It is disheartening and very sickening to hear the news that action hero, Jackie Chan could descend so low to the extent of taking part in a pornographic movie otherwise known as adult movies, which is legally declared unfit and unsafe for kids, who formed the core of his fan base. You might want to agree with me that your childhood could be termed ‘incomplete’ if you never watched movies or at least a movie by the Legendary Jackie Chan. Just hearing his name made our bodies shiver because we knew we were in for a swell time. We loved everything about him from his funny and super smart moves to the countless facial expressions, his agility, his story line and ultimately his personality.
Apart from his actions being out of his world which has earned him a place of pride in Guinness Book of World Record for the ‘Most Stunts by a Living Actor,’ Jackie’s actions or inactions are so funny that even a child cannot miss the humour. Jackie Chan’s movies are even more famous and children friendly because they are so free of any form of obscenities that parents can freely watch his movies with their wards, without having to skip scenes or stop playing because it was deemed unfit for our conservative generation back then. In other words, when I was growing up Jackie Chan was an idol in my house, his movies were a special treat, which we were only allowed to enjoy when we did something commendable. This might not be your own exact experience, but you can’t deny the fact that Jackie Chan had an exclusive soft spot in your heart with his exceptional movies.
In recent times, our dear Jackie has been in the news for all the wrong reasons, many of which are unfortunately beyond his control. Less than a year ago, his only son, Jaycee, who is his splitting image was arrested for drug related offence. He was pronounced guilty and was sentenced accordingly by a court of competent jurisdiction. An African proverb says cowards die many times before their death, but despite not being a coward by any means, Jackie Chan has died many times on the social media. Not too long ago he was again rumored to be dead and I became so concerned that I got on the internet to conduct a little research on the drunken master, so I stumbled on the unbelievable. I discovered that Jackie Chan once starred in coloured movie titled, ‘All in the family.’
‘All in the Family’ is a pornographic movie released in the year 1975, in which our Jackie co-starred with a popular porn star. It was recently in an interview, that Jackie admitted the fact that he was indeed in the movie. But according to him, Pornography back then was not as graphic as it is now. He cited frustration and depression as the motivation behind him accepting the role. Just like every up-and-coming artiste, or a rookie in any industry, Jackie Chan was desperate to make a name, he was hungry for fame, and in the heat of that desperation he was willing to do anything. Jackie was too distracted to discover his uniqueness and peculiarity back then.
However, his big break came in the year 1978, when he starred in the movie, ‘Snake in the Eagle’s Shadow,’ a movie which established the comedic kung-fu genre, and it was closely followed by a much more successful movie, ‘The Drunken Master’ and finally his dreams of becoming a star was realized. Jackie became a star, using what he has always had and which is dignifying. He used a strategy which endeared him to all race, all generations and all genders. A gift that is naturally resident in each and every one of us but we often overlook and underrate it because it comes free of charge.
Honestly, hunger, poverty and the likes can push a man or woman to relegate shame and do the needful to survive. Quest for survival develops into frustration when within you, you feel you have something tangible to offer but no one is looking in your direction. Such frustration is what pushed the Nigerian actress, Afrocandy, who was originally a struggling Nollywood actress with the names Judith Mazagwu, into going the obscene way. She sacrificed decency, sobriety, dignity and pride on the altar of survival, just like Jackie Chan did back in the days. But unfortunately she is yet to have that big break because not long ago she was appealing for support on the social media to pay her children’s school fees, thank God for folks like Denrele Edun that came to her rescue. The question now is “Why should you adopt a very costly strategy, that alienates you from your root, your kinsmen and your maker, and yet you cannot afford to live the life you so desire?” I think trying another strategy is the only wise alternative left in such case.
Humour as a winning strategy is guaranteed to give you victory at all times. With humour you can never be a loser because you have nothing to lose, and everything to gain. It worked for Jackie Chan, after years of frustration and some wrong decisions; he later tried humour and he became a Legend. Likewise it worked for the South Korean record breaker, Psy, the Gangnam style creator. After 5 unsuccessful albums, he tried humour with Gangnam style, and he broke youtube records with his song. Before then he could best be described as a deviant, because his songs were constantly being banned by Korean Authorities for containing all sorts of inappropriate messages and vulgarities, but then he did something different with humour and his efforts became globally acceptable. If humour could be this potent, why don’t you give it a trial before quitting your present task? I sincerely hope Afrocandy, as well as you the reader can heed this advice and seize this opportunity to become a Legend. Humourality, a stress free victorious lifestyle is the ticket to Long Life and Prosperity.
Written on the 10th of August 2015
A.K. AFOUDA SAMUEL LLB (Hons), BL
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