Launched on September 10, 2024, the reality TV show “The Bachelor”, presented by Emma Lohoues and broadcast on the Canal+ Africa channel, is causing heated controversy in several African countries. In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Burkina Faso and Niger, regulatory authorities have suspended or banned the broadcast of this program. They cite reasons linked to the protection of youth and respect for African cultural values.
“The Bachelor”, which is in its third season on Canal+ Africa, features a bachelor – Lamine Cissokho, a 34-year-old Senegalese, graduate in business law, banker, actor and model – having to choose a companion among twenty suitors . This format, inspired by Western reality TV, has sparked criticism in Africa for its competition between participants and the way it reduces the quest for love to a televised competition.
In Burkina Faso, the Higher Council of Communication (CSC) has just announced a ban on the broadcast of the third season of “The Bachelor”. In a press release, the regulator judged the issue “ stigmatizing for African women, non-protective of youth and contrary to the values and morals of the country“. Note that Wenky, the candidate from Burkina Faso, was the first to be eliminated for having stated that the most important thing in her opinion was the financial situation of her future spouse.
Similar accusations were made by the Higher Council of Communication of Niger, which also ordered the cessation of the broadcast of the program, considering that it undermines national values and the dignity of African women. At the same time, however, it is interesting to note the low representation of women in the government of this country.
In the DRC, similar arguments led to the suspension of the show. According to several sources, the Congolese authorities have also criticized the way in which the participants are represented. In particular the format of the show, where 20 suitors compete for the attention of a single man, perpetuates stereotypes harmful to the image of African women.
A debate on the adaptation of foreign audiovisual programs in Africa
The ban on “The Bachelor” in Burkina Faso, Niger and the DRC raises the question of the adaptation of Western audiovisual programs on the African continent. The show, very popular and appreciated by advertisers, comes up against the cultural sensitivities and moral demands of several countries, which denounce a negative influence on local values.
In September 2023, a similar debate broke out in Cameroon, where the channel “Canal+ Elles” was temporarily suspended for broadcasting programs deemed contrary to local morals, in particular due to “ obscene practices, with homosexual tendencies“. This suspension reflects the hardening of the position of certain African countries towards homosexuality. Indeed, it is now presented as going against traditional values and used politically as part of a desire for freedom from foreign influence.
Read also: Senegal and homosexuality: a complex and constantly evolving situation
Cooperation between States to harmonize broadcasting policies
The banning of “The Bachelor” by Burkina Faso and Niger is also part of a context of political rapprochement between these two countries and Mali, members of the Alliance of Sahel States. These three nations, which withdrew from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) after the political crisis in Niger, are now working together to harmonize their policies, including in the areas of communications and media .
For the moment, the broadcast of the show continues in other countries in the French-speaking sub-Saharan zone.
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