Adichie & Ceiling Challenge
Recently, at a conference, I saw the endearing ways that someone I deeply respect was relating with his mentees. I know we have reservations about bringing in-locus parenting into formal spaces, but this was beautiful to watch for many reasons that I can write about someday. If you live in specific locations and know the vulnerability of not seeing a kind soul, you won't mind someone extending in-locus parenting to you, as long as it is not toxic. They all dotted around him like my siblings, and I do around my dad.
Eventually, they all convince him to be part of a viral challenge. And like a parent whose overpampered children cajole into some "silly" play, he acquiesced, just like some of my "children" sometimes talk me into becoming a donkey so they can ride on my back. As they all did one of the challenges, it reminded me of several online challenges. There have been several viral challenges, including but not limited to the Ice Bucket, Doodle, Don't Rush, Don't Leave Me, and more.
The recent challenge that defies any categorization of healthy or harmful challenges is the ceiling challenge. When I saw the ceiling challenge, I remembered Ifemelu in Adichie's Americanah. Ifemelu started calling Obinze Ceiling because of her experience during their first intimate encounter.
The ceiling challenge saw intergenerational participation, from baby boomers trying to spice up their marriages to millennials and the Gen Z Baddies. As with other challenges or digital contests, this ceiling challenge saw the good, bad, ugly, and in-between. I saw one, and I thought "nitori olorun?".“
My questions were numerous and nuanced. I asked how the quest to participate in a viral challenge outsmarts the importance of safety, security, and sanity. How do the casualties of this challenge deal with the consequences? How is hustle for fame (blow) imbricated in desire and actual participation in these viral challenges? What is the profit or economy of this participation? These may be 'jamb' questions for some, but for cultural studies scholars, they are goldmines for research.
As you know and may not know, I am interested in celebrity, politics, and attention economies.
Posted on Facebook on December 8, 2023.
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