Proverb – Kampala, Uganda

Nationality: Ugandan
Age: 16
Occupation: Student
Residence: Van Nuys, CA
Performance Date: April 15, 2008
Primary Language: English
Language: Luganda

Omugaaga       Tabba             Nanzina

A rich              never has         dance style

My friend Julius used this proverb a lot. The first time I heard him say was at our high school graduation dance party. Julius was not the best of dancers around and he used this proverb for his defense. In essence he jokingly misused the proverb. The right way to use the proverb is a case where people just laugh and cheer instead blaming or booing when a rich or renowned person does something that is considered inaccurate or inappropriate by that particular society. An example is when a rapper calls his fans bitches and whores. Instead of them walking out of the show, they just continue shouting and dancing. Of course if a regular person on the street called someone a bitch or a whore, the reaction would be different.

In essence, I think that this proverb is meant to give rich – and not to mention famous individuals – power to influence the society. They can effortlessly break society norms and create their own because people believe that whatever they (the rich) do is right.

Analysis

I like Peter’s explanation of the proverb. His explanation makes it easy to relate to this proverb – especially in the American culture. In America, it is just ridiculous how the media glorifies the rich people especially movie stars and musicians. Like it or not, the rich have a very big influence on an average person’s culture. For example, it is always the movie stars that are hyped as society’s sex symbols.  Of course he or she becomes a sex symbol after he or she becomes rich and famous.

The rich and famous have such a big influence on culture that it is almost too easy for them to change our dress style. An example is the hip-hop culture today. If we did not have rappers dressing on baggy jeans, that fashion would seize to exceed. People are so obsessed with famous that they would fall for every style people do. Pamela Anderson gets a breast implant and all the little girls go around looking for surgeons because they think bigger is better. That is how much influence these famed individuals have on the people and culture at large.