The hidden faces of the Balthazar phenomenon

A case of Ms, coming from Equatorial Guinea, shakes public opinion in several countries. It is the so -called Balthazar affair, a summary of realities often passed over in silence, until they burst in broad daylight. Although this affair differs from the scandal “Dubai Porta Potty” of 2022, where influencers were involved in extreme practices in exchange for gifts or money, disturbing.

When society reaches a state of decay, these events arise to reveal what was hidden. As long as it remains outside the public sphere, everything seems to be going well. But how many anonymous people, in cities as in villages, swap their favors to ensure their daily subsistence? Today, the most flourishing trade seems to be that of wild evenings, amplified by the phenomenon of “bizi girls” and “bizi boys”.

While social networks ignite, the arrival of King Nasir, an actor of erotic films, in Nigeria provoked the exultation of an admirer, thus illustrating a striking contrast in the reaction of Internet users.

A Hypocritus company?

The viral spread of sextape videos on social networks and in the media reflects a reality that escapes many. The lack of healthy leisure, the loss of values, and the attraction for rapid money have transformed daily life. Although these phenomena are not new, social networks give them a disproportionate magnitude in our globalized world.

We are thus witnessing the public exhibition of stories of secret relations involving personalities, transformed into scandals of må “urs or accusations of sexual assault. The quest for success and recognition pushes some to become” stage animals “, until they give in to their impulses, with disastrous consequences. Our society produces” supermen “and then reject them as soon as they show their human share.

What lessons do?

After the scandal “Dubai Porta Potty”, which revealed influencer in search of fast earnings, here came that of the “Balthazarians”, women of high society who denounce some. Videos, shot by Balthazar with partners apparently aware of their role, shock in the African context. Even if erotic films production companies exist on the continent, the recognition of actors in these videos, their social status and their marital situation have added to the scandal.

Beyond the nonexistent formalization of this activity and the apparent lack of screening tests, the viral diffusion of these videos seems above all to be a kind of collective outlet. The workplace used for these recordings, without the professional framework for conventional erotic productions, has accentuated fantasies rather than regulating the situation.

Shared guilt?

Balthazar’s act is indefensible. It strikes human sensitivity and female dignity. But for a long time, society seems to have given up its role as a guardian of moral standards. The escape of videos, if they were intended to remain deprived, seems to have achieved the objective of those who are at the origin. But the latter are also guilty of having broadcast compromising content.

The continuation of this case should be done by preserving the sensitivity of the public. However, in a context where social networks have taken precedence over the traditional media, often with an unclean goal, can we really complain about the consequences of virality? “You can’t cry and sweeten baobab at the same time,” says an African proverb.