The bond between a father and his daughter is often celebrated as something special, but when a popular filmmaker, Kunle Afolayan, shared a video of himself dancing with his daughter, Eyiyemi, at the premiere of his new Netflix movie series titled, ‘Anikulapo Series: Rise of Spectre’, sparked controversy.
Many people were of the opinion that the dance was sensual, thus inappropriate between a father and daughter, especially one who is believed to be a teenager.
In an interview with Saturday Beats, a clinical psychologist, John Eze, stated that cultural norms and family dynamics often influenced perceptions of appropriateness. He said, “It depends on the culture. For example, Igbos are more liberal than Hausas. It also depends on whether or not the child’s mother is alive.
“If the man and his daughter find it comfortable, it should not be a problem. But, if the girls find it uncomfortable, two things may occur— she could move away from her father and refuse to continue dancing with him, or she could get attracted to the father, which could be a serious problem. Someone close to them should have monitored what was happening.”
Another psychologist, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, stated that generational differences and evolving societal norms often challenged traditional boundaries, especially as regards what is considered appropriate in today’s world, as opposed to the past.
They said, “She (Kunle’s daughter) is at an age where hormones are raging so, from the cultural, religious and psychological perspective, it is inappropriate. I am wondering what message the father is passing across to the crowd. Whatever the message was, it was not well done. We just saw that incident…what if that had been going on for a while?
“Meanwhile, young people of Gen Z, tend to practise a lot of things. It seems that some of the things that were not appropriate in my generation might be appropriate in this dispensation.”
However, apparently unmoved by backlash, Kunle wrote on Instagram, “Love surpasses everything. Do I look like…”
Quadri Olaitan is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering news, public affairs, and human-interest stories.
