March the 4th saw Vladimir Putin elected yet again as Russia's president. As the country prepares for more years with Putin, I reflect on the election process from the perspective of a foreigner.A one horsed raceIt seems that ever since the time of the legislative elections in December, the world knew that Putin had won. In Russia, it was almost as if a collective sigh of exasperation echoed through the county as everyone shrugged their shoulders and went back to living life.Nevertheless, why had everyone given up hope before the main elections' The consensus gathered after speaking to locals was that, many had secretly been hoping for another politician to be selected as the candidate for the United Russia Party. Putin putting himself forward however meant that the whole election would be dominated by him.What perplexed me about this situation was that despite there being other candidates to choose from, the election had turned into an ultimatum: either vote for Putin or do not vote at all.'Putin is the most popular out of the lot', was the response my Russian landlord had given me when I asked her why she was voting for him.'I have lost hope in the elections so there is no point' explained one Anti-Putin voter who had decided to abstain from voting. The issue of honestyOne reason to why many Russians may have decided to stay away from polling stations this year is also the fear of cheating. Corruption is an open secret within Russia and when it came to the elections, there was a lot of speculation as to whether the results were fair.Election observation was a system put into place on the 4th March to ensure a crack down on this corruption. The people who volunteered were those intent on a change in the Russian voting system.'I am here so that everyone will make an independent decision and that it will be counted' said one of the observers when I asked why she had decided to take up the job. Nevertheless, did these efforts help' Eyebrows are still raised as to whether the recent results were a 100% truthful, with allegations that 'carrousels', groups of people sent to vote for the same person in several polling stations, occurred during the day of voting.Beyond the electionsThe opposition rallies in December and also post the March election results, suggests that not everyone in Russia is happy to fold their arms over the current political situation. However, is there room for alteration'Some would argue that a few years ago, these rallies would not have even taken place. Having been in the country and witnessed the spread of the movement opposition, it is clear that Russia is beginning to call out for change. Whether the government will listen to this cry however, is a question only time can answer.Steering down Stereotype Avenue American actor and producer, Tyler Perry, is not doing too badly for himself. At the age of 42, he has already achieved being the highest paid man in Hollywood as listed by Forbes magazine. Over the years, Tyler has raked in millions from box office hits such as 'Why Did I Get Married' and 'Madea's Big Happy Family'. He is also celebrated for being the first African American to own his own film and television studio. Despite this however, could Tyler be more of a hindrance than a help when it comes to the image of the black community'I have a confession to make; I may possibly be the only female who is not in love with Tyler Perry's work. Now, I can practically hear millions of his fans everywhere gasp with sheer horror as I proclaim these words, but the truth is; I am just not interested.Before you begin to cast your stones, please take the time to listen to my sentiment. It is not so much of the cheesy scripts and over-theatrical acting that aggravates me (again, more sighs from loyal fans) but more so the predictability. It irks me to know that I am about to sit down to watch an hour and half long film with the same tired stereotypes prancing across my screen.It is undeniable that as an African-American male in the Hollywood industry, Tyler Perry has done exceptionally well. Nevertheless, what do his characters actually say about black people' If they are not bitter and slightly psychopathic ex-wives, they will be serial cheaters struggling with a drug or some other type of addiction. I am aware that behind these characters are real life problems and issues that individuals face every day, however, we need to remind ourselves that there are several black people who exist quite happily in the world without these problems; something Tyler fails to reflect in the majority of his movies.Mr. Perry however, will not be the first or last public figure to portray black people in a stereotypical light however. I am stepping on over-trodden ground here, but there is a plethora of musicians who capitalise on the universal negative perceptions of black people, with rappers such as Jay Z and Kanye West openly endorsing the use of derogatory terms such as the word 'nigger'.My biggest qualm with this whole issue however lies with us; the people lapping up the unconstructive stereotypes we so dearly detest. We are quick to comment on the fact that racism still exists, yet we do not mind buying albums that refer to black people with a name that can be traced back to slavery. In the same vein, we like to complain that there are not enough positive black role models; however, we happily queue to watch films where the main characters act like unserious buffoons.I will end this article with an Australian KFC advert that caused controversy a few years ago. Drawing on stereotypes, the short clip which can be found on YouTube implies that the best way to pacify a group of black people is by handing out chicken. Now, you may laugh at this but it only suggests that if the black community do not take themselves seriously, then who will
Click here to read full news..
