Ngaba Umabonwakude Ukuguqule?

‘OWONA mthombo weendaba uphambili ehlabathini.’ Leyo yindlela aye wachazwa ngayo umabonwakude. Kwincwadi ethi Tube of Plenty​—⁠The Evolution of American Television, umbhali uErik Barnouw uthi ekuqaleni kweminyaka yee-1960, “kwinkoliso yabantu [umabonwakude] waba ngowona mthombo weendaba uphambili ehlabathini. Imbono owawuyinikela yayibonakala iyeyehlabathi lonke. Babewuthembe gqitha njengothetha inyaniso nongasokuze uxoke.”

Noko ke, imifanekiso emibala-bala oyiboniswa kumabonwakude, okanye indlela eboniswa ngayo, ilawulwa ngabantu abavelisa imiboniso kamabonwakude. Imifanekiso enjalo iyayiguqula ingcamango yakho nezigqibo ozenzayo ngokuphathelele oko ukubukelayo. Kwanolona sasazo-ndaba ndawonye namaphepha asemthethweni angenamkhethe angamaxhoba empembelelo enjalo eyinkohliso, kungakhathaliseki ukuba oko akwenziwa ngaloo njongo.a

Umkhohlisi Omkhulu

Noko ke, ngokufuthi gqitha, abantu abalawula umabonwakude bazama ukubaphembelela ngokupheleleyo ababukeli. Ngokomzekelo, xa bebhengeza okuthile, phantse babe nelungelo elikhululekileyo lokusebenzisa naliphi na iqhinga elilukuhlayo kwigunya labo lokukuhendela ukuze ube nomoya wokuthenga. Ibala. Umculo. Abantu abahle. Umnqweno ozingisileyo wesini. Imiboniso emihle. Bavelisa okuninzi, ibe oku bakusebenzisa ngokuchuliweyo.

Owayesakuba ngumalathisi kwizibhengezo wabhala wenjenje ngeminyaka yakhe eli-15 kumsebenzi wakhe: “Ndafunda ukuba yinto enokwenzeka ukuthetha emoyeni [njengakumabonwakude] nabantu ngokuthe ngqo wandule ke, njengabanye balapha ehlabathini abanamandla obugqi ushiye imifanekiso ezingqondweni zabo enokubangela abantu ukuba benze oko bebengenakuze bacinge ukukwenza.”

Into yokuba umabonwakude unamandla asongela ngolo hlobo ebantwini yayisele icacile kwiminyaka yee-1950. Inkampani yelipstick eyayisenza imali engangee-R125 000 ngonyaka yaqalisa ukwenza izibhengezo kumabonwakude eUnited States. Kwiminyaka emibini, intengiso ngokukhawulezileyo yenyukela kwimali engangee-R11 750 000 ngonyaka! Ngokukhawuleza ibhanki ethile yazaliswa yimali engangee-R37 500 000 ngokwezavenge emva kokuba ibhengeze oko inokukwenzela abantu kwinkqubo kamabonwakude ethandwa gqitha ngabafazi.

Namhlanje, ummi oqhelekileyo waseMerika ubukela iinkqubo zezorhwebo ezingaphezu kwama-32 000 nyaka ngamnye. Ezi zibhengezo ziyazilukuhla iimvakalelo zabantu. Kunjengokuba uMark Crispin Miller wabhalayo kwincwadi ethi Boxed In​—⁠The Culture of TV: “Liyinyaniso elokuba siyakhohliswa koko sikubukelayo. Iinkqubo zezorhwebo ezingena kubomi bemihla ngemihla zisiphembelela ngokuzingisileyo.” Wongezelela esithi, le nkohliso “iyingozi ngokukhethekileyo kuba ngokufuthi kunzima ukuyiqonda, ibe ngoko ayiyi kusilela de sifunde indlela esinokuyiqonda ngayo.”

Kodwa umabonwakude uthengisa okungakumbi kunelipstick, iingcamango ezingokwezobupolitika nendlela abantu abaphila ngayo. Ukwathengisa ukuziphatha kakuhle​—⁠okanye ukungaziphathi kakuhle.

Umabonwakude Nokuziphatha

Bambalwa abantu abebeya kumangaliswa kukwazi ukuba ukuziphatha okungokwesini kuboniswa ngakumbi nangakumbi ngokuthe rhoqo kumabonwakude eMerika. Kuhlolisiso olwapapashwa ngowe-1989 kwiJournalism Quarterly kwafunyaniswa ukuba kwiiyure ezingama-66 zangokuhlwa kwijelo likamabonwakude, kwakukho iziganeko ezingama-722 zokuziphatha okungokwesini, enoba kwakuboniswa, kubhekiselwa kuko ngamazwi, okanye kuboniswa ngokoqobo ngomfanekiso. Imizekelo yoku isusela ekuphathaphathaneni okuvuselela iinkanuko zesini ukusa kwiintlobano zaso, ukuphulula amaphambili, ubufanasini nombulo. Umlinganiselo wawuziziganeko ezili-10,94 yure nganye!

IUnited States asilolizwe elahlukileyo kwamanye amazwe ngalo mbandela. Imifanekiso eshukumayo eveliswa kumabonwakude eFransi ibonisa indlela yokuziphatha ngokwesini engafanelekanga ngokucacileyo. Kumabonwakude waseItali kuboniswa abantu abakhulula bahambe ze. Umabonwakude odlala ezinzulwini zobusuku eSpeyin ubonisa imiboniso eshukumayo enogonyamelo nevuselela iinkanuko zesini. Iingxelo ezinjengezi zinokuqhubeka zingapheli ndawo.

Ugonyamelo lolunye uhlobo lokuziphatha okubi okuqhubeka kumabonwakude. EUnited States, umhlalutyi kamabonwakude kwiphephancwadi iTime kutshanje wayincoma “imiboniso ehlekisayo nebalekis’ umzimba” kwiqela leenkqubo ezoyikisayo. Olu ngcelele lwemifanekiso eshukumayo lwabonisa imiboniso yokunqunyulwa kwabantu iintloko, ukwenzakaliswa kwabantu, ukubethelelwa kwabantu ezibondeni nokuphathwa kwabantu ziidemon. Kambe ke, ugonyamelo olungakumbi oluboniswa kumabonwakude alothusi kangako​—⁠ibe ngokulula luthatyathwa njengento engenamsebenzi. Xa umabonwakude waseNtshona waboniswayo kutshanje kwidolophana yasemaphandleni eCôte d’Ivoire, eNtshona Afrika, enye indoda esele ikhulile edidekileyo yabuza nje oku: “Kutheni abamhlophe besoloko behlabana, bedubulana kwaye bebethana nje?”

Kakade ke, impendulo ikukuba, abalawuli-zinkqubo nabo baxhasa iinkqubo zikamabonwakude ngemali bafuna ukunika ababukeli oko bafuna ukukubona. Ugonyamelo luyabatsala ababukeli. Nesini senjenjalo. Ngoko umabonwakude ubonisa iinxalenye ezininzi zezi zinto zombini​—⁠kodwa kungekhona kakhulu gqitha kungekhona nangokukhawuleze gqitha, okanye ababukeli abayi kutsaleleka. Kunjengokuba uDonna McCrohan ekubeka oku ngale ndlela kwiPrime Time, Our Time: “Inkoliso yemiboniso eshukumayo ephambili igabadela kangangoko inako ekusebenziseni intetho ebolileyo, isini, ugonyamelo okanye umbandela oyintloko yandule ke, yakuba igabadele, itsibe ilitye likaPhungela de abantu baqhele ukudlula ngaphaya kwemida. Ekugqibeleni, abantu sele belungele enye into entsha.”

Ngokomzekelo, umbandela wobufanasini wakhe wagqalwa ungongaphaya ‘komda’ othandwayo kumabonwakude. Kodwa bathi ababukeli bakuba beqhelene nawo, bakulungela ukwamkela okungakumbi. Ulindixesha waseFransi wathi: “Akukho mlawuli-nkqubo obeya kuze abonise ubufanasini njengento enxaxhileyo namhlanje . . . Kunoko libutho labantu nendlela eliye lakwamkela ngayo oku okungaqhelekanga.” Kumabonwakude onecable eMerika, ‘umdlalo obonisa ubufanasini oqhutywa ngokweziqendu [soap opera]’ wawudlala kwizixeko ezili-11 ngowe-1990. Le nkqubo yavelisa imiboniso yamadoda elele kunye. Umlawuli-nkqubo walo mboniso ushukumayo waxelela iphephancwadi iNewsweek ukuba imiboniso enjalo yayenziwe ngamafanasini “ukuze kuqhelaniswe ababukeli noku ukuze abantu baqonde ukuba sifana naye wonke umntu.”

Into Eqikelelwayo Ngokuchasene Noko Kuyinyaniso

Ababhali bohlolisiso ekwanikelwa ingxelo ngalo kwiJournalism Quarterly bathi ekubeni umabonwakude engakhe abonise imiphumo yeentlobano zesini esingekho mthethweni, ‘ijelo lakhe elingaguqukiyo elisibonakalisa isini njengonobangela woyolo, liphelela ekubeni lelithetha okungeyonyaniso. Bacaphula olunye uhlolisiso kulo ekwagqitywa kwelokuba naphezu kwako konke imidlalo eqhutywa ngokweziqendu (soap operas) eqhubeka kumabonwakude idlulisela esi sigidimi: Isini siyinto elungiselelwe amaqabane angatshatanga, ibe akukho mntu ufumana sifo kuso.

Ngaba elo lihlabathi elinjengokuba ulazi? Ngaba iintlobano zesini ngaphambi komtshato aziphumeli ekumitheni kwabakwishumi elivisayo okanye kwizifo ezidluliselwa ngeentlobano zesini? Ngaba ubufanasini nokutyekela kwizini zozibini akuphumeli kuloyiko lokwasulelwa nguGawulayo? Ngaba ugonyamelo nomonakalo wangabom awushiyi amagorha oyisile namatshijolo ehlazisiwe​—⁠kodwa ngokufuthi amagorha kwanamatshijolo aphume engenawo nomkrwelo? Umabonwakude uvelisa ihlabathi apho izenzo zithi ngokonwabisayo zingabi namiphumo. Imithetho yesazela, eyokuziphatha neyokuzeyisa ithatyathelwa indawo ngumthetho wolwaneliseko olukhawulezileyo.

Ngokucacileyo, umabonwakude ‘awunguwo owona mthombo uphambili weendaba ehlabathini’​—⁠ubuncinane akunjalo kwihlabathi lokwenene. Enyanisweni, incwadi yakutshanje ethetha ngomabonwakude ibizwa ngokuba yiThe Unreality Industry (Urhwebo Ngezinto Ezingeyonyaniso). Ababhali bayo bathi umabonwakude uye “waba yenye yeempembelelo ezinamandla ebomini bethu. Umphumo ukukuba umabonwakude akachazi kuphela oko kuyinyaniso, kodwa okubaluleke nokuphazamisa nangakumbi kukuba, umabonwakude ushenxisa loo mahluko kanye, loo mgca kanye, uphakathi kwento eyinyaniso nengeyonyaniso.”

La mazwi asenokuvakala esothusa kwabo bacinga ukuba bakhuselekile kwimpembelelo kamabonwakude. Bambi baphikisa ngelithi, ‘Andikholelwa nanye into endiyibonayo.’ Kuyavunywa ukuba, sisenokutyekela ekubeni singamthembi umabonwakude. Kodwa iingcali zilumkisa ngelokuba amathandabuzo angokwemveli asenokungasikhuseli kwiindlela ezichuliweyo umabonwakude axhaphaza ngazo iimvakalelo zethu. Kunjengokuba omnye umbhali ekubeka oku ngale ndlela: “Elinye lawona maqhinga kamabonwakude kukuba akaze abonise ubungakanani bendlela achaphazela ngayo iingqondo zethu.”

Umatshini Onempembelelo

Ngokutsho kwe-1990 Britannica Book of the Year, abemi baseMerika babukela, ngokomlinganiselo, umabonwakude kangangeeyure ezisixhenxe ezinemizuzu emibini yonke le mihla. Uqikelelo olungazibaxiyo izinto lubonisa ukuba kangangeeyure ezimbini ngemini, kodwa oko bekuya kuthi sekunjalo kufikelele kwiminyaka esixhenxe yokubukela umabonwakude ebomini! Belinokusilela njani ithamo elikhulu kangako likamabonwakude ekubeni nomphumo othile ebantwini?

Ibonakala ingamangalisi into yokufunda ngabantu abanengxaki ekwahluleni phakathi komabonwakude noko kuyinyaniso. Kuhlolisiso olwapapashwa kulindixesha waseBritani iMedia, Culture and Society kwafunyaniswa ukuba umabonwakude ngokwenene uphembelela abantu abathile ukuba babe “nombono owahlukileyo ngehlabathi lokwenene,” ubakhohlisela ekucingeni ukuba iminqweno yabo ngoko kuyinyaniso ngokwenene iyinyaniso. Olunye uhlolisiso, njengolo luhlanganiswe liZiko Lezizwe Lempilo Engokwasengqondweni laseUnited States, lubonakala lukuxhasa oku kufunyanisiweyo.

Xa umabonwakude ekwazi ukuphembelela iimbono zokwenene ezithandwayo, ubunokusilela njani ukuphembelela ubomi nezenzo zabantu? Kunjengokuba uDonna McCrohan ebhala kwiPrime Time, Our Time: “Xa umboniso kamabonwakude okumgangatho ophezulu usaphula izalelo ezithile ezibekwe ngokwamasiko asekuhlaleni okanye imida yentetho, siziva sinenkululeko engakumbi yokuzaphula ezo zinto thina ngokwethu. Ngokukwanjalo, siyaphembeleleka xa . . . ukuziphatha okubi kuyinto eqhelekileyo, okanye umntu othile oyindoda eyaziwayo ebonakalisa indlela asebenzisa ngayo icondom. Kwimeko nganye, umabonwakude usebenza​—⁠ngendlela esisiseko engaqondakaliyo⁠—​njengesipili sethu ukuba seyiseke ekuthini singoobani na, size ngoko ngokuqhelekileyo sibe ngabo.”

Ngokuqinisekileyo, isizukulwana esandileyo sikamabonwakude siye sabona ukwanda okuhambelanayo kokuziphatha okubi nogonyamelo. Ngaba kuyinto ezenzekelayo? Akunjalo. Olunye uhlolisiso lwabonisa ukuba umlinganiselo wolwaphulo-mthetho nogonyamelo kumazwe amathathu wanda emva nje kokuba kwaqalisa ukubakho kukamabonwakude kwilizwe ngalinye kula mazwe mathathu. Apho wabakho ngaphambilana umabonwakude, umlinganiselo wolwaphulo-mthetho wanda kwangaphambilana.

Okumangalisayo kukuba, umabonwakude akanguye kwanomlinganiselo wento ehambis’ ixesha kwithuba lokuphumla oluthi uninzi lucinge ukuba ululo. Kuhlolisiso olwenziwe kubantu abali-1 200 ngethuba leminyaka eli-13 kwafunyaniswa ukuba kubo bonke izinto ezenzelwe ukuhambisa ixesha, ukubukelwa kukamabonwakude ngokunokwenzeka kwakuyinto yokugqibela enokubaphumza abantu. Kunokubenza baphumle, utyekela ekushiyeni ababukeli bengenzi nto kodwa bexhalabile yaye bengakwazi ukuzikisa ingqondo. Ukubukela kangangethuba elide ngokukhethekileyo kubashiya abantu bekwimeko embi ngokugqithiseleyo kunaxa beqalisa ukubukela. Ngokwahlukileyo koko, ukufunda kubashiya abantu bephumle ngakumbi, bekwimeko elunge ngakumbi, yaye bekwazi ngakumbi ukuzikisa ingqondo!

Kodwa kungakhathaliseki ukuba kwakha kangakanani na ukufunda incwadi emnandi, umabonwakude, elo chule lento ekubeni ixesha, ngokulula usenokubangela ukuba iincwadi zibe kwindawo yesibini ebomini babantu. Xa waqalisa ukubakho umabonwakude kwisiXeko saseNew York, ngokukhawuleza amathala eencwadi asetyenziswa nguwonke wonke aba nengxelo yokwehla kwenani lokusasazwa kweencwadi. Kambe ke, oku akuthethi ukuba uluntu sele luza kulibala ngokufunda. Kanti, kukhe kwathiwa abantu namhlanje phantse abanamonde wokufunda, ingqalelo yabo ikhawuleze ithi shwaka ukuba akukho mifanekiso ebonakalayo inomtsalane. Ubalo-manani nohlolisiso lusenokungawangqini njengakhoyo loo mathandabuzo angacacanga. Sekunjalo, silahlekelwa yintoni kubunzulu nokuziqeqesha kobuqu ukuba sixhomekeke kwimfeketho ethe rhoqo eyenziwa koku kuzonwabisa kuthe ngcembe kufumaneka kumabonwakude owenzelwe, ngamaxesha onke, ukutsala nelona thuba lincinane lokuzikisa komntu ingqondo?

Abantwana Bebhokisi

Noko ke, umbandela ongomabonwakude ungongxamiseke ngokwenyaniso ngokuphathelele abantwana. Ngokuqhelekileyo, nantoni na esenokwenziwa ngumabonwakude kubantu abakhulileyo, unokuyenza ngokuqinisekileyo ebantwaneni​—⁠kuphela nje ngaphezulu. Ngapha koko, ngokunokwenzeka ngakumbi abantwana bayakholelwa kwizinto ezithelekelelwayo abazibona kumabonwakude. Iphephandaba laseJamani elithi Rheinischer Merkur/Christ und Welt lacaphula uhlolisiso olwenziwa kutshanje olwafumanisa ukuba abantwana ngokufuthi “abakwazi ukwahlula ubomi bokwenene koko bakubona embonisweni oshukumayo. Badlulisela oko bakubona kwihlabathi elingelilo elokwenene kwihlabathi lokwenene.”

Uhlolisiso lwezenzululwazi olwenziwa ngaphaya kwezihlandlo ezingama-3 000 ebudeni beminyaka engamashumi yophengululo luye lwaxhasa isigqibo sokuba ugonyamelo oluboniswa kumabonwakude lunemiphumo engemihle ebantwaneni nakwabo bakwishumi elivisayo. Iintlangano ezaziwayo njengoMbutho waseMerika Ojongene Nezigulo Zabantwana, Iziko LeSizwe Elisebenza Ngezigulo Zengqondo noMbutho Wonyango WaseMerika zonke ziyavuma ukuba ugonyamelo olubonakala kumabonwakude lubangela ihambo enobutshaba nengenabuhlobo ebantwaneni.

Uhlolisiso luye lwatyhila eminye imiphumo ephazamisayo. Ngokomzekelo, ukutyeba gqitha kwabantwana kuye kwanxityelelaniswa nokubukelwa okugqithiseleyo kukamabonwakude. Ngokucacileyo kukho izizathu ezibini koku. (1) Iiyure ezichithwa kungenziwa nto ngaphambi kwale bhokisi zithabathela indawo iiyure zokudlala. (2) Inkqubo yezorhwebo kumabonwakude yenza umsebenzi ochuliweyo wokunikela abantwana ekutyeni okungamashwamshwam okutyebisayo okunomlinganiselo omncinane wezondlo. Kolunye uphengululo kuye kwaboniswa ukuba abantwana ababukela umabonwakude ngokugqithiseleyo baqhuba kakubi esikolweni. Ngoxa esi sigqibo kuphikiswana ngakumbi ngaso, iphephancwadi iTime kutshanje liye lanikela ingxelo yokuba oogqirha bezifo zengqondo nabafundisi-ntsapho abaninzi babek’ ityala umabonwakude ngokuhla okukhulu kobuchule babantwana ekufundeni nakwindlela abaqhuba ngayo esikolweni.

Kwakhona, ixesha linguthunywashe obalulekileyo. Ngethuba umntwana oqhelekileyo waseMerika ephumelela kwisikolo semfundo ephakamileyo, uya kuba echithe iiyure ezili-17 000 ebukele umabonwakude yure ezo ezithelekiswa neeyure ezili-11 000 azichitha esikolweni. Abantwana abaninzi bachitha phantse ithuba labo elininzi abangenzi nto ngalo bebukele umabonwakude ukuba abalichitheli lonke kuye. Incwadi ethi The National PTA Talks to Parents: How to Get the Best Education for Your Child iphawula ukuba isiqingatha sabo bakwibanga lesithathu (abaneminyaka elishumi ubudala) bachitha imizuzu emine ngosuku befunda ekhaya, kodwa imizuzu eli-130 bayichitha bebukele umabonwakude.

Ngamany’ amazwi, kunokwenzeka ukuba bambalwa gqitha ababeya kulimela ngokunzulu elokuba umabonwakude akazisi iingozi zokwenene kubantwana nakubantu abakhulileyo. Kodwa kuthetha ntoni oku? Ngaba abazali bafanele bakuphelise ukubukelwa kukamabonwakude ekhaya? Ngaba abantu ngokubanzi bafanele bazikhusele kwimpembelelo yakhe ngokumlahla okanye ngokumvalela ekhabhathini umabonwakude?

[Umbhalo osemazantsi]

[Amagama acatshulweyo akwiphepha 21]

“Kutheni abantu abamhlophe besoloko behlabana, bedubulana yaye bebethana?”

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 23]

Mcime umabonwakude, vula iincwadi