Foul language in public discourse a stain on our national moral fabric

Governor Sonko addressing the press after launching the electronic identification cards for staff at City Hall , Nairobi on May 22, 2019. [Samson Wire/Standard].

It was George Orwell who, in 1964, asserted that “the general atmosphere is bad and language must suffer.” As then; so now, but worse. Everyone is silently saying that matters are worsening in the language of public discourse.

It is in this context that we can understand why Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko came under heavy criticism by leaders and Kenyans on social media over his disrespectful outburst against Woman Representative Esther Passaris during the Madaraka Day celebrations last week.

The same governor has used such vulgar language before, calling another woman leader unprintable adjectives. There are many other instances where his use of vulgar language has come into sharp focus. And he is not walking alone. Recently, we were treated to an online video in which a church leader in Nairobi was addressing adherents in church using unchristian language; "rubbish", "stupid" and "useless" among others.

What all these and many other such incidents point to is that the collapse of the barrier between popular culture and decadence has released a toxic mudslide of vulgarity into the nation’s family rooms — and just about everywhere else. There is almost no corner of this culture that is not marked by the toleration of vulgarity, or the outright celebration of depravity. And this is spreading faster than expected and being celebrated by as many as liberal as it gets.  

And the social media bliss we have is not helping the situation. These days, with every new ripple in the culture transmitted, commented-on, analysed, mocked, mashed-up and forgotten on countless universal devices every few minutes, everything is available to almost everyone instantly; no matter how coarse or abrasive.

Common sense

Undoubtedly, we have a problem, but no solution in sight. We are slowly but surely cultivating a culture so vulgar that would-be moral outlaws find it increasingly difficult to transgress. How do you shock people in a culture that has seen and heard everything already?

We seem to be moving at breakneck speed to the point that obscene language (or innuendo) is playing in public venues.

The living room has become a locker room. The problem with this is that common sense is an essential component of legitimation; once ideas attain the status or appearance of common sense, they become very difficult to challenge. And harassment and sexist commentary continues unabated. What awaits those who attempt to fight against sexism on the political stage? More sexism and harassment.

Such brazen sexism shows that nowhere in the world have we come as far as we thought – or hoped – on human decency. This numbs women leaders, especially upcoming ones, in effect taking us backwards.

Granted, now than ever before, technology and the vulgarisation of the culture are the norm rather than the exception. This is because, today, our cultural norms are driven in large part by technology, which in turn is often shaped by the lowest impulses in the culture.

Behind the Internet’s success in making obscene images commonplace is the dirty fact that it was the pornography industry that revolutionised the technology of the Internet.

Contemporary values

Historically, streaming video, technology like flash, sites that confirm the validity of credit cards were all innovations of the porn business.

The Internet and pornography go together like love and marriage. No wonder so much culture seems to aspire to porn’s depersonalisation, absolute transparency and intolerance of secrets.

Unfortunately, truth be told, a culture afraid to repress sexuality in any way is a culture headed for destruction.

As author Lee Siegel says “When the culture of vulgarity is produced by so many different factors— commercial, economic, social, aesthetic — there is no end in sight.”

This is our sad reality. Unfortunately, this reality requires closer scrutiny and concern than the silence it promotes and comes up with a stronger condemnation for it than the infantile “foul mouth.” Sometimes, however, we must make statements on important contemporary values that set a higher moral standard-something more than we are getting from some of our politicians.

In doing so, we must be very clear; that our Constitution provides for freedom of speech. But again, we do not need to sit idly as it unfolds. And we do not have to put to office people who are blind to the fact that words have dangerous consequences.

What I know is that one can decide to be nasty and derogatory-it’s a choice. However, even when nasty speech is protected, it’s not welcome. We must all understand that -freedom of speech- which we all enjoy; is an ingredient of democracy whose aim is to promote equality. Therefore, anyone demeaning another with free speech, is essentially, anti-egalitarianism.

Prof. Mogambi, a Development communication and social change expert, teaches at the University of [email protected]