Two incomplete and complicit strands of thought characterise South African responses to the publication of a cartoon depicting the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in the Mail & Guardian. The first strand of thought rooted in the Muslim community explains the offence caused by the cartoon through explaining that Islam has a problem with the depiction of […]
2010
Posted inLifestyle
Ms Patta, lead us not into racial tension
I am almost tempted to open this piece with a disclaimer stating that the views expressed here are not in any way a personal attack on the main character, but then again based on my main character’s evident thrill from personally attacking people, what the hell. Last night, in an attempt to get my monthly […]
Posted inBusiness, Lifestyle, Media
Brand spanking: Nestlé gets hijacked
By now I’m sure you’ve seen the video clip: an office employee, bored stiff at work, decides to “have a break, have a KitKat” — only those aren’t slender fingers of dark chocolate and biscuit he’s snacking on, but orangutan fingers, and just look at the blood dripping off his chin! The goal of the […]
Posted inGeneral
Zapiro’s mockery of Bafana Bafana not necessary
So Zapiro’s latest published cartoon (a re-run from December 2009) presents Bafana Bafana as a pack of dwarves among the giants in the upcoming Fifa World Cup. In email conversations with friends (whose sports knowledge is way ahead of mine) they regard Zapiro’s humiliating presentation of Bafana Bafana as spot on. Bafana Bafana is only […]
Posted inGeneral
How not to get pick-pocketed
I have never been pick-pocketed. Sure, part of that could just be luck, given the reputation of countries I have lived in — South Africa, England and China — or those I have visited. But I do know I am very careful, wily in fact, about where I put my wallet. But we all know […]
Posted inBusiness, Media
The difficult second album
An expression we’ve all heard before, I would think. Justified, as well. With anything decent, there is expectancy for something more, something healthier, somewhat more intuitive and at the end of the day just a plain bigger kick in the balls. Learning from others in the industry, it has become clear that resting on your […]
Posted inNews/Politics
There is no Zapiro, only Zuul
If you haven’t sniggered, burped or laughed at the recent Zapiro-Muslim cartoon debacle then you probably had a very pleasant weekend. Other citizens with real jobs, like the Mail & Guardian crew, fielded threats all morning on Friday from irate Muslims incensed by Zapiro’s latest offering depicting their Prophet as a psycho-case needing therapy for […]
Posted inLifestyle
What’s your favourite personalised plate?
This morning as I was heading to work along Bryanston Drive, I spotted a black Merc coupe with the numberplate FINALLY. I wondered what this could possibly mean. Was this car a reward for years of hard work? A moan about the waiting list for Merc coupes? It was the automotive equivalent of Vaguebooking. The […]
Posted inGeneral
So what’s the big deal with drawing the prophet?
By Muhammad Karim I can’t understand why the media, the West and everyone else who engaged in the “Let’s Draw Muhammad” contest recently couldn’t, in all their secular intelligence, attempt to first UNDERSTAND and then act instead of the other way round. I am also extremely disappointed with Zapiro for simply “jumping on the bandwagon” […]
Posted inLifestyle
Pizza with the Commandant
We had been to visit the small township that clings to the crag above the monied guts of Hout Bay. Afrika is a tour guide who walks conscious tourists through this matrix of elemental and exposed souls. Reconfigured billboards are cold comfort compared to the promises they make on their faded skins. This notwithstanding, the […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Do you remember the time when you didn’t hate Muslims?
I went to university in Durban in the mid 90s. I had a bunch of Muslim kids in my class. There were no beefs, no thoughts of “the other”. Just some other kids. There was Aisha from Zimbabwe — the chick who bounced between being a Muslim and a communist, but was always eternally hot. […]
Posted inGeneral
We are banks’ prisoners
On reading Charlene Smith’s two recent blogs on her utter nightmares with Standard Bank while in Italy, I immediately remembered narrowly escaping a bank and travel incident when living in China that still has me shuddering with the possible consequences. Years ago my wife and I were about to go on holiday from Shanghai to […]