POLITICAL UNPRECEDENTED HAPPENINGS IN GHANA

Strange things happened in the year 2012 and I would like to take this opportunity to update you on some of the unprecedented things that  that occurred this year. We have been through a lot as a nation. The year carried with it a lot of good as well as bad things. My year of unprecedented happenings started with the death of a sitting president. For the first time in Ghana, a sitting president died and his vice president was sworn in on the same day. His Excellency John Evans Atta Mills passed on the baton to his vice president John Dramani Mahama, on the 24^th of July after a short illness at the 37 Military Hospital in Accra. A lot of people wish to be president of this country one day, but how many have their dreams come through. His Excellence John Dramani Mahama now president elect of Ghana, left home for the office as a vice president in the morning; and returned home as the president of Ghana. Something that was unprecedented in this country. I must commend Ghanaians for the way they came together to give the late president Mills a befitting burial.

Another unprecedented thing that happened in this country, was the visit of the presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Addo Danquah  Akuffo Addo to the residence of ex. President Rawlings. His visit to the ex. President was to discuss issues that will ensure free and fair elections in the December polls. He also discussed matters that would ensure that Ghana will remain peaceful during and after the elections. This was the first time an opposition party has held a meeting with the other party to discuss matters like this. Again, I will take this opportunity to thank Nana Addo for such an act.  Some people however found it difficult to accept such kind gestures from the opposition as politics as usual is full to tricks. This was an unprecedented thing in the year 2012.

Still on politics, the political scene was taken over by one man called Hassan Ayariga. The presidential candidate of the PNC became a popular figure due to his jovial nature. We cannot bring the curtains of 2012 down without talking about Hasaan Ayariga. Indeed he changed the face of politics in Ghana from a rigid one to a much flexible one. When politicians mount the stage, they all talked seriously on the issues at hand.

Ayariga treated matters with a lot of flexibility and still managed to send his message across to Ghanaians.  He became the talk of the day and others could not help but design a mixture called “Ayaricough” in his honor. The year 2012 will always remember you Mr. Hassan Ayariga for your immense contribution of jokes and laughter that you placed on the faces of Ghanaians. This was unprecedented.

The unprecedented year did only take away a president but also a vice president, leaving Ghana with no living vice president. Former vice president of Ghana, your Excellence Alhaji Aliu Mahama died after he was taken ill and hospitalized at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra. Another beloved son of the land is gone and we seem to have lost all our former vice presidents.

Share your thoughts with me by writing the unprecedented things that happened in the year twenty 2012 which is not stated.

DO YOU AGREE THAT WOMEN ARE STEREOTYPED?

Using examples from local television programs and advertisements examine, “whether women are stereotype?” (Cardwell, 1966) Stereotype is defined as a fixed over generalized belief about a particular group or class of people. Many have accepted a belief based on the people involved.In Ghana, the Ewes are attributed to spiritual medicines, while the Gas’ are generalized to be radical people. The Krobo’s are also known for engaging in prostitution. This is something that has gone on for a long time and has eventually become a representation of the people. The media presentations of these tribes or people have played a vital role in these representations.Representation therefore refers to the way in which ideas, objects, people, groups and life forms are depicted by the mass media. In an attempt to find out whether women are stereotype or not, I took into consideration, some local television programmes and advertisements..On Saturday, the 10^th of November 2012, at 5pm, I observed a programme on TV3 network hosted by Babiee. The title of the programme created internal wrangles as to whether it was true or not, but universally accepted. The title of the programme is “Hot Gossip”. It is universally accepted that women are naturally gossips. This is the perception created when two or more ladies gather at one place to discuss an issue.The programme looked at stories, gossip or rumors naturally relating to people. Babiee, speculated that Nigerian artists, P. square had killed their mother. This hot gossip is linked to the notion that, the two brothers committed the ordeal after producing a clip with Rick Ross who happens to be a member for the free mason group. The story is actually false based on a statement released by the two brothers in response to the rumors going on in the media.The programme “Hot gossip” also covered a story on an American hip-hop artist Snoop Dog. Reports from the programme say, he had changed his name to Snoop Lion after several killing scandals. The programme which is also hosted by a woman had already created the impression that, indeed women are gossips and good at fabricating stories.Indeed, I could not agree more with (Cardwell: 1996) that stereotype becomes a fixed over generalized idea or belief about a particular group of people. Even though some of the stories on the programme “Hot Gossip” were discarded by the people involved, some happened to be true. A story about Ghanaian hip-life artist Samini making a claim that, Rastafarians who eat meat should not be accepted as Rastafarians. Though this is a rumor from the camp of some ladies, it is true. I therefore believe that the perception about ladies being gossips is true. In the olden days, women were relegated to the kitchen. The “Onga Food Tour” was also shown on TV3 network and was hosted by Moon, a woman. The program was aired on Sunday the 10^th of November 2012, at 5:30pm. The thirty minutes programme was hosted in the Brong Ahafo region, Berekum to be precise.The person invited to prepare the meal was a woman. The representation and history of the programme revealed to me that, only women were invited to cook on the programme.The stereotype that, women are good when it comes to cooking cannot be erased. Some people can therefore not discard the notion that a woman’s place is always in the kitchen.The programme enlightened us to accept the idea that, women are the best when it comes to cooking. You can try and argue about this fact, but the ladies are good when it comes to cooking. Some are also worst. Linking the “Onga food tour” programme to the “Onga shrimp” advert, women are always the people in the kitchen cooking. This caused me to accept the fact that, it is women’s responsibility to cook in the house.A good view at “Kiss” advert, clearly shows that the young man and woman were not married. In the first scene, the young woman portrayed a character of rejection of the young man, who may be the boyfriend for not having a condom. But after the young man was advised to use “kiss” condom, the young woman was satisfied after sex and seen to be very happy in the next scene. The advert therefore confirms the stereotyped perception that, women are always happy when their men are able to satisfy them sexually. Is that true? In an attempt to look at whether women are stereotypes, I considered the “Maggie” spaghetti advert. In this advert, a woman was cooking whilst her husband watched a football match on television. When the food was well cooked, the man was served but his concentration was still on the football match. The facial expression on the woman’s face showed that, she was not happy with her husband’s behavior  The man switched off the television set and suddenly the woman smiled and sat next to him. I can vehemently say that women are stereotyped and will always like their husbands to concentrate on them when it comes to issues concerning them.The media, through various means stereotypes women.  From the television programs and adverts elaborated, women were being fixed in a permanent character; through gossip, always in the kitchen cooking, requesting for sexual satisfaction in bed and feeling bad when their husbands reject their cooked meals. These acts in nature are common to all genders; males and females, but why then should the media represent women in such a manner? This type of stereotype has gone on for so many years and is now a representation of women. Have your say on this topic.