She is Tiwa, not Timid: Asake and My House Chores
Most Academics know one truth: if every abstract were equal to paper or cash, we would have more published articles and money. More so, If you remove the number one enemy of every serious scholar, reviewer two (lol).
Years ago, I began writing a paper on Nigerian celebrity feminism drawn from an aspect of my doctoral dissertation. My goal, among others, was to explore the compelling, complex, contradictory circumstances around celebrity participation in feminism. Mainly, I was interested in interrogating what seems like a consumerist capitalist attempt at creating a fashionable feminism that bellies the complicity of racialized gendered capitalism in women's oppression.
During the election that year, a female presidential aspirant criticized Adichie and feminism in general, maybe to win over a dominantly patriarchal Nigerian audience. It was around that time Tiwa Savage came on air with some ideas on controversial gender equality. In an interview with Beat FM 99.9, which sparked several debates on her feminist stance. Tiwa said: …I also don't think men and women are equal. I don't think that's how God created us, especially in the household, anyway" In another interview on Sound City radio, she also said she did not believe in earning equal pay with her male music counterparts. She said that as an artist, she cannot expect to charge the same amount as big artists like Wizkid and Davido.
Tiwa isn't the only celebrity who has complicated celebrity participation in feminism that year till now. But I thought it would make for an interesting inquiry to know why Tiwa, who sings about the erotic subtly in her song" all over" when she says, "if you say make I bend low, I no go waste time but to do like so" now turns to say all of the above. Then came her sex tape, which I used as a precursor to a formal presentation in the fall of 2021( By the way, I did not play the video, but I mentioned it as an intro into why I am interested in gender and popular music).
In her latest release with Asake, Tiwa says, "sex tape o le baye mi je..igbadun kekere ye ( sex tape can't ruin my life that little enjoyment). In view of what seems like growth and confidence, It seems that she is Tiwa, not timid.
By the way, someone should warn Asake o. Usually, I don't like house chores since I stopped doing "glorified househelp" somewhere (inside jokes). With Asake, I now look forward to my house cleaning with less anxiety. With Asake on the play, I can clean my apartment, which should take a maximum of 2 hours to at least 5 -6 hours.
Between trying to reclaim my dancing prowess and singing Omo gbe omo mefa lo le, Mr. Money o she o, I am able to vacuum and clean before my landlady gives me the next instruction on what to do. I am loaded!
Posted on Facebook on November 8, 2022
Used under @ Creative common. Photo credit: Google
