De: Sean Joseph Clancy [mailto:seanjosephclancy@gmail.com]
Asunto: Counter Revolution On Childrens TV here?
Asunto: Counter Revolution On Childrens TV here?
SOCIALIST VOICE APRIL 2017
Letter From Cuba
In Tribute to the Memory of Eoghan O Neill.
Comrades,
At 6pm on what is generally good weekday children's TV in Cuba, there is a super hero series called "The Flash", aimed at an audience primarily in the 6 to 12 year old range.
It is popular, North American made and shown here with English subtitles.
Because of very high literacy rates, dubbing is thankfully not necessary or that common in any of the Cuban TV genres.
In what I, as a revolutionary parent, inspired by the beauty of what Marti believed, consider was a grossly offensive -- and by no means unique or casual -- act of cultural counter revolution, the subtitled translation of, for example, age-appropriate verbal exchanges between characters on last nights episode, such as "I messed up" or "oh no", read in Spanish as "I just shit all over that" (Cago por encima) and "oh shit" (Mierda)...
That such a thing could occur on the Fidel inspired educational TV channel (Canal Educativo 1) is so far beyond ironic that it is hard not to simply smile, or sigh in fatalistic resignation at an unstoppable avalanche and silently surrender to an unwelcome but higher power.
I'm not quite there, but not beyond the smile, yet.....
The fact that these vulgar and inappropriate expressions were manipulations that did not remotely represent a true translation from the original material -- that of itself warranted no such concerns -- raises questions equally or more important than the obvious "who allows the airing of this kind of thing of children's TV?"
In a nation struggling on a daily basis with what is a scenario of chronic domestic economic unmanageability, anarchy and chaos, a savage and debilitating illegal Blockade by the US and a range of other not insignificant man made and natural obstacles, a few profanities uttered in script by a second rate Batman early on a Thurs evening might not seem worthy of a second thought....
However, one must first accept that only someone who has lived or lives here (and sadly what is a national reality is ever more exaggerated in the particular area that I live within) could even remotely understand the extent to which the moral fiber of the nation was ripped to shreds by the so-called "special period" that followed the collapse of the socialist bloc and the grave consequences that we here still live on a daily basis.
It was Chernobylesque and the economic, social, ethical and moral contamination that seeped into the very fabric of what had been previously a relatively moral, sane and decent civil society has created horrible mutations that make everyday life in Cuba frustrating, sad, difficult, infuriating and depressing beyond belief by times.
Having such a vile, venomous and bitter enemy lying offshore in wait to pounce, means that there are valid reasons not to go into specific details here about even many of the more mundane or everyday manifestations of this toxic radiation.
Giving an enemy ammunition to kill something that needs to be fixed from within, would be equally as unwise as silently allowing certain things to pass unchallenged.
Excessive, highly aggressive and overtly sexualized bad language has become the norm here.
One hears it everywhere.
I hear waiters, doctors, judges, tax-inspectors, vets, farmers, scientists, politicians, military officials in and out of uniform, shop assistants, teachers, bank workers, carpenters, taxi-drivers, lawyers, sculptors and almost everyone else under 40 years of age I come into contact with, use the most extreme expressions in their everyday professional, social and personal discourses without any self-awareness of how abnormal this would be considered elsewhere, or the raising of an eyebrow from their audiences who equally respond in kind.
And I really do mean the most extreme....
I personally use bad language more frequently than I should.
I don't mind it generally and I think a few f**ks when fishing or with contemporaries elsewhere are fine. I consider it "ok-ish" as an adult thing, in certain contexts.
But I don't want my six year old son swearing freely or thinking that it is normal to do so everywhere and anywhere.
And I don't want him being subtly seduced into believing that - even if they originally entered the Cuban reality through very real crisis induced desperation -- that it has become normal or acceptable to lie, cheat, manipulate, defraud, pilfer, undermine or thieve in order to get what you want.
All of these form part of the everyday discourse here and often make life truly miserable.
I consider and experience all as representations of as grave a threat to the integrity, viability and ultimate survival of the Revolutionary Project here as anything our Imperialist foe has overtly or covertly endeavored to do to date. Socialism is thus betrayed.
If Uncle Sam had made the advances here that the internal and often subtle social, economic, moral, financial and personal counter revolution has, Cuba would have been sipping Starbucks lattes, munching Dunkin Donuts, reintroducing rampant poverty, illiteracy and malnutrition for the "good of the economy" and profiteering from the misery of our noble Palestinian brothers and sisters, many moons ago.
Mischievously inserted vulgarities on children's TV are the thin edge of a very broad sword.
They are also such a savage affront to the very essence of a beautiful legacy we have been left to aspire to by Marti, Fidel and a multitude of regional revolutionary giants and to the love I feel for my own beautiful son, that a brute like me will never convey in words why they induce such a profound and worrisome sadness....
Hasta Mayo... Sean
