AKA: Our Black Mirror

Continually Rest in Peace AKA

The month of February is here, a whole year after taking with it a legendary artist, AKA. It is a sad and dark world we live in, where a life can be snuffed out so callously. If I’m honest I myself did not listen to AKA’s music, but the manner in which he died shook me to my core. It reminded me of a particular episode of Black Mirror.

If you’ve never watched Black Mirror, it’s a series that revolves around potential dystopian futures we could live, based on our growing dependence on technology. In one such scenario, we find a woman being chased maniacally through the streets. In an ode to Nightmare on Elm Street, a hooded figure stalks and harasses her. That’s not the worst part of it by any means, no, the worst part is at every point of this harrowing journey, she meets random strangers who record every moment of her torture. She reaches out to them for help, grasping desperately, but all they do is step back out of her reach as they continue to film her.

By the end of the episode, it becomes clear that she and her boyfriend mutilated and murdered a little girl and this eternal nightmare is her punishment. Once the revelation is shared with her, her memory is erased and the whole nightmare begins again.

How does this tie in with the untimely death of  AKA, you ask? CCTV footage of the fatal gunshot that ended his life was circulated to thousands, no, millions before the day was out. This begs the question of our humanity; our endless fascination with death and our mortality. This is heightened even more so in the lives of the rich and famous, the few that live like royalty. Death becomes oddly more fascinating whereas we could never fathom that these few, these elite stars could succumb to death just as we all will.

This also isn’t the first time this has happened. When Ginimbi died in a fiery inferno, crowds gathered around the debris, recording the gut-wrenching screams that rent the night air as they perished. No one made a move to assist, I mean granted I wouldn’t know what to do with a burning car and trapped victims, but I would surely do something.These crowds chose to watch, just to watch. As if to bear witness to this macabre melee of destruction would give their lives more meaning.

It breaks my heart to think of the family members who had to watch as their loved ones died over and over again, like it was fast food entertainment on the cheap. It scares me to think that I will raise my children in a world that draws and feeds on the suffering of others.

In closing I can only ask the question, “What would you do?” What would you do when faced with the pain and suffering of others? I ask because, believe it or not, we as individuals make up the global populus that is our world. It may seem as if your choice doesn’t make a difference, but it would, it does. I hope AKA’S friends, fans and the Forbes finds peace, healing and comfort, as do all those who have had to watch their loved ones die.

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