Of course the vuvuzela must stay. We started out this long hard 2010 World Cup journey with the vuvuzela and now why should we dump it because it offends European ears?
It is true, most of the people who are unhappy, freaked, offended, furious – whatever about the vuvuzela are white and are European. The South Africans who complain about it also trend to the paler complexions – and they aren’t real soccer fans.
True South African Football Supporters
Ask the true South African soccer supporters who go to their team’s matches week after week what they think about the vuvuzela … I believe they are the real custodians of soccer in South Africa.
I have watched matches in stadiums, including Bafana Bafana matches and I’ve enjoyed the experience. I watch the matches on television and I simply tune out the buzz of the vuvuz in the background.
One of the advantages we have here in South Africa of living in a multi-cultural society is that we have to learn to live with and respect customs, cultures and traditions of others.
Europe isn’t doing very well at the moment on the human rights front when we think of the right wing swing in the recent Dutch elections, the headscarf issues in France, the Neo Nazis in Germany.
Inability to Accept Differentness
I believe the vuvuzela issue is exactly the same. People with an inability to accept anything that is different- that doesn’t slot into their paradigm.
I have seen the most horrendous blogposts and tweets with racists remarks and hate speech against South Africa and South Africans all because people don’t like vuvuzelas.
Colonial and Patronising Attitude
I also sense a colonial and patronising attitude – like these people from Europe, especially, believe that we still need to do things their way to be acceptable. And they really think that right now while the tournament is underway they will be able to persuade FIFA to ban vuvuzelas from the matches…
Danny Jordaan – Vuvuzela Statement
And now I see that BBC Sport has sort of kind of twisted Danny Jordaan’s words around a bit – he has always said that vuvus would be banned from stadiums if they were used as weapons or landed on the pitch (I’m just hoping agitators don’t take this as an invitation) anyway this statement seem to have been spun into World Cup 2010: South Africa ponders Vuvuzela Ban
I love Vuvuzelas
OK I’ll confess – I love vuvuzelas. I have about 20. All different colours and I enjoy giving them to friends, especially to the children of my friends.
At the moment my best thing it to lean out of my window and blow my vuvuzela. I get two or three or four answering paarps from somewhere in the neigbourhood – and that is just so cool. Ayoba!
Popularity: 19% [?]
Being a white south african, now living abroad and loving the world cup fever. I find the noise really irritating – like a constant swarm of bees. How can you find this enjoyable ?
How dare all these overseas fans come here and criticise our vuvuzelas. What about the cricket matches in India with all that bloody noise that goes on but nothing is ever commented on about that. If you don’t like the way we support our team then GO BACK WHERE YOU CAME FROM.
As a South African, I am offended by your racist remarks.
blowers have thrown me – and many otheres out of the game.
I was also looking forward to the world cup, wanted to watch every match on TV. but I have stopped watching because of the noise. (and many of my friends too).
the horn distroyed everything. maybe the south africans wanted to have the games ALONE for themselves. they will succeed by letting the “vuvuzela” stay. the blowers have thrown me – and many others – out of the game.
When one reads lines like “When an african team lifts this world cup you gona moan that it was the vuvu and we not gona care cos europe suck and we blow
” by the faithful Vuvuzela defenders, you get an idea what it’s really all about.
Yes, go ahead and force your “culture” (sorry, but how pathetic would a culture be that’s based on barely 10 year old plastic trash? Having read columns by other, saner South Africans, I do in fact know that your real football culture is nothing like that, fortunately) on people all over the world, regardless of whether they’re annoyed like hell by that indifferent noise. Don’t be hospitable, which should be an attribute of good hosts, too. Go on blaming colonialism, racism and what not else as sources for the anger, cultivating your minority complex and distracting from the true grievance people from all parts of the world have with the complete absence of football atmosphere (just from reading a few comments here, my impression that most defenders of the Vuvuzela aren’t football fans at all is once again reaffirmed) And you’ll accomplish your mission of displaying your beatiful country in the worst way possible to the TV spectators around the world and of making sure that such an event won’t be hosted there for the next 500 years.
I agree that many of the comments about the vuvuzelas are racist and patronising but I don’t think that situation is improved by writing a blog that amplifies this into a broader racial or ‘post colonial’ issue. The point is quite simple for TV viewers around the world who have to try and listen to commentaries against a background of incessant and debilitating noise pollution. If fans want to blow their horns in the stadiums that’s fine but those of who can only watch on TV are suffering. The vuvuzela is not musical or rhythmic, it is just noise and I would also suggest that there is nothing particularly ‘cultural’ or ‘traditional’ about a plastic horn that has been marketed by an opportunistic manufacturer who is undoubtedly making a small fortune selling the things.
By all means, let the folks who enjoy them blow them but for the millions of us in the rest of the world who want to enjoy this Word Cup please support our campaign to have the noise filtered out of our TV commentaries. So far, this South African World Cup experience is turning into a thoroughly miserable TV experience that has to be endured rather than enjoyed. And I never thought that I would say that!
If things continue as they are on TV I will remember this World Cup as one of my most unpleasant TV experiences in forty years as a football supporter and, as a great friend of all things African, that is very very sad.
To “Youngy”, “Dreyer” and “Lemmy”:
Dreyer- I can tell you are an uneducated excuse for a human being from the simple fact that anyone who is arrogant enough to take the Lord’s name in vain is an absolute tosser. Your arguments fall nothing short of vacant opinion when your grammar and content is so utterly useless. Your inability to understand the concept of “culture” as well as your inability to construct a coherent sentence may almost be impressive… to the people who invented the wheel.
Youngy- You need to watch the games more closely son. The people blowing Vuvu’s in “non African” games are not Africans. They are tourists. Some people love them and some people hate them. What ever the case man, don’t be so flippin’ obnoxious and ignorant.
Lemmy- You consider yourself a non-racist because you’ve “worked with” black people? Sho, how incredibly open minded of you. But then you end your comment with “I will make jokes about South Africa and their n*gger horns”. . WHAT a noddy!
“Take the feelings of the guest nations seriously”. Damn, sorry dude, do you want a hug?
Look, I get that there are people who don’t like the noise. Fair enough. You are entitled to your opinion but at the end of the day it is just that- your opinion.
This is not Europe. It is not the Americas. It is Africa. AFRICA. Remember that. You are in our home and if you don’t like it then please go home to your safe-zone.
Someone mentioned the behavior of Brit thug supporters, lighting of flares, throwing toilet paper etc…
You don’t see us Africans beating up rival supporters after the game or being violent and disrespectful.
This isn’t worth my time- those of you who are bringing race into this should take a look at yourselves and PIPE DOWN.
We are African- whether we are black, white, blue or green. And we are proud of our heritage, our country, our culture, our AYOBANESS, our ability to realise that some of you are just not worth arguing against because you just aren’t smart enough to understand.
South Africa 2010- what a privilege. Welcome to our country and I hope you can get passed our “native culture” and enjoy the flawless beauty of our incredible nation. If you don’t like it here, then we hope you have a safe trip home.
God bless.
hi!
your bla bla misses the point!
this sound is symply ruining the nerves and the world cup for the whole world!
you self gave in that you have to turn down the sound when watching vuvuzela terror matches.
the only asses here are guys like you who even support this terror.
and no, i am absolutely no racist.
Stop the bus. I said the comments from the vuvu haters were racist – not vuvuhaters themselves. I’m glad you are such a devoted supporter. I am annoyed about the fact that people from other countries try to tell us how to be and how to celebrate. And J, sadly when it comes down to it, it is always about race. I never said anything about white South Africans being racist by the way – if you look at the pics on my blog, many are of white friends at soccer matches blowing vuvus
I’m overwhelmed by the support of the whole of South Africa for Bafana Bafana.
Don’t you want to do me a blogpost with photos of your vuvuzelas – I didn’t think anyone else collected them.
Well, i love different cultures, but vuvuzelas is not a matter of accepting different cultures. You cant talk, you cant hear, you cant hear a match ON TV!. I love your culture, but this is, simply, annoying.
[...] This guy sums up my take on the matter. [...]