One way or another, you have heard of Cinderella’s story.
Its modern retelling for global audiences involves a young woman who lives with her stepmother and siblings.
During the course of them abusing her kindness and worse – leaving her to look ugly – the family finds out that the local prince is looking to marry.
While Cinderella’s step siblings set to attend the ball being held by the royal family, our main character is left to clean the house after the mess of helping her siblings prepare.
At the end, a fairy godmother notices the struggles of this pretty girl with a kind heart and uses a little magic to help her get to the ball.
After being the slay queen of the night and leaving one expensive yet recyclable shoe behind, the prince hunts her down and they live happily ever in riches.
Though it’s painted as a moral story on being kind to others and a lofty tale of meritocracy, Cinderella manages to be one of the most materialistic and vapid stories out there.
Whether it’s in the books, oral stories or movies, it is made very clear that Cinderella is a beautiful woman and the story is framed so as to create sympathy for her.
This is especially heightened by how both her step-siblings are horrible along with being wildly unattractive.
I can’t help but see parallels in the lessons of Cinderella and the SA celebrity landscape.
This big glow up Cinderella gets is something many people still wish for today.
The idea that your unseen potential is finally tapped and displayed for all the world to see, including your haters, whether they are family or not, leaving them to seethe and live miserable lives.
We see it in celebrities like Shimza who recently caught heat after he attempted to give an opportunity to aspirant graphic designers.
He sent out a tweet asking to review sample designs for a new logo they could make for him.
While at surface level this seems harmless and a great opportunity from the Thembisa-born superstar, it fell on wary ears as many entrepreneurs in the creative space have often been duped into using their resources for free only to have them ripped off.
There are cases where mock-ups are requested and instead of paying the original designer’s price, people often run to other creatives for the same creation at a cheaper price.
What followed was a series of entitled posts and videos from Shimza that suggested what he was doing was for the greater good, and that he was offering opportunities.
As a DJ who was supported by his family and, as revealed in the aforementioned videos, was afforded the space to access great opportunities in his decades-long career, Shimza could not relate to the reluctance that other creatives feel having not enjoyed the privilege and support he has.
Instead, Shimza’s smoother transition into superstar becomes the beacon of exemplar standards on how to pay one’s dues rather than a moment for him to understand how someone does not feel comfortable with the opportunity he gives that borders on exploitative, especially as someone who was under fire for his involvement in the unethical debacle with the minister of tourism, Lindiwe Sisulu.
I can’t help but feel Shimza is stuck in some kind of Cinderella effect.
The fable has a subliminal message that material gain is afforded to those who are deemed deserving.
By accessing this they can find success rather than evolving or changing the system.
From charity drives to vague opportunities, they solve systemic issues by doing small acts of kindness.
They become the heroes while those they “help” wait for yet another Prince Charming to host a ball that will help them too.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.