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OPINION: Nudity And Social Consciousness

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To blankly imitate a dressing from an American or a Nigerian celebrity without putting one’s social reality in context, (expecting to be accorded the same dignity those stars are accorded) is a form of self-deception.

Recently, concerns have been raised about the rampant display of nudes from youths in Nigeria (as mistakenly released sex tape or dressing). Many have wondered how youths easily imitate nude dressings of celebrities, home and abroad, to either chase clout or for some unknown reason. In a popular all-ladies television breakfast show, the ladies expressed their views individually. Some of them were of the opinion that Nigeria has no clearly defined culture which makes it easy for Hollywood and celebrities to set the dressing standard for them.

A recent example was cited of how a BBNaija housemate imitated Rihanna’s dressing, sparking conversations in Nigeria about what should be acceptable and not. Some ladies insisted that it is the advocacy for a non-judgemental society that has given room to wayward behaviours amongst youths.

Nudity is culturally complex as its meanings emerge from various states of undress in different social situations. It is the state of being in which a human is without clothing or specifically not covering the genitals. In any particular society, these meanings are defined with being properly dressed, not concerning the specific body parts being exposed. Nudity and clothing are connected to many cultural categories such as identity, privacy, social status, and moral behaviour.

Throughout much of history until the beginning of the modern era, people were unclothed in public by necessity or convenience either when engaged in effortful activity, including labour and athletics; or when bathing or swimming. The traditional dress may include nudity, or both women and men being bare-chested.

One would imagine that the exposure of a woman’s breast and genitals would attract men sexually to them, but on the contrary, the parameters for sexual attraction differ from those of the civilized.

In the colonial era, Christian and Muslim cultures more frequently encountered the indigenous peoples of the tropics who used clothing for decorative or ceremonial purposes but were often nude, having no concept of shame regarding the body; thus, the habitual use of clothing only began with civilization though, till date, there are a few tribes like the Koma tribe in Nigeria that scantily cover their nakedness with leaves and kick against clothing as a form of kicking against civilisation. One would imagine that the exposure of a woman’s breast and genitals would attract men sexually to them, but on the contrary, the parameters for sexual attraction differ from those of the civilized.

With the knowledge of the history of clothing and understanding of the peculiarity of nudity to different cultures, social consciousness becomes a key quality to be imbibed by individuals of every society. Social consciousness is a consciousness shared by individuals within a society. It is linked to collective self-awareness and the experience of collectively shared social identity. In Nigeria where most parts are civilized, our conventional dressing moral is to cover up the breast (as women), chest (as men), genitals, and parts closest to these areas like the belly button, cleavage, lap, and the likes. In certain contexts though, such as parties, modeling, and the likes, dressing otherwise seems to be unspokenly permissible. This could be a signal as to why a celebrity (secular artists) in Nigeria would adorn themselves in a nude way and be overlooked, whereas another person who, outside the context of such a dressing, would be highly criticized for putting on such.

Social consciousness is a consciousness shared by individuals within a society. It is linked to collective self-awareness and the experience of collectively shared social identity.

Our identity as a society, no matter how independent we fight to be, individually, governs our dressing conducts in various contexts. To blankly imitate a dressing from an American or a Nigerian celebrity without putting one’s social reality in context, (expecting to be accorded the same dignity those stars are accorded) is a form of self-deception. We should, in every society and context, hold up social consciousness. Freedom is not unintelligence.

♦ Favour Chiagozie Ebubechukwu is an Editorial  Staff Writer and columnist with the WAP

 

 

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Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired

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LOS ANGELES (AP) — A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.

In the suit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, Emilio Garcia said that after a night out in 2022 in Ibiza, Spain, he was in an SUV with the hip-hop star when she began having sex with another woman right next to him. He was unable to get out of the moving car, and would have been in the middle of nowhere in a foreign country even if he was able. Garcia was “embarrassed, mortified and offended throughout the whole ordeal,” according to the lawsuit.

Alex Spiro, Megan’s lawyer, said she would fight the lawsuit in court.

“This is an employment claim for money — with no sexual harassment claim filed and with salacious accusations to attempt to embarrass her,” Spiro said.

The next day Megan told Garcia never to discuss what he saw and berated and fat-shamed him, the lawsuit said. The complaint also said Garcia, who had already considered quitting because he was overworked and underpaid in a hostile work environment aggravated by Megan’s possessiveness and abusiveness, was misclassified as an independent contractor but treated as an exclusive employee.

Garcia raised those issues in the conversation with Megan, and was fired the following day after four years of working for her, the suit said. He has since filed a job discrimination complaint with the California Civil Rights Department.

The lawsuit, first reported by NBC News, names as defendants Megan, whose legal name is Megan Pete; her companies Megan Thee Stallion Entertainment and Hot Girl Touring; and her label, Roc Nation. A defense response has yet to be filed. There was no immediate response to an email seeking comment from a representative of Roc Nation.

Garcia is seeking financial damages to be determined at trial, alleging he has suffered severely both emotionally and physically because of his treatment on the job, the firing and having to witness the scene in the SUV.

Megan, 29, was previously involved in major legal drama — and underwent a torrent of online abuse — as the victim of a shooting by rapper Tory Lanez, who a jury found fired at her feet on a street in the Hollywood Hills in 2020. She testified at the trial where jurors convicted Lanez of three felonies and a judge sentenced him to 10 years in prison.

Already a major rising artist at the time of the shooting, Megan has since become one of hip-hop’s biggest stars. She won a Grammy for best new artist in 2021, and she had No. 1 singles with “Savage,” featuring Beyoncé, and as a guest on Cardi B’s “WAP.”

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Body of O.J. Simpson to be cremated this week; brain will not be studied for CTE

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April 15 (UPI) — The body of O.J. Simpson, who died last week at the age of 76, is to be cremated, a lawyer representing the ex-football superstar’s estate said, adding his brain will not be donated for research.

Malcolm LaVergne, Simpson’s longtime attorney and executor, told the New York Post that his client’s body is to be cremated Tuesday in Las Vegas.

He said Simpson’s family also gave a “hard no” to scientists seeking to examine the former running back’s brain for chronic traumatic encephalopathy, which is better known as CTE.

CTE is a rare and little understood brain disorder that is likely caused by repeated blows to the head. According to the Mayo Clinic, CTE results in the death of nerve cells in the brain and the only way to definitively diagnose it is with an autopsy of the organ after death.

Memory and thinking problems, confusion, personality changes and erratic behavior, including aggression, depression and suicidal ideation, are among CTE’s symptoms, the Alzheimer’s Association said.

The disease has been found in those who play contact sports, including football and hockey.

LaVergne confirmed to NBC News on Sunday that at least one person has called seeking Simpson’s brain.

“His entire body, including his brain, will be cremated,” he said.

Simpson died Wednesday following a battle with cancer.

Known by the nickname “The Juice,” Simpson was a NFL superstar during the 1970s, which made him a household name that propelled him into film and television during the next decade.

But his stardom would come crashing down in the mid-1990s when he was accused of killing his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman.

His high-profile trial lasted months, but ended with his acquittal.

In 2008, he was found guilty on a dozen charges, including kidnapping and armed robbery, and was paroled in 2017 after serving nine years of his 33-year sentence.

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Houston’s Urban South Brewery Celebrates Fourth Anniversary

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Urban South Brewery Houston will host its upcoming Anniversary Party from Friday, April 5 through Sunday, April 7, in the HTX Taproom, starting at 11 AM, celebrating four years of crafting exceptional brews and fostering community culture. This milestone event will be an exciting day featuring live music, food, activities, and a vendor market.

Beer enthusiasts are also in for a treat with the release of four exclusive anniversary specialty beers. Highlights include “Press Start,” a crafted Czech Pale Lager brewed in collaboration with Parleaux Beer Lab. Additionally, beer fans can indulge in “Level Up,” an Old-Fashioned Cocktail Sour Ale infused with orange peel, Luxardo cherry syrup, and subtle bourbon barrel notes. The offerings continue with “High Score,” a robust Double IPA bursting with flavors of Mosaic, Citra, and Chinook hops, and “Game Over,” a decadent Neapolitan Ice Cream Stout layered with strawberry fruit, Tahitian vanilla bean, and milk chocolate.

To make the celebration even more memorable, fans can pre-order an Exclusive 8-Bit Beer Box featuring the four-anniversary specialty beers (Press Start, Level Up, High Score, Game Over), a 16oz can-shaped Silipint with discounted refills, and 2 tokens redeemable for draft beer.

The Anniversary Party is open to the public, welcoming families and furry friends. Urban South Brewery invites everyone to join in the festivities and toast to four years of brewing excellence.

For more information on Urban South’s Anniversary Celebration, follow the Houston taproom on Instagram and Facebook.

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