Bright Okpocha, a Nigerian comedian also known as Basketmouth is known for his rib cracking jokes. But his latest rape punch line has provoked an outrage. It was not funny at all. It was the type of joke Nigerians like to refer to as ‘expensive’. Basketmouth had in a tweet which was also posted on his Facebook page compared dating white girls to dating African women. In the tweet, he recommended rape for members of the latter group who failed to give in to a man’s lustful advances after nine dates, which include dinners and shopping sprees. The joke was inconceivable. However, for those familiar with Nigerian comedy scene, it was nothing new. For long, Basketmouth, like many other Nigerian comedians, had always delighted in entertaining their audience with explicit and insensitive jokes that stereotype women and people with physical disability.
Such a joke as told by Basketmouth is the staple of many comic shows. No matter at whose expense the jokes were cracked. The audience, which also include women, do not seem to mind as they often pay appreciable sum to be part of sell-out comedy shows. In less than a decade, the Nigerian comedy scene has witnessed a boon. Comedians are raking in ‘monster’ appearance and endorsement fees from private and corporate clients. Never in the history of the entertainment industry had comedy been this lucrative. In the years when old school comedians like Gringory, Zebrudaya, Samanja, Baba Sala, strut the entertainment scene. Such jokes were rare. Now it seems the more explicit the joke, the bigger the audience with comedians smiling to the bank. In recent years since Ali Baba blazed the trail, the game has changed tremendously. Comedians like Basketmouth have changed the perception of comedians as unemployed ‘alawadas’. (Jesters)
