Yizo Yizo as Entertainment-Education: ‘Foot in The Door’ or ‘in Your Face’?

YizoYizo (‘this is it’/ ‘the way it is’) is a South African multi-series drama. The first two series deal with the experiences of learners at a township high school, while the third series focuses on the personal growth of protagonists, post-school, as they move away from the township to the inner city in pursuit of employment and higher education. According to the paper, the goal of the series was to create dialogue and generate debate, to educate audiences about the crisis in township schools and explore impedimants to education. The strategy for doing this included representing real life experiences in a graphic manner, often with violent images.

The analysis attempts to assess whether or not these aims and objectives were lost in the style of the programme. This generates further debate as to the nature of the programme in relation to criticisms levelled against it:

• Is the inclusion of representations of violence necessary to the story?
• In other words, to what extent is the level of violence in the series justified?
• What purpose did the rape scenes serve?
• Are representations of violence and gender relations in YizoYizo necessary to articulating the ultimate aim of the narrative?
• What is the significance of having the series informed by real-life experiences?
• How does this impact representation?

This paper assesses the role of the drama series as entertainment-education. It examines the ‘graphic’ approach chosen by the series, and questions the significance of violent images and language in furthering the aims of the series.

According to the author , YizoYizo 1 exposes the harsh conditions of some township high schools. There are images of a general demise of the culture of learning and teaching, and the ever-present threats of violence within and outside school premises (rape, hostage drama, murder, attempted murder, harassment, bullying, corporal punishment, hijacking, ‘community justice’, etc). Although the last few episodes of YizoYizo 1 attempt to resolve some of these issues, a key concern remains the lack of closure for many of these issues and more significantly in terms of entertainment-education, the lack of clarity around social messages.

The hour-long second series allowed for the development of character and attempted to bring closure to some of the key issues raised in the first series (rape & drug abuse, crime). The second series explores drug abuse and the tragic effects of addiction, eating disorders, xenophobia against fellow Africans (Nigerians in particular), sexuality and reflects the ever-present threat of sexual harassment and HIV/AIDS. According to the paper, the imperative to acknowledge the presence of violence and HIV/AIDS in the daily lives of all South Africans is commendable. However the ability to deal with violence against women and HIV/AIDS in a sustained manner is questionable.

The paper states that it is important to question representations of violence in a dramatic form to audiences living the reality. For example, while the series aims to create dialogue about these very real challenges, it also uses violence for dramatic intent. The anxiety, tension and suspense created around violent acts contribute to the drama of and that is, YizoYizo. This is supported by what is often referred to as ‘bad’ language (swearing and sexual innuendoes) in the series. The author states that the use of colloquial, indigenous, African languages is commendable as it challenges the hegemony of the English language in telling the stories of and constructing meanings for African language speakers. Similarly, according to the creators of the series, this ‘street language’ is significant in authenticating the experiences of township youth and ‘telling it like it is.’

The Community Agency for Social Enquiry (CASE) and the South African Institute for Distance Education (SAIDE) were responsible for the evaluation of YizoYizo2. While some parents claimed the series impacted negatively on the behaviour of learners, the research highlighted the overwhelming positive response by learners to the second series. According to “YizoYizo2: The evaluation” (SABC Education, 2002), the following were some of the findings:

• Among learners who said the series had a positive impact, more than 90% felt that YizoYizo2 encouraged them to become more active in school life.
• Over 80% agreed that learners have the power to improve things at their school.
• At the end of the series, 75% of learners who watched YizoYizo2 said criminals should be handed over to police; compared with 55% who said this half way through the series (after episode six).
• 90% of learners surveyed said they discussed issues arising from YizoYizo2 with their friends.
• About 71% of learners who watched YizoYizo 2 agreed that criminals could repent and become better people.
• 99% of learners and 95% of parents said YizoYizo2 had positive messages.

In addition to these lessons, the series was complemented by ongoing dialogue about
issues raised in the series. It was also supported by the following supplementary material, which not only supported issues raised in ‘the series’, but also advanced the aims of YizoYizo:

• Printed material: a youth magazine (600 000 copies of which were distributed in a weekly, national newspaper), weekly articles in the Sowetan and a guide for educators.
• Radio and Television initiatives: talkshows on SABC radio and television

Please note: The online version of this paper has been removed from its former location. If we become aware of another location, we will add a link in the future. For now, if you are interested in a copy of the full paper, please contact Rene Smith at the address indicated below.