Caribbean: Miss Lou - Seriously.
Thursday, August 31 @ 00:25:42 UTC |  By Ras Clarke
This is a difficult one. We Caribbeans are notoriously protective of our icons, institutions and exemplars. It is as though anything less than perfection will just not do, so we find it impossible to admit the tiniest dint in a 100% record. Worst of all, we seem to have no sense of humour about it, blurring the line between humanity and holiness. In Jamaica, Bob Marley jokes are simply not on, and don't you dare suggest any possibility that his attitude to women might have been a little unevolved. You could love his music and his wisdom a little more - the joke is not on. Brian Lara is one of Trinidad's sacred cows, and being his biggest fan is no protection if you tease his crankiness. Don't do it, boy.
I admire the freedom with which satirists in some countries take on anyone and anything. Maybe the humour is sometimes extreme for my tastes, but the principle might be acceptable: real greatness is immune to satire, and sometimes an unpleasant truth can do more than a ton of gold-plated platitudes. That said, I have no issue with Louise Bennett-Coverly, nor her alter-ego Miss Lou, just a couple questions about her.
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