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The Clifton Brown phenomenon is extremely interesting, what is even more interesting is the varied reaction to Clifton.
1. Some people are absolutely amused without reservation.
2. Some are amused but are ashamed to reveal that as somehow their roots card may be compromised or something, so try to twist in some unusual explanation!
3. Some think it is a disgrace to find it funny!
The truth is all three are true depending on where you are coming from, and how you see yourself as a person within the whole Jamaican experience.
Let's look at the facts.
1. We have a disaster, a flood, and a road that cannot be crossed due to the flood water.
2. We have a community youth who is on the scene and is making a negative thing into a positive thing for himself, I am not sure whether he is charging money for crossing the river or not but either way he is providing an invaluable service to those who are willing to use it.
3. The youth is brave and also foolhardy to a certain degree as many of us were at that age, but clearly this man is beyond that he is enterprising and bold, which may be foolish but he is making it happen and putting himself on the line.
4. The man has on a hardhat, this youth understands the importance of looking the part and playing the part, and whether the hard hat does anything or not since it is not strapped, he presents a striking image at the scene.
5. It so happens that a TV crew shows up and where many at that thought would disappear for the bush, my man steps to the mike and applies the finishing touch to the final act, he actually helps people in times of danger, he dresses the part and now he talks the part.
6. Not only does he talk the part but he steps up the rhetoric, he highlights that no one can cross it, it is dangerous and if you don't understand what you are doing it can be harmful to your health, akin to the ads that say don't try this at home as it may be fatal, he also sends the ominous warning that it may result in death, as you may wash wey to St Thomas pond, the man is direct, instructional and clearly lets every know what the possibilities are.
7. He even takes it a notch further, the man steps up the accent and gives us a completely unique and unusual twang, that many of us know and understand at many different levels, but this man is not ashamed of what he is doing he is adapting his game to a new medium, a new time a new feeling, he has stepped up his entire game at the critical moment and his enthusiasm for the task is apparent with every word and his body language. The man nuh fraid fi express himself at all, him nuh shy!
From my standpoint Clifton is a hero, every move he has made is a positive one, there is no regret, there is only a strident and consistent effort to move forward with the resources he has at hand and he does an excellent job at it.
Those that shame probably looking too deep and probably seeing a reflection of a side of themself that they do not want to emphasize and maybe he reminds them of that old person.
what I see if the epitome of the real Jamaican youth that is enterprising, helpful and dynamic seeing an opportunity and grabbing at it with both hands and bringing all the resources that he has at hand to communicate as best as he can from where he presently stands.
I love it, make me feel proud, cause the truth is most of the youth dem probably would not be doing anything close to what this man is doing, this Clifton seem to be the enterprising country man that used to be at the heart of the Jamaican culture but seems to have disappered with the turn of the last century to be replaced by an uncaring, sullen, kissteet youth which the culture now seesm to spawn at will. give us more Clifton's I say!!!
1. Some people are absolutely amused without reservation.
2. Some are amused but are ashamed to reveal that as somehow their roots card may be compromised or something, so try to twist in some unusual explanation!
3. Some think it is a disgrace to find it funny!
The truth is all three are true depending on where you are coming from, and how you see yourself as a person within the whole Jamaican experience.
Let's look at the facts.
1. We have a disaster, a flood, and a road that cannot be crossed due to the flood water.
2. We have a community youth who is on the scene and is making a negative thing into a positive thing for himself, I am not sure whether he is charging money for crossing the river or not but either way he is providing an invaluable service to those who are willing to use it.
3. The youth is brave and also foolhardy to a certain degree as many of us were at that age, but clearly this man is beyond that he is enterprising and bold, which may be foolish but he is making it happen and putting himself on the line.
4. The man has on a hardhat, this youth understands the importance of looking the part and playing the part, and whether the hard hat does anything or not since it is not strapped, he presents a striking image at the scene.
5. It so happens that a TV crew shows up and where many at that thought would disappear for the bush, my man steps to the mike and applies the finishing touch to the final act, he actually helps people in times of danger, he dresses the part and now he talks the part.
6. Not only does he talk the part but he steps up the rhetoric, he highlights that no one can cross it, it is dangerous and if you don't understand what you are doing it can be harmful to your health, akin to the ads that say don't try this at home as it may be fatal, he also sends the ominous warning that it may result in death, as you may wash wey to St Thomas pond, the man is direct, instructional and clearly lets every know what the possibilities are.
7. He even takes it a notch further, the man steps up the accent and gives us a completely unique and unusual twang, that many of us know and understand at many different levels, but this man is not ashamed of what he is doing he is adapting his game to a new medium, a new time a new feeling, he has stepped up his entire game at the critical moment and his enthusiasm for the task is apparent with every word and his body language. The man nuh fraid fi express himself at all, him nuh shy!
From my standpoint Clifton is a hero, every move he has made is a positive one, there is no regret, there is only a strident and consistent effort to move forward with the resources he has at hand and he does an excellent job at it.
Those that shame probably looking too deep and probably seeing a reflection of a side of themself that they do not want to emphasize and maybe he reminds them of that old person.
what I see if the epitome of the real Jamaican youth that is enterprising, helpful and dynamic seeing an opportunity and grabbing at it with both hands and bringing all the resources that he has at hand to communicate as best as he can from where he presently stands.
I love it, make me feel proud, cause the truth is most of the youth dem probably would not be doing anything close to what this man is doing, this Clifton seem to be the enterprising country man that used to be at the heart of the Jamaican culture but seems to have disappered with the turn of the last century to be replaced by an uncaring, sullen, kissteet youth which the culture now seesm to spawn at will. give us more Clifton's I say!!!
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