If J’Truth is going to be awarded for his “social and political activism”, then we might as well award Prime Minister Gaston Browne for his crass and abusive public commentary.
The mere idea that anyone anywhere in Antigua and Barbuda could have thought that J’Truth was worthy of an award is just frightening.
The man is either pretending to be unhinged or is literally unhinged. He seems to enjoy putting on a public persona that borders on apparent madness.
He literally prefaces his performances (as that is what they should be called) with the words “nothing in this live video should be taken as fact or truth and is for entertainment only”. He himself has told us not to take him seriously. Why are we then taking him seriously?
We got news recently that he’d been awarded by a group called the Antigua and Barbuda Gospel Music and Media Awards (ABGMA) for his “social activism”. The man defames, attacks, and threatens people. How is that commendable?
His award was styled “The Leonard Tim Hector Impact Award for Social Activism”. What?
Why has someone defecated on our national history and or collective intelligence by doing us the disservice of associating the likes of a political activist, orator, and journalist, like Leonard Tim Hector – a man whose commentaries were well-researched, fact-based, highly articulate, and very critical – with a man who tells us at the beginning and in the middle of his videos that he is a joke?
If a commentator does not even have the balls to stand behind what they are saying – if they have to run from responsibility by claiming that they are not serious and that this is just for entertainment – why are they being held up to us as worthy of praise? Praise for what? For being able to hit the live button on Facebook?
People want an audience and notoriety, but no associated responsibility to be accurate, fair, and critical with the mic in front of them.
How are people now being awarded for screaming obscenities into a mic, lavishing whomever they wish with abuse, disparaging people, and attacking anyone they feel like attacking? What is this banana republic media that we love so much?
Antiguans and Barbudans ought never to forget that in order to be impactful as a voice in the media, a person need not be vile, or crass, or shameless, or aggressive.
Whether they want to speak loudly or softly, whether they want to use plain English or dialect, or whether they are calm or impassioned is of little consequence. All that is required is that you be accurate, critical, and fair.
Accuracy means they’re dealing with facts, not assumptions and claims without evidence or basis, and not opinions disguised as facts. Critical means their subject matters are relevant. They are not sidestepping the real issues. They are not censoring themselves.
Fairness means that they have heard competing perspectives and given each a chance. They have presented information supporting and opposing different conclusions. They have pushed no agenda beyond supporting lawfulness and integrity generally. They have taken nothing further than the facts and reasonableness should allow.
There is surely nothing wrong with social commentator who is impassioned, loud, and highly critical in their commentaries. But spouting lies, being crass, defaming people, cursing freely, and pappyshowing oneself are not worthy of an accolade.
And why has the United Progressive Party associated itself with this clown J’ Truth?
He now openly supports the UPP in his videos, seems to have a show on the UPP-aligned Crusader Radio, and was most recently hosted on Observer Radio by former UPP minister, now Observer host, Dr. Jacqui Quinn to big him up for his award and his “social activism”.
Is this the same Observer that just lost hosts from the morning show and the Sunday show? They are now giving legitimacy to the likes of J’Truth, a man who appears sweaty and disheveled in his videos while screaming and cursing at people?
The UPP keeps alienating many of us right-thinking people in order to appeal to others who enjoy this sort of base crassness and these crass personalities.
Some of us are going out to vote, not because we believe in them, but because we want to see the back of Gaston Browne. But it’s getting to the point where we may just stay home as a ** you to both parties.
Antonino Joseph
Wowww. Interesting read. J truth is a jackass period point blank.. Does this award have international recognition.. Them again I doubt that’s even any reputable entity cause no right thinking person could award that idiot anything