So the other day the Kenya Film Classification Board deemed the Content being distributed online by Netflix as immoral and a threat to National Security.
In defense, Jackson Kosgei, the KFCB Chairman said that the content being streamed by the provider fails to conform to national values, ratings, and classifications regulations.
Yes, somehow I agree with that statement. Different countries have different maturity ratings. In Kenya for example, one becomes an adult when they turn 18…even if they behave ‘childishly’. “Netflix is a not a religion that comes with dogmas but it is a businesses that must conform to recipient country’s laws,” he said.
Remember when you were young and you got used to be beaten because you stole meat from the pot? Imagine your mum came one day and told you that you could have as much meat as you wanted from the same pot you used to steal from? That is Netflix for you.
In other developed countries, the maturity age is 16. I seem to have a problem with these ages. Nowadays kids as young as 14 do and watch stuff that is presumably preserved for the adults. The invasion of Netflix in Kenya is not going to change the moral status of any individual. There is a lot of material we can stream as long as one has access to the internet. There is a lot of pornographic material in circulation at the moment which is accessible to virtually anyone who’s online regardless of their age.
All you need to do is agree that you are 18 and above even when you are not.
Take for example the movies we watch, majority of them are usually given a rating of 16, but anyone still watches them without any restrictions regardless of them containing material on pornography, child prostitution and massive violence. How many use Hulu TV for streaming movies? Is it different from Netflix?
According to the KFCB, some of the movies sampled from the network have ratings of suitability for 13-year-old, yet they contain classifiable elements such as extreme violence, nudity, promotion of irresponsible sexual behaviors, inappropriate language and drug abuse. Tell me, will this be the first time children as young as 13 will be seeing such scenes?
I am a frequent visitor at the IMAX and have seen small kids as young as seven watching those movies with their own parents. I think the question here should be, how many parents have actually complained about this issue? And so far how many Kenyans don’t want to use Netflix?
Of course our children should be protected from extreme violence, nudity, promotion of irresponsible sexual behaviors, inappropriate language and drug abuse and at this point, those who are close to the kids, that is, their parents, the church and their teachers should ensure the online safety of children.
Let KFCB look at other factors to block Netflix but not the ones mentioned. It should spend more time promoting Kenyan talent. Just give it time, like the next two years, I believe everyone will be using Netflix.
Trust me you don’t want to miss these Upcoming movies on Netflix: “War Machine” with Brad Pitt, “Jadotville” with Jamie Dornan, “Pee-Wee’s Big Holiday” and a sequel to “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”.
Happy Streaming!
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