The celebrations in KwaZulu-Natal are probably still ongoing as I write. A rich Black Oxbridge educated English female film star—Thandiwe Newton—has reclaimed her Zulu-derived name and all is well with the world. Formerly known as Thandie, the actor now known as Thandiwe has added a consonant to her name and, for reasons which evade me, this counts as news. Even the Daily Telegraph ran a prominent right hand page piece accompanied by a large photograph, the whole thing taking up nearly half a page.
It is strange what the mainstream media considers to be news and what it chooses to ignore. While largely ignoring the ill effects of lockdown—The Daily Telegraph excepted—and the prospect of imminent hyperinflation, we are daily updated on COVID-19 deaths and the incomprehensible array of frequently updated and contradictory government pandemic guidelines. The mainstream media have been unable to suppress news of the potential relationship of the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine to fatal blood clots. I speculate, but this is possibly to show solidarity with their European idols who seem to have been mainly responsible for undermining this UK invented vaccine in favour of almost anything that is not from the UK.
I am delighted for Thandiwe (full name Melanie Thandiwe Newton Parker OBE) and that she has decided to ‘take back what is hers’. This beautiful and undoubtedly talented lady is perfectly entitled to do this. I say ‘undoubtedly’ as I do not wish to cast aspersions without any evidence. The only acting I have seen her do is the British Airways attempt at humour in their pre-flight safety video made in collaboration with Comic Relief which features a troupe of luvvies—Michael Cain, Joanna Lumley, Sir Ian McKellen and others including the, then, Thandie Newton which was not funny the first time I saw it. After dozens of flights, it begins to grate.
Surely a footnote on the social pages of the newspapers and an ‘in other news’ item on the BBC would have been sufficient. But this was almost headline news and Thandiwe was ‘furious’ that some people thought it was an April Fool’s joke. I have no doubt she feels strongly about this, but I cannot be alone in thinking ‘get a life’—that is, get a life in addition to your glamorous $14 million one. Some people do not have a job, and we are experiencing an imposed global economic crisis that means many more will join them in the unemployment queues.
None of this is the fault of Ms Newton. I am sure she wants people to know she has changed her name and made an announcement to that effect. It has been picked up by the mainstream media and peddled to us as if it were something we ought to care about. If I ever have the privilege of meeting Thandiwe I will be sure to address her properly, but I cannot imagine the circumstances under which that would happen. I am sure that applies to the vast majority of the population of the world. Thus, the information was totally useless to most of us, whose locked down, severely restricted lives continue.
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