Articleexcerpt

Abstract
ThenationalbroadcasterinpostapartheidSouthAfricastillusesthe
rhetoricofnationbuildingandcommemoratingtheantiapartheidstruggle,
butitspracticefollowsneoliberalnormsofmaximisingrevenuefrom
advertisingonfictionalseriesthatcelebratetheconspicuousconsumption
ofthenewelite.Theendorsementofindividualconsumptionasthesignof
nationalprosperitysetsinsharprelieftherhetoricofsuccessthat
encouragesthehavenotmajoritytoidentifywithfictionsofaspiration
towardsaffluenceandthewealthgapthatmakesthisaspirationimpossible.
Althoughmosttelevisionfictionuncriticallyreproducesthisaspirational
narrative,recentseriessuchasGaz'lamandTheLABhavedramatisedthe
contradictionbetweenfictionsofconsumptionandtherealityofexclusion.
Ratherthanrehearsingtheantiapartheidformulaofheroicstruggleagainst
capitalism,however,theyperform'critiquebystealth',withthecunning
thatBrechtadvisedfor'tellingthetruthindarktimes'.Thesenarratives
acknowledgeaudienceidentificationwiththeglamorouslivesofcharacters
livingwellinJohannesburg,andwiththecommoditiesthatsignifytheir
status,butshowthesecharactersinconflictwiththeirclaimstopromote
thepublicgoodandwiththemajorityexcludedfromblackeconomic
empowerment.
Keywords:aspirationalnarrative,blackeconomicempowerment(BEE),
Brecht,consumption,Johannesburg,postapartheid,televisiondrama
Introduction
IntheopeningepisodeofTheLAB(2006),thedramaseriesnamedafter
principalpartnersLuzipho,AtkinsandBhengu,inanupstartinvestment
bankraisingfundsforwhiteblackpartnerships,PearlLuzipho,oncean
antiapartheidactivistandnowthefirm'sliaisontoformeractivistsin
government,deflectsawkwardquestionsfromayoungjournalist,Mbali.

ToMbali'saccusationthatLuziphoconfusestheempowermentofthe
majoritywiththeenrichmentofafewinacountrywhere,sheestimates,
'60percentofblackpeoplestillliveinpoverty',Luziphorespondsby
assertingthat'peoplewillshareinthecountry'swealthbutit'sgoingtotake
time',addingdefensivelythat'intheprocesssomepeoplewillgetwealthy
toholdthatagainstthemisbothspitefulanddestructive'.Laterthat
season,Luzipho'spartner'Jaws'Bhenguleaveshisskyscraperofficein
JohannesburgtovisitaformercomradeinKwaZuluNatal(KZN)wherea
miningcompany,apowerfulLABshareholder,isrefusingtocomplywith
workersafetystandards.Theconfrontationbetweentheactivistturned
capitalistandhiserstwhilecomrade,andthelatter'scapitulationtothe
company'sdubiouspracticesforthesakeofacommunitydesperatefor
jobs,highlightsthecontradictioninthepoliticaleconomybetweenthe
busyfinancialsectorandstaggeringunemploymentinsocietyatlarge,and
thusashiftfromclassconflictbetweenindustrialcapitalistsandunionised
workerstowardsaconflictbetweenspeculatorsmanipulatingother
people'scapital,andworkerswithoutjobsandthereforenolabourpower.
Thesescenesalsospotlightthetensionsthathaveemergedinthecultural
economy,betweenthecommemorationofstruggleheroesinmuseumsand
documentariesontheonehand,andthecelebrationofconspicuous
consumptionandemulationinmassmarketentertainmentontheother.
Thecelebrationofindividualconsumptionasthesignofnational
prosperitysetsinsharprelieftherhetoricofsuccessthatencouragesthe
havenotmajoritytoidentifywithfictionsofaspirationtowardsthebounty
oftheneweliteandthewealthgapthatmakesthisaspirationimpossible.
WhatdistinguishesTheLAB'scritiqueofpostapartheidcapitalismfrom
theanticapitalistnarrativesoftheapartheideraisfirstitsdramatisationof
contradictionsfromwithinanarrativewhosevisualelementshighlightthe
glamourofconspicuousconsumptionbytheBEE(BlackEconomic
Empowerment)eliteandthosewhoemulatethem,and,second,itsmeta
narrativerepresentationoftheconditionsofitsproduction.