A few days ago, a Hollywood celebrity dropped the bombshell on us. It was Sunday morning, and while some people were at church, and some others were in bed feeling guilty about not going to church, this famous aunty just casually posted a picture of herself making fufu in her kitchen, in a denim jacket and a baseball hat:
Photo credit: www.instagram.com
Oh, the uproar that sprung from that tweet. The controversy. Ghanaians and Nigerians battled over who really owned fufu. This was abnormal because, on every other day, when I see people talk about the staple food on Twitter, it is only to comment on how smelly it is and how they would never have it for breakfast. Now they wanted to patent it and stamp it all over with their country’s flag.
This sudden turn around was particularly funny because, the last time Keri Hilson trended on the social platform, it was because she had expressed negative comments about the media darling, Beyonce, and was severely tongue-lashed, all day long, forcing her to tweet this:
Photo credit: www.celebritypop.com
…and making me feel rather sorry for her. However, everyone has forgotten about her past skirmishes, because food has a way of alleviating other problems. People were quick to commend her culinary efforts. “Oh, she is not like all these feminists.” “She is so open-minded. Look, she is cooking for her African boyfriend, and not buying him ‘Mr. Biggs’.” Boys were quick to tell the ladies to take note. To get their priorities straight. That no matter how high you aspire to reach in your career goals, remember that the kitchen is still your focal point.
Well. When I eventually pulled myself away from the hilarious reactions on my phone and went downstairs to prepare the Sunday lunch, I met my dad and my brother discussing over breakfast in the kitchen. My brother was briefing my dad over the same news and laughing at how Keri Hilson used this as a lesson to teach all the girls to go and learn how to cook. My father paused over his tea and asked “You said she’s a celebrity?” and my brother nodded yes. “Then she means that everybody should go learn how to cook. She doesn’t need to be in her kitchen either.”
And that is the message I want everyone to take from this incident. Don’t you agree?