Kenyan Television

So last night MB and I were looking for something to watch on tv (a difficult struggle).  We eventually ended up on the new version of 90210 which is being shown in syndication here.  It was one of the worst half-hours of television I've seen in my life.  However, funny thing, two kids started to make out in one part (no biggie, the thing shows on the CW in the US, it won't be that bad) BUT KENYA CENSORED IT!!!!  So bizarre.  Speaking of bizarre-
Kenya is about to get a new constitution, also, the FIFA World Cup arrived in Nairobi on its tour through Africa (not that anyone won it yet, FIFA's just showing it off).  Which do you think received a half hour of the hour long evening news cast?
[Jeopardy music]
That's right!  The FIFA World Cup arriving in Nairobi!  They interviewed goldsmiths about how much it costs (even though it's really a symbolic item), stood next to it and took pictures, had an in-depth analysis of why Kenya hasn't been to the World Cup, etc.  How long did they spend on the new constitution?  Oh, you know, it was in the ticker and there was a brief (less than a minute) mention in the broadcast.  I can't tell if this is due to censoring or if people are just insane about 'football' here to the point of ignoring their own democratic process.  I really hope that it was censoring.
When MB and I watch TV in the new apartment we normally choose something American because neither of us can explain to the other when bizarre things happen on Kenyan TV shows and they're normally poorly acted, the sound quality is bad, and they're half in Swahili/Sheng (slang Swahili), which can make comprehension extremely difficult.  When I was with my host family there were several shows that I did watch though that were interesting for a variety of reasons:
Fruit Salad: A drama about a Luo man and Kikuyu woman (the two main tribes that fought during the Post Election Violence) and how their families don't understand their love and try to separate them.  It's interesting because it brutally demonstrates the racist stereotypes that people use about each tribe and is obviously an attempt to relieve ethnic tension.  It seems that every time the media tries to use shows to teach a lesson they do it as obviously as possible for example...
Tahidi High: Is intended to be a comedy (it's not really that funny) about a bunch of secondary school students (the actors are obviously pushing 30) and their teachers (the headmaster is the man who does Omo commercials- see below).  The episode that I watched in its entirety (Storm over Paradise wasn't on) was advocating for students to 'kuchill' or wait to have sex.  There was no aspect of 'hiding' the lesson within the story- the story was the lesson.  I came away from the episode feeling like I had been bludgeoned with the message.  It was also mildly awkward to watch with my host mamma, but we had a lot of fun clicking our tongues in shame at the various boys that were the 'bad' ones that were pressuring a younger one.
Telenovellas and Asian Soap Operas:  The most popular, by far, of this category is Storm over Paradise, a telenovella from Mexico (I think) which features- a mermaid, a woman with cancer that stole another woman's identity, a man with one arm that has had affairs with every woman in town, and (as of last night) a spurned fiance that became blind in a massive car crash after the woman with cancer that stole the mermaid's identity cut the brakes of his car in order to kill his fiance that was cheating on him with the woman with cancer's husband!  [insert highly dramatic music here]
It's obviously escapist television, which is probably why it's so popular with the Mammas that live in Ayany.  The dubbing is AWFUL though- all of the characters have the most bizarre voices, and several I'm pretty sure suck helium before doing their readings.  Additionally, there's a woman that's meant to be French that has the most confusing French accent I've ever heard (also, I'm not sure what she's doing in Mexico).  Here's a clip of a fight- there's one in EVERY episode (and normally the woman with cancer's wig falls off and everyone looks surprised- really people?  it happens EVERY TIME!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjV61JlbeVY
Also- in the opening montage there are at least 5 massive across the face, super intense slaps.  In one the guy totally hauls his arm back to hit the woman with cancer.  It's so crazy!
There's so much more to say about Storm Over Paradise... the insanity never ends.  There's also a number of other telenovellas and soap operas but all this writing about Storm has me exhausted.  In depth analysis of Kenyan commercials soon!  It's like the Superbowl everyday here...