Sex sells, but why are we not buying?

In the aftermath of her outrightly scandalous twerking performance at the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards, 21-year-old pop sensation Miley Cyrus sold 90,000 digital downloads of her (then) new track Wrecking Ball, gained 226,273 new Facebook fans, 213,104 new Twitter followers and recorded a 112 per cent rise in her Twitter activity in only a matter of weeks.

For Miley, the incident was the culmination of a carefully calculated plan that bridged her transformation from the innocent and naive image of the Disney child star “Hannah Montana” which she had hitherto carried for years to one of the most overt sex symbols in the world today.

Just recently, socialite Kim Kardashian and rapper Kanye West brought Hollywood and most of America to a virtual standstill as they exchanged their nuptials in a much talked about affair that could easily have been mistaken for a state function.

Only month’s before, the duo had starred in a bizzarely steamy music video for Kanye’s mega-hit single Bound sparking waves of controversy across the globe.

Not that the two are in any way strangers to sexual controversy. For all his musical genius, Kanye has been known to consistently provoke the societal boundaries around almost everything and sex is no exception.

As for Kim, well, she turned a sex tape into a multi-million dollar family empire and while at it influenced an entire genre of entertainment forever; reality TV.

Meanwhile, the world was treated to a (not so rare) spectacle a couple of weeks ago when pop idol Rihanna strutted the 2014 Council of Fashion Designers of America Awards red carpet in a figure hugging sheer see-through dress and little else underneath stirring a storm of controversy around the world.

Notwithstanding, the self-proclaimed “good girl gone bad” went on to bag the “Fashion Icon Award” on the night and barely a week later was crowned the “Worlds Most Desirable Woman” courtesy of the 2014 Guys Choice Awards.

Quite frankly, it was just another day at the office for the award winning, Billboard chart topping “Riri”.

From old school flesh-flashers like Elizabeth Hurley to contemporary celebrity personalities such as Britney Spears, Usher and Shakira (there’s really not enough space or time to list them all), Hollywood is littered with colourful tales of celebrities peddling sex and sexuality to rise up the ladder of stardom.

Granted, some are more extreme than others, but when it comes to showbiz, the general consensus at least in Hollywood, is that “sex sells”. Statistically speaking, it’s pretty much an open and shut debate.

In Africa on the other hand, it’s not all that simple.

In the case of Nigerian songstress Tiwa Savage for example, the jury is yet to return with a ruling on whether her Wanted video should be declared a cultural catastrophe or officially crown her as the most daring female entertainer on the continent.

For what it’s worth though, she seems to be soaking in the attention by the gallons.

Scintillating performance

Upon her return to Nigeria from the MTV Africa Music Awards in South Africa where she not only gave a scintillating performance but also scooped the coveted “Female Artiste of the Year” award, Tiwa was greeted by swirling criticism surrounding the video which was described as “divisive”. Her response?

ARTISTIC LICENSE

“Being sexual is something we’re comfortable with behind closed doors but very uncomfortable with in public,” she told The Times of South Africa. “As artistes, we have the platform to do things that a lot of people might not be able to do.”

Her manager, who is also her husband, shared her sentiments, describing the video which had the musician dressed in a nude coloured outfit with gold high heels, as “an art and nothing more”.

One thing the video has proved, however, is its online popularity. In the midst of the debate on the appropriateness of it’s content, YouTube views continue to skyrocket clocking the half a million mark in just a couple of weeks. The resulting comments range from disgust, to shock, anger, applause, sorrow and other emotions in between.

Across our border in Tanzania, singer Shilole Noma and actor/TV presenter Wema Sepetu got the attention of President Jakaya Kikwete when they became the subject of debate in Parliament for “the negative potrayal of the woman”. Alongside rapper Ney wa Mitego, the two were slapped with a ban that bars them from performing at government events and a warning that threatens unclear consequences should their conduct persist.

Shilole is apparently “known for rewarding her male fans publicly during her performances” while Wema, who is currently dating Bongo superstar Diamond, was faulted for the raunchy photos with her beau doing rounds on the blogosphere.

Kenya’s Sauti Sol recently found themselves straddling the sexual tightrope following the release of their unconventional Nishike video drawing mixed reactions from various quarters.

But perhaps the most unanticipated was the backlash from some of their potential corporate sponsors who instantly dropped all dealings with the award-winning boy band citing a number of reasons top of which was the “unfriendly” evolution of their brand.

Never mind that their earlier evolution set them on a path to continental stardom with a nomination for “Group of The Year” at the 2014 MAMAs.

Even as Sauti Sol grapple with their prevailing situation, yet another Kenyan singer added a spanner to the works with the release of Sanaipei Tande’s sexually toned video for the single 'Mfalme wa Mapenzi'.

As far as sexuality goes, however, the Vera Sidika inspired breed of booty flaunting “socialites” have got to be the boldest promoters of the “fleshy fame” revolution in Kenya. Now every girl with a Facebook account and a derriere disorder feels sufficiently entitled to VIP status at the neighbourhood pub.

PUSHING THE ENVELOPE

Quite frankly, there have been worse. Thanks to Western media, images of sex and sexiness lie aplenty in celebville and any individual with an appetite for fame will find more than enough inspiration from the music videos, TV shows, magazines and movies not to mention the unlimited reservoir that is the internet.

On one hand, it is foolhardy for the conservative types to imagine that with all the Western influences surrounding our day to day lives, we would somehow escape the influx of a sex-driven entertainment culture. No amount of content bans, blacklisting or judgementalism will wish it away. If anything, it only stirs further curiosity on the subject.

On the contrary, it probably serves the preservationist agenda better to just let things play out on their own. The fact is, while many Kenyans are more permissive when it comes to foreign personalities, they react in the extreme opposite to similar situations that are closer home.

Think about it. Vera Sidika is criticised for being “fake” but many have no qualms with the Keeping up with the Kardashians packaged reality TV lifestyles.

Rihanna’s risqué fashion sense is admired locally in the magazine pages but Lillian Muli’s mildly seductive sense of style is rebuked. Sure, Kanye can curse in his lyrics, but anything close to it from Octopizzo would almost certainly alienate him from the airwaves.

Local audiences ogle at the acrobatic Jamaican dancers on an RDX music video but pulling a similar stunt on stage during his concert at KICC will instantly earn you a “ratchet” label. And it goes without say that sex tapes just don’t elicit the same outcomes locally as they would in Hollywood.

What the “envelope pushing” Kenyan (even African) celebrities (and wannabes) need to be cognisant of is that in these parts, they are the exception, not the norm. To expect that such audacity will be greeted with open arms is being ignorant of the market in which they operate. So by all means, feel free to explore new creative territories, but be ready to swallow the hard pills that follow.

More importantly, it’s essential to keep a clear focus about why and how you do what you do. It’s one thing to be seductive on stage and another to offer yourself for the crowds to grope and fondle.