Vlog the pain
Athlete Jade turns to social media when her life falls to pieces…
Keeping Score Mon-Tue SABC2 (*192) 21:30
When Jade (Gaosi Raditholo) arrived at the ASA gym back in December 2016, nothing about her past was known. But she can’t keep her secret much longer and from Monday 6 March, trouble comes creeping out the closet for the teen.
LET IT ALL OUT
Gaosi explains that “it’s been a tough road for Jade. She hasn’t come to terms with most of the traumatic experiences that she’s had in her life. So to let go of her pain and express herself, she begins a video diary on the internet [a vlog, on Tuesday 7 March]”. This video diary lets Jade tell people about her battle with depression, her family background and her secret: that she was gang raped as a youngster. Gaosi adds that “Jade starts talking about the dark parts in her life that still haunt her – especially her rape ordeal. She finds talking to a camera therapeutic and uses this vlog as a way to find calm and inner peace.”
SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
But that inner peace becomes outer turmoil when her vlog goes viral on Monday 13 March. “Jade didn’t expect her video to become an overnight sensation. She’s facing a problem when her viewers give her negative feedback and even bully her online. Jade feels guilty for having expressed herself and she feels bad for starting her diary,” says Gaosi. And it gets worse – ASA owner and Jade’s coach Justice (Saint Seseli) is furious about the video diary and the actress explains that “Jade’s in serious trouble with Justice – her online antics reflect badly on the academy. It gives ASA a bad name in the media and that is the last thing Justice needs now.”
Justice even threatens his athlete later on Monday 13 March and tells Jade that he’ll dump her from the academy books if she continues her vlog. “It’s a lesson for Jade and to viewers as well that one must understand the consequences of social media before expressing yourself on these social platforms,” warns Gaosi. On Tuesday 14 March, Jade reluctantly removes her video diary but that doesn’t mean she’s going to forget about the pains from her old life…