Have you recently attended a teen’s school event? Contrary to the olden days when students had to creatively come up with their own entertainment, today’s teens prefer to pay for it. Whether it involves saving from their pocket money to get the money, they will do it. All this in the name of having a “grand leaver’s party” or parties such as Interact Club, Rotary Club, manya Fellowship clubs, name it.
While that is not a problem, sometimes the choice of artistes invited to perform at these schools may not be appropriate, especially their character and how they handle the children.
Just the other day, I had the chance to land at one such event. It was at a school along Entebbe Road. Never mind the details.
Anyway I was left in shock as I watched an artiste pull a student from the audience and danced with her in a very “vulgar” way. He held the girl so tightly, swung her in the air, wiggled her waist as if he was at one of those shows filled with ‘hungry’ adults.
The sight was too disgusting that it reminded me of that wicked scene that had international musician Akon sued for mishandling a minor while performing.
Now this is where one wonders; whether some of these school authorities sift the list of artistes to find the ‘sane’ ones. Is there a code of conduct given to these artistes before they go to perform at such schools?
I mean, it is clear that these teens amid excitement will jump at the slightest opportunity to rub shoulders with their preferred celebrities. However, the onus is on the artiste to respect their fans across all age groups and not pounce on minors and “abuse” them all in the name of performing.
What many of us witnessed was gross in the real sense of it and I hope that going forward some restrictions will be put in place to ensure that even as these children have fun in the best way they can, their rights are maintained and respected.
I think we owe it to them and their parents who take them to school believing its a sanctuary of safety, especially from the roving lion’s eye, you know!
