Here’s the virus currently killing Nigerian entertainers

– NAIJ.com runs through the local showbiz industry and the attendant challenges of Western influences

– Over time, local entertainers have imbibed these cultures sheepishly

– Hopefully our entertainers realize that cultures could be as deadly as viruses, especially given their negative effects

The prevalence of Western culture in Nigerian entertainment has seen us witness several unusual situations over time and it’s been somewhat of a funny situation, to say the least.

Though there are generational nuances in this light, with the Western change impacting on our music from the era of Blacky, Junior and Pretty to the era of the Plantashun Boiz, Remedies and Trybesmen, it continues to come off as ‘unAfrican’ how many of these influences have shaped our industry today.

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Back in the days, we saw most of these switches and they merely felt like fads at best. We probably didn’t consider them major issues, they weren’t meant to affect a generation. But not anymore, because times have changed and influences have broadened.

Nigerian entertainers started first by sagging their jeans then piercing their ears and from there they digressed into smoking substance and more without regard of any sort. From there, they advanced into getting tattoos. It just kept advancing, the trends kept deepening.

And here we are today, here we are with our entertainers beginning to jump on even more outlandish trends so that what we see every other day in this era is that the industry is plagued by yet another influence.

Nigerian entertainers are fast affiliating with the gay and lesbianism mentality so much that they aren’t worried making this public, even though still thinly-veiled in many cases.

In August, 2016, the industry woke up to reports that rising Nollywood actor Ifeanyi Dike Jr is gay going by a now-deleted Instagram post to that effect.

He was explicit about it, no pretenses. And like many others out here in the industry, the cankerworm has spread system-wide.

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The likes of Denrele Edun, though not exactly explicit about this, have gravitated more towards feminine clothing and outlooks in the last one decade or more.

From shoes to hairdo, make up and jewelry, Edun has portrayed overt feminine gestures that do more than just entertain, which is what he is known for.

And even though we can’t deny that he has built a legion of fans enamored with his style of television and red carpet presentations, what is unusual is unusual, it doesn’t matter the intentions.

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The likes of Uti Nwachukwu and Alex Ekubo have been rumoured to be involved in some incredible type affair as well, even though they swiftly played down the rumours repeatedly.

This is the really creepy and uninspiring trend that has become associated with  our local entertainers.

“Yes I’m gay. Very gay.

“Keeping this a secret has been the hardest thing especially on the one’s I love. I’m a proud gay man,” Dike wrote in the infamous, now-deleted Instagram post in August, 2016.

In a rather similar situation, fast-rising female rapper Genevieve ‘Splash’ Ogbuewu has been accused of being a lesbian but she’s also been quick to shut it down.

In an interview with Zinnia of HF Tv in August 2016, she spoke on the growth of her career and the experiences thus far.

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On claims of lesbianism, she said: “The thing is once you create your own style, people will tag you. For me, growth is going beyond what people think of me, because even if you are trying to be a good girl they will label you. So it’s just good to be yourself.”

Splash might have shot down reports of being lesbian. Uti and Alex and several others might also have dismissed similar reports. But the truth remains that the influx of foreign ideologies have continued to permeate every sphere of our industry and it must be said that the effects of these are nothing but negative.

Entertainers aren’t just celebrities, they represent key figures in history and they shape the minds of tens of millions to say the least. When you see a jean-sagging, ear-piercing pop star on TV, It’s not just enough to switch the channels so your kids don’t see what’s on TV for that day.

The greater issue is that every parent cannot successfully shut out every kid, saving them from the curse of lewdness and inane cultures as shown by their favourite celebrities.

There will always be those who catch a glimpse or two of these, and when gay acts and lesbianism and other vices are inculcated in these young minds, you can rest assured that a generation is close to the edge of precipice.

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This is the challenge. These are the situations. Above all, these are the realities of these ridiculous perspectives which we so carelessly bring into our psyche as Africans.

It’s touching that those who ought to know better are actually deluded by the hysteria of stardom that they would rather smoke substance and drink vintage liquor than maintain an impeccable public image especially given the manifold effects they have on society, in addition to how it shapes the minds of the younger generation.

Hopefully, these acts die a natural death because we already have too much to grapple with as a nation and we need the showbiz industry to continue its dominance as n other industry has come close to providing us solace in recent times.

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