When following the lives of our favourite rich or famous celebrities, we tend to fall in love with their journeys. In watching them on TV, reading about them in magazines or following their daily exploits on social media, we get to take part in all the glory that is their exciting ascent into success. This proximity and fan fair create virtual friends of our popular idols.
However, there comes a time when these distant friends become foes. Pitch Black Afro is no family-friendly rapper when muddled in gender-based violence. Bill Cosby isn’t the friendly grandpa who hugs kids and keeps them away from drugs. While the living might have the great advantage of moulding their image, it is those who have passed who leave a residue of unresolved scandals.
Take the late Shona Ferguson, who now sits as one of SA's most revered filmmakers. On the verge of kick-starting a film school for future film aficionados, Ferguson has always opened the door to new talent, created a space for screen novices as well as veterans.
Yet, what Ferguson also leaves behind are the classic traits of a broken film industry. With many screen legends often screwed over and left with less than they deserve, the South African film industry has become a titan of using and abusing young and old talents. Stations continue to profit from TV shows that actors can’t earn from and many are left forever scarred by unresolved mental and physical abuse that has been left swept under the carpet.
Ferguson contributed to this culture through those he screwed over. Award-winning actor, Vatiswa Ndara was one of the most famous cases. Coincidentally, Ndara was blackballed by many in the industry — a fate Ferguson himself has survived by those who doubted his talent and place as an actor.
The Fergusons have taken on business in what could almost be shrewd, especially when looking back at the apathetic manner in which they dealt with Mlamli Mangcala. While he has brought a lot of joy, positivity and much-needed change in the TV industry, Ferguson will forever have a chapter in the darker side of the industry that does not protect its talents.
When industry giants such as Michael Jackson or Ferguson pass, what becomes of the culture of holding them accountable, how do you cancel a dead celebrity? How do you expect them to fix the mess of their actions and perhaps most importantly, do we excuse the transgressions and just move along like nothing happened?
The way in which the Fergusons conducted business now leaves Connie, Ferguson’s wife, with the difficult task of taking the reins. While this is a powerful role for a woman in the industry, it is also one that could become burdensome. With Shona as a business partner, Connie does not get flak as a woman in the corporate world.
Should any actor, producer, costume designer or best boy speak out about unfair treatment, Connie would be painted as a wicked businesswoman incapable of compassion and being too emotional, a critique plaguing many women in power and a critique that would never exist with Shona by her side.
This is also an unfair critique that would shift the public’s view of Connie, who displays great wealth much like her husband. While it was well-earned enjoyment for both, it can easily spin perceptions of Connie from a dame in Dior to a devil who wears Prada.
Shona’s death is a great reason to celebrate his victories in the industry but it is also a good time to look back at how we have treated the people within it. While it may be unfair to expect a drastic change at such a sensitive time, what similar courtesies were paid to the likes of Ndara in their times of duress.
Many actors have shared what could have been nearly fatal experiences in their attempt to keep up with acting roles that are easily tossed aside, so how long will the mourning period of Shona last when there is immediate change needed to ensure that actors who have been screwed over are not left in the rubble?
We love all of our respective celebrities but it would seem some of their journeys become more important than others. Do we still “stand with Vatiswa Ndara” if it means stomping on the grave of Shona Ferguson?
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