Oscars Slap: Five times Nigerian Comedians cracked expensive jokes

Where do comedians draw the line between funny and offensive? This question plagued people’s minds worldwide after a video of the famous actor Will Smith slapping popular comedian Chris Rock went viral.

The 2022 Oscars award ceremony was a night that would remain relevant for decades. A few hours into the ceremony, there was a slight altercation between Will Smith and Chris Rock after Rock joked about Smith’s wife, Jada’s, Pinkett’s bald head caused by Alopecia.

This incident sparked many conversations on social media, and trust Nigerians to find a way to localise it. However, during the online debate of who was right or wrong, a few Nigerian celebrities began to call comedians out, accusing them of committing the same offence as Rock.

Over the years, Nigerian comedians have been known to make offensive jokes that did not sit well with some people. Here are five times Nigerian comedians made expensive jokes.

1. Bovi

This famous Delta State-born comedian is no stranger to making expensive jokes about people. However, following the incident at the Oscars, music executive Ubi Franklin called Bovi out on Instagram for an insensitive joke he made about Ubi and his kids during the 2021 Headies awards.

Citing the Will-Chris incident, Ubi sternly warned Bovi not to make a joke about his family and made it clear the action that might follow if he did.

Read his statement below.

“This is the way now, and you yab me we get on it straight.

Or you yab me, and I yab you with receipts of the things the world doesn’t know right on my page here, and we will go anywhere you want from there.

Comedy should not be used as a decoy to disrespect people on National TV.

BOVI, you did this at last year’s “Headies”, and I sent your friends and close alleys to warn you, do not to try it again.

I am struggling with stuff and trying to put myself together, and you go on live TV to talk about my kids? BOVI? Until next time.

Thank you.”

Resulting from Ubi’s threat to Bovi came mixed reactions. Famous comedian I Go Save uploaded a video tackling Franklin for bringing up an issue over a year ago. He also accused Franklin of instigating destructive perceptions about comedians in the mind of Nigerians.

The video went viral, and Ubi sent a message to the comedian, threatening to expose his secrets about “not taking care of his wife and kid” to the entire world.

I Go Save posted the screenshot with a sarcastic tone, panicking at his supposed secret getting exposed.

2. Akpororo

Let’s flash our minds back to when Akpororo called out an innocent attendee at Ay’s shows. In a video uploaded on YouTube in February 2022, during his performance, he insulted the suit a man wore, comparing it to a Ghana must-go bag and calling the man an usher.

Hurt by the statement, and the man clapped back at Akpororo. In retaliation, Akpororo called him less privileged in addition to a few abusive names.

While the audience thought the mini- quarrel was over, Akpororo fuels the fire, calling the man poor and describing him as possessing the features of a human pet.

It took the intervention of the host, Ay, who pursued Akpororo off the stage.

Akpororo yab this guy sha…chai 😂 😂 😂

3. Helen Paul and Gordon

Sometimes, expensive jokes are exchanged between comedians. For example, Helen Paul and Gordons were invited to perform at 2015 Ay’s show in Port Harcourt. During Helen’s routine, she made fun of being unable to marry some comedians because of their dress sense, saying Gordon dresses like a herbalist.

Reciprocating the gesture, Gordon also made fun of her, insulting her legs and highlighting that she was unmarried. Then, things got heated between both comedians as Helen came onstage and ridiculed him for not having an endorsement.

4. Seyi Law

Famous musician 2baba was at the centre of this expensive joke. Seyi law made a sexual joke during Kiss Daniel’s New Era Album launch in 2016 and referenced it to 2baba, who was in attendance with his wife, Annie Idibia.

Judging from the look on his face, it was evident that he did not find the joke amusing. He began screaming how the joke was dry and not funny from where he sat. Though Seyi Law tried to make a joke from his comments, 2baba kept shushing him, demanding he says something funny.

Watch the Seyi Law’s Joke That Got 2Face Angry

5. Chuks d general

In July 2016, during the Eargasm concert, Chuks d general made a wrong decision by joking that the show was 2baba’s way of bringing some ‘forgotten’ artists out of obscurity and career dearth.

In addition, he ‘jokingly’ thanked Annie, 2baba’s wife, for marrying the singer. He said if not for Annie, 2baba would have been busy ‘increasing the population of Nigeria’.

However, the only person who found this joke funny was Chuks d general himself, as this did not sit well with 2face and other singers who called him out.