A Stray Email...

An email sent not long ago...

I just wanted to remind you all about Moondog Max...the mad boxer who used to eat glass (?) and talk funny on TV...as in ZTV1...not Joy TV...well, sometimes JoyTV...although, was JoyTV even invented back then?? I don't know. The point is; who names a TV channel JoyTV? It's a bitjie mal. Actually, maybe Moondog never ate glass, maybe that was someone else.

Still, thinking of him takes me back to when I was a little child, standing in the National Lottery section of the showgrounds during the Harare Agricultural Show, holding my bag of toy soldiers (which I would later destroy in a glorious shower of flame!). Don't know why; I don't think Moondog ever did make it to the Agricultural Show. Even though, he was every child's hero (or just mine I think). He represented the underlying insanity in society proper; an insanity we all harbour. Oh yes, we'd all love to eat glass and talk funny on TV...admit it.

He was indicative of the fact that anyone could make it - even ludicrously crazed boxers who ate glass, talked funny on TV and never won a fight (well, maybe he did, but I like to think he didn't and, for dramatic effect, you will too!). The next point is; I don't think anyone could make it like Moondog did in Zimbabwe nowadays. No-one could come close to capturing the hearts and minds of the nation in the way he did; not even Morgan. As soon as he became famous, every man woman and child on every street corner began to imitate his stupid voice (especially the coloured community, who thought it was hilarious!) In truth, it WAS hilarious, but it was also a symbolic rebellion against 'normal' society - this one man was absolutely insane and his voice was completely out of the ordinary and yet he was able to make his mark on us 'normal' people; a mark which has stayed with us. You don't find people imitating Morgan on street corners.

The greatest achievement of any leader is to have his people imitating him. It's basic psychology, people imitate people they have a connection with - whether it be good or bad (Franz Fanon, Master and Slave Paradigms - case in point). People imitated Henry VIII...and he was a bit of a twat quite frankly, and was the worst type of womaniser! But people remembered him, and still do (Henry the Tudor Dude?). And when people remember you, they respect you to some extent. Robert Mugabe has already reserved HIS place in history. And people will be ecstatic in 2000 years when they remember him because they'll say to each other, "remember Robert Mugabe? Glad he's dead, he was such a dickhead!"

To that end then, I don't think Zimbabwe needs food, clean water, a GDP over US$1.1 trillion, or even stable economic conditions. It needs another Moondog Max, who'll broadcast his stupid antics to the nation and make everything okay, making everybody happy when they imitate and remember him. I raise my glass to Moondog; who was a social revolutionary in the truest sense of the term.

Peace and love
Ishy

P.S. was his name Moondog Max or something else? Have I just negated the point I was trying to get across?

P.S.S. How is everybody?