“Mr Channer and Ms Chin, and indeed Mr de Mol, he of the US$2.2 billion net worth, did not become extraordinary by watching television. They did not resign themselves to vicariously reliving the achievements of others, or projecting fawning solidarity on to strangers. They dreamed big, and worked hard, and deep down inside absolutely refused to be ordinary, to be like the rest of us. If we are ever to become great, individually and as a nation, we must stop ‘supporting’ them, and start lifting ourselves.”
This is a quote from a column running in the Gleaner today. It is by a new columnist called Keiran King. If you take a read, you will see he is a delightful writer, prone to hyperbole perhaps, but that’s not so remarkable in terms of what a columnist does, which is employ rhetoric in order to enchant and elicit a strong reaction from the audience.
What struck me, however, is the fact that this could have been written by a Canadian, say, about Carly Rae Jepsen or Justin Beiber or Shania Twain or Avril Lavigne or any citizen who has achieved substantial international fame and recognition. To be more specific, recognition and approval from the pop culture hegemony that is the United States.
It is called the ‘tall poppy syndrome,’ or ‘crabs in the bucket syndrome.’ Books have been written about it in Canada, and elsewhere I’m sure, but it basically amounts to citizens of a country tearing down our fellows when they achieve a large amount of success and recognition. Think about it. Do you ever hear a Canadian say how much they love Celine Dion or any of the others I’ve mentioned above? If anything, there is a grudging acceptance of their talent, but none of that enthusiasm that the rest of the world may show.
Keiran King’s column seems almost mean-spirited, although it is more of an indictment of U.S. popular culture and the American Dream than of Tessanne Chin and her well-deserved success. In any case, it is worth a read and sheds a lot of light on Jamaican culture. As does a saying “We little but we Tallawah,” which basically means that Jamaica is a small nation, both in terms of size and population, but when it comes to spirit and determination, Jamaica is a force to be reckoned with. You cannot argue with that.
Jamaican Journal 
To be fair though…King’s criticism was focused on the Jamaican public’s reaction and less on Tessanne.. Yes, he did say she was in all probability thinking mainly about herself, but for the most part he did not tear down Tessanne…Now I don’t agree with most of what he said, but his point of departure was solid….The overwhelming mania over a singing contest was perhaps indicative of people who have too little to celebrate…
Thanks for reading. I would not say it is a case of people with too little to celebrate, pop culture is just that- it appeals to the majority of people and engages them in something that is easy to think about. Maybe the point is more that energy could be better directed elsewhere?
The article made no sense to me. Why can’t we support our own and build our nation at the same time? And where would a playwright/actor be without ‘support’? Does Mr. King buy out all the tickets to his own plays? And who gets to determine how much ‘support’ is too much? Please help me.
Thanks for reading. Good questions. I have always wondered this myself, not just about JA but Canada too. The link I referred to helps to explain this- the tall poppy syndrome.
The same thing crossed my mind. You can’t survive in Jamaica as an actor and playwright without support! I dunno…
The English may say a lot of hyper bollocks or even a load of twaddle. Seems like grandstanding to get a bit of early recognition. I treat it a satire, and have filed it as such.
I will do the same and reserve judgment for now:)
Good points Emma. I must read the Colin Channer piece as well.
Yes, Mr. King writes quite well. But there is a fine line between sarcasm and downright unkindness (I know because I am too prone to sarcasm myself – inherited from my father I think!) It does sound mean-spirited and also dismisses the many spinoffs of Tessanne’s success – including the hard work of people like Deika Morrison and a Jamaican in Florida who managed to unite and galvanize the Jamaican diaspora in a remarkable way – and Tessanne’s association with Shaggy’s fund-raising efforts. And in fact Colin Channer (if he had quoted other parts of his article) adopted a similar superior tone, from his ivory tower in Massachusetts! I particularly hated the sexist comment about “hyperactive schoolgirls.”
In need of a good dose of Bruce: “Tek weh yuself, Keiran!”