Pornography and Debasement of Womanhood in African Films: The Examples of Selected Nollywood and Ghallywood Videos

Abstract

No doubt, film has become a potent agent for social change in societies through its continued transition of historical, sociopolitical, religious and educational lessons channeled through its audio visual properties. In African societies for instance, film has captured the realities of existence thereby making its audience conscious of themselves and proffering a leeway out of so many misconstrued philosophies of life. But due to the unsatisfying and the rising audience's taste or superfluous directorial interpretations, African film makers principally those of Nollywood and Ghallywood have continued to trample on some hallowed African cultural heritage thereby promoting “anti-African” norms and behaviours such as pornography, indecent dressing, vulgarity and uncultured sexual behaviours that are found in some Western films. Using the tenets of media content analysis of selected Nollywood/Ghallywood films, this paper believes that African films particularly those of Nollywood and Ghallywood should not be a means of promoting violence, “gangsterism”, promiscuity, and sexual immorality. Instead, it should be seen asa viable tool for satirizing evil and promoting good in the society. The paper concludes that African filmmakers should strictly respect African culture and use film as a weapon for social change while entertaining their audience. It advocates also that film should not be used as a tool to showcase shame by debasing female gender in the name of meeting the demands of realism, making quick money or gaining cheap popularity by portraying African women as “professional sex objects” in an attempt to please their audience.

Keywords: Pornography, Sex object, Debasement, African film, Womanhood, Sexual behaviours