It has crossed my mind that this belief has been instilled in our society that if we are involved in a stable financial relationship, you are the in thing. It is common opinion that you need to date an overnight made tycoon (who has made millions and didn’t bother saving a couple of thousands) or the one who is in a complicated relationship with his wife, even the one who kicks and abuses you and accuse of cheating, only to find that this guy is as ugly as hell but still you will date him because he provides you with a lavish lifestyle.
Our minds have been so bombarded into believing that to be the next in thing and to prove your value as a woman we need to have sushi eaten off our bodies and bathe in champagne and that fame is secured by dating a financially stable man. Let’s put it this way, these TDs (Titanium Diggers) are given so much respect and go as far as being called celebrities (well that’s what they insist in being called: “CELEBRITY”). On a more serious note, where is the morality in all that? What role models are we portraying to our young upcoming teenage girls that in order to be ‘a person’ you should go for the nearest tycoon whose bank account exceeds six zeros? It’s been so embedded and rooted in a way that when you ask a young girl what her dream is, she will simply reply “to marry a tycoon and live happily ever after”. Now my concern is what lesson are we embedding that girls should only settle for guys who are cash cows? What are we saying about the ‘common’ few that are barely making ends meet but can provide you with true happiness?
What pains the most is that this recognition and respect is given in such a way that these people are celebrated? What nation are we building with which moral values to our society when we are giving so much attention to women who are living lavishly at the expense of others and what about the single women who are making ends meets to raise their kids as single parents and where is the promotion of women independency to work hard in life to attain all your goals? So in other words we are saying to those kids who are still studying, “just relax with matric and wait patiently for a tycoon to sweep you off your feet with a Lamborghini, breast and Brazilian butt implants”. Let us bring back the dignity of women and portray ourselves as vessels (not to eat sushi from) that are proud of our hardworking independent women who afford their own lifestyles and yes women who know the cost of that Gucci handbag she carries. *wink*
Akhona Ngcobo
