The ‘Sexperts’; Laughing away in the studio!

It is Thursday evening and when I check my pockets for my mobile phone, I can’t find the gadget. I do the search once more and still I can’t find it. Just then, the Armcor security officer who had opened the gate for me realizes I've lost something and he beckons in my direction and asks if I had lost anything and I give a response in the affirmative. The tall lanky man offers to help and asks for my phone number, after which he dials it and immediately the phone rings right underneath my seat on the driver’s side of the auto mobile. I appreciated the man’s help with a terse “thank you” and as I drove out I gestured a thumbs up in further appreciation of the man’s efforts.

No sooner had I driven out than my hand reached for the car stereo power button and when the speakers came alive, a group of three males were laughing away in the Hot fm 87.7 radio studio. The digital watch beside my dash board indicated it was exactly 30 minutes past 9pm. My mind immediately switched to home where my wife was alone at home awaiting my return. It was a little late for a newlywed man, yet to clock a year in marriage, away from home at 21:30hrs. I had a meeting the next morning so I had to stay slightly longer at the office to review all the reports and prepare my presentation at the meeting. The situation was not helped by the fact that the departmental manager had recently left, thus the emphasis on accuracy from the new boss was more pronounced now. My options were limited but to put in few extra hours in order to thoroughly prepare for the meeting.

Just then something on the radio caught my attention. The three blokes on the radio had burst into more laughter. There was another gentleman on air who had called the studio and gabbing about … “That man is not a good friend and that pregnancy is not even his. How can he be mounting the friend’s girl?” The man didn't conclude his contribution before the fellas in the studio burst into more laughter and this time it was even louder. It was then when I realized the people in the studio were laughing at the other man’s use of the word ‘mounting’. The caller to this radio station was actually using the term ‘mount’ in reference to sexual intercourse.

The radio show I’m making reference to comes on Hot fm radio every Thursday between 21:00hrs and midnight. The show is anchored by a Jimmy K with guests ‘Pastor’ Steady Divine and Uncle Roy is duly named Real Talk Live. The show discusses various social issues but mainly handing out advice on relationship and marital problems. Callers are also allowed to give advice and give a wide range of comments on the topic at hand. This is all in the hope that the concerned person is listening… and getting helped.

There are a lot such programmes on various radio stations. There was a time when Qfm radio ran the Qtalk show every Sunday morning and Muvi TV runs spit it out programme. Facebook is also full of such pages where people post all their problems in search of solutions to their social and relationship problems and advice is given by other members of such groups. If you ever, listen to any of these programme and you get the solution that solves your problem then count yourself lucky. It is even more difficulty to get any solution if all what the anchors of the show will be doing is laughing like they are at Live the Apollo or Zambia one comedy. These are real people with real problems and all we can do is make fun of their situations.

If these programmes are meant to help the people who bring forth their situations for discussion, then the hosts of these shows bear a lot of responsibility which they should execute maturely. This means letting the callers know that they need to call and provide solutions and not turn such a show to a comedy night show. The same must be said for the other discussants in the studio. If we want to laugh, Mwine mushi or Dorika will ably provide that.

The other thing such shows usually lack is the presence of an expert. Most of the programmes I've been able to listen to actually have medical related problems and it would help to have the presence of a medical practitioner, psychologist or psycho-socio counselor. The other time, the Thursday evening show on Hot fm was discussing an issue of a woman that was dating a man with epilepsy. She had been told by friends that during sex, the man would develop seizures. The panel discussants just made fun of the situation without giving straight answers. They even went as far as putting the entire situation into ‘graphical perspective’ and how such a woman would react.

I really thought that was a childish response to such an important concern from the lady. The Epilepsy foundation website, 
(http://www.epilepsyfoundation.org/aboutepilepsy/), states that;
“Epilepsy is the fourth most common neurological disorder in the U.S. after migraine, stroke, and Alzheimer's disease. Its prevalence is greater than autism spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's disease combined.”

 

Epilepsy affects 65 million people worldwide. Seizures happen when clusters of nerve cells
in the brain signal abnormally, which may briefly alter a person's consciousness, movement or actions.

The one show with a medical expert is the Manzi therapy show hosted by Herbert Mutabi and features urology specialist doctor, Francis Manda. Doctor Manda responds to several questions regarding a variety of medical conditions. He gives scientific explanations, remedies as well as guidance on where to go in order to seek attention for any such medical problems. However Dr Manda is also not without controversy. He has been accused by some callers of being overly explicit. One lady once called the show and accused him of ‘practicing pornography’ on radio. She was so angry she threatened to report him to the Medical Council of Zambia for inappropriate smutty behavior.

Granted, the programme comes early in the morning when children are awake, but you do not expect a medical doctor worth his salt to start calling body parts by names that they are not. Should he also start referring to sexual intercourse as ‘mounting’? It is just a duty for all parents to give guidance in homes regarding what the little ones listen to. The show is not even exclusive to sexual problems but wide ranging medical problems. The sexual issues only deluge on the show because the large part of Zambians would not go to see a doctor for a sexual problem but would rather hide in the anonymity of a text message to the Manzi therapy show. The doctor is doing a great job. The majority of listeners benefit.

They should be helped, not made fun of.