30:26 GMT -5 ksun said:

Tulo, and no. But he doesn't mind wearing this one.

He needs a Deadpool.

[nsl]

Sept 1, 2015 22:26:28 GMT -5 ksun said:

Obviously I know that Africans "engage in the arts", but I don't know what the film culture of Africa in the 1940's was, that's why I asked. It wasn't said to be offensive to anyone, and if I did offend I apologize.

I don't think that quibbling over historical accuracy of 1940's white film culture in Africa is the point here.

[Deleted]

I just had to watch an ad for the Apple Watch to get to the video, so I'd guess that yes, videos do create revenue.

Oh, Taylor. You could do better.

[Deleted]

Sept 1, 2015 18:32:24 GMT -5 toledo said:

This will be AW's kids someday. "Who needs African history?"

Lol

My 8 yo can accurately label 80% of the countries in Africa on a blank map. Doubtful yours can.

[pixy0stix]

Sept 2, 2015 9:28:14 GMT -5 lurkingaw said:

Sept 1, 2015 18:32:24 GMT -5 toledo said:

This will be AW's kids someday. "Who needs African history?"

Lol

My 8 yo can accurately label 80% of the countries in Africa on a blank map. Doubtful yours can.

That's not the point she was making. Will your kid be able to pick up the nuances of white colonialism in the countries of Africa, and how that shaped the continent and cultures as it now stands?

As you said yourself, rote memorization doesn't prove anything.

[Deleted]

Sept 2, 2015 9:35:49 GMT -5 toledo said:

Sept 2, 2015 9:28:14 GMT -5 lurkingaw said:

Lol

My 8 yo can accurately label 80% of the countries in Africa on a blank map. Doubtful yours can.

I guess we'll take your word for it.

I'm sure you also have one of these hanging in your dining room. 

[Deleted]

This is only somewhat related but I had the same thought when we went to Animal Kingdom in Disney World. I forget what they called it but they have a section for India that romanticizes the English Raj. There is a restaurant (the Yak and Yeti) with old photos of colonial officials on the walls. There was a drink/snack cart with the word sahib in its name. I thought that was so weird! And stranger that no one has complained (that I've heard of).

[redheadk]

The very fact that you are using your kid's labeled map of Africa, and going so far as to post it, actually solidifies the idea that your kid isn't learning about the impact of white colonialism in Africa. After all, if you had something better as proof, you surely would have taken a picture of that instead of whoring your kid's random map around as if it was meaningful.

[Deleted]

Sept 2, 2015 10:06:31 GMT -5 redheadk said:

The very fact that you are using your kid's labeled map of Africa, and going so far as to post it, actually solidifies the idea that your kid isn't learning about the impact of white colonialism in Africa. After all, if you had something better as proof, you surely would have taken a picture of that instead of whoring your kid's random map around as if it was meaningful.

My child turned 8 this month. Are you telling me that the school systems are teaching 8 yos about white colonialism in Africa? Doubtful. Those are concepts for much older learners.

We are on a six year rotation with the continents. Last year we covered Africa and my kids learned about the history, landmarks, major religions, and customs of each country on that map. They did one country each week and wrote a report about it. Six years from now those reports will be much more in depth than they are for a second-grader.

I posted the map in response to the comments that my kids will be like people who think of Africa as one big country. And also to show that mt kids are leaps and bounds ahead of publically schooled kids in this area.

For anyone interested in teaching social studies to elementary school kids, mine have loved Peter Menzel's books Hungry Planet and Material World. They gave been a great starting point for us. The public library also had great book selections on individual countries. I let you know this because I know the public schools are not covering this info and it might be helpful if you want to supplement for your elementary school kids.

[pixy0stix]

Again, you're missing the point. It's problematic when the implied connotation is that you will not teach your children about the social impacts, and you prove the point by saying, "Nuh uh! They know the geography!"

Two separate and distinct things going on there.

[Deleted]

Sept 2, 2015 10:20:03 GMT -5 Lucy Honeychurch said:

Look, lurkingaw, can we please NOT make this another pissing contest about fucking homeschooling? Jesus. (pun)

[

Sure. When other posters stop dragging it into the threads.

[lg28]

lurkingaw I think your kids map is awesome.

[lg28]

Sept 2, 2015 10:20:03 GMT -5 Lucy Honeychurch said:

Look, lurkingaw, can we please NOT make this another pissing contest about fucking homeschooling? Jesus. (pun)

To be fair, someone else brought it up. I would have come to defend myself too if I was lurkingaw

[Deleted]

Sept 2, 2015 10:21:24 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

Again, you're missing the point. It's problematic when the implied connotation is that you will not teach your children about the social impacts, and you prove the point by saying, "Nuh uh! They know the geography!"

Two separate and distinct things going on there.

Once again, I posted in response to the idea that my kids will think Africa is one big country. I, unlike other parents, am currentlt laying the groundwork by teaching geography. One dat when they are ready for higher level history courses they will already understand the geography and basic histories of the region.

But whatever. I'm sure the public schools are doing a better job.

[lg28]

Let's bring this back to the TS.
I'm sure she didn't mean to do anything "wrong", but I think that's part of the problem right there. No one on her team of people went, "wait a minute! Something isn't right!"

[pixy0stix]

Sept 2, 2015 10:25:45 GMT -5 lurkingaw said:

Sept 2, 2015 10:21:24 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

Again, you're missing the point. It's problematic when the implied connotation is that you will not teach your children about the social impacts, and you prove the point by saying, "Nuh uh! They know the geography!"

Two separate and distinct things going on there.

Once again, I posted in response to the idea that my kids will think Africa is one big country. I, unlike other parents, am currentlt laying the groundwork by teaching geography. One dat when they are ready for higher level history courses they will already understand the geography and basic histories of the region.

But whatever. I'm sure the public schools are doing a better job.

Please, let's keep missing the point while taking over the thread with your white children's education woes.

[miniroller]

Sorry to get back to the OP, but what scares me the most about this video is that as a 15-year-old from a non-racially-diverse small town, I probably would've fallen in love with the romanticism of this ridiculous video. Current-day miniroller wants to puke to this. But it reminds me how ignorant & naive her prime audience is/can be, which makes this slightly more frightening than disgusting in my eyes.
*and sorry I'm just spelling out what I'm sure was implied/ assumed by many pp's. Just kind of seemed like it might help to be written out directly

[heyjude]

There has never been a more perfect name for a poster than AW. Every thread, even a thread about white colonialism in Africa becomes about her.

[heyjude]

Sept 2, 2015 10:33:29 GMT -5 heyjude said:

There has never been a more perfect name for a poster than AW. Every thread, even a thread about white colonialism in Africa becomes about her.

And I think her attitude in all these threads encapsulates everything wrong with homeschooling. "It's all about me."