what kind of animals are we producing in this country featuring Basketmouth and AY

VA month and a bit ago, Basketmouth cracked the following joke on his Facebook page.

White girls:

1st date: Coffee

2nd date: Kiss

3rd date: sex

African girls:

1st date: Fast food

2nd date: Hug

3rd date: Chinese restaurant

4th date: kiss

5th date: Attempted sex but failed

6th date: Shopping

7th date: Cinema, new phone, more shopping

8th date: Attempted sex but failed

9th date: RAPE!!

It's a terrible joke by any standard. There's no euphemism there. There's no hooded cloak, or shadow. The word is there, plain as day. Even if I were giggling like a psychopath from the white girl bit, the moment that 9th date came up, I'd have sobered up like I'd just seen Jesus. That's how big a deal rape is. You can't laugh about it. If someone tells you, that she was raped back in 2009, you do not open your mouth and guffaw. You become the human equivalent of empathy and give whatever support you can give. My stance on rape is as clear as it is common. She is never asking for it. Even if she walks up to you naked, she is not asking for it. It can never be something that's deserved. Her mini skirt, her friendly manner, her naiveté, her drunken state, are never yes. I'll even go a step further, if the yes comes while she's too drunk to function properly, treat it like it's a no and take a cold shower.

Basketmouth has since apologised for his joke. It was a good apology as far as apologies go. He did try to pass off the public outcry as a misunderstanding, which in my opinion shows a fundamental gap in his own understanding. Like I said, rape is never funny, and people will assume that if you're callous enough to make light of it, then you're probably callous enough to do it. Anyway, that's in the past. A month on the internet is like a lifetime ago. This post isn't really about the Nigerian comedian, Basketmouth whose real name is Bright Onyekwere Okpocha, it's about his colleague AY, who did an interview with the Punch. 

The Punch is Nigeria's most widely read Newspaper...

In the interview AY said the following when asked about Basketmouth's rape joke...

"The joke that my colleague shared was an existing joke that had been there for a while. Forget the fact that he came out to champion it and even put it on Facebook; a joke is a joke. These are realities that people have not come to terms with. Comedians did not invent rape, so if I talk about an existing situation in the country, I am calling the attention of those in authority to the problem so that they can take care of it. As I said, comedians are social commentators. The comical part of it, you can just act and re-enact. His tweet does not mean that he is a rapist or does anyone have a record that Basketmouth is a rapist? For a fact, he was talking about a topical situation. For instance, he said that in America, when you take a girl out on a date, day one, this is what happens. Day two, this is what happens but here in Nigeria, you spend this amount of money on day one, two, three and the girl is not forthcoming. The next thing is maybe the guy wants to go and take the girl by force. It is also a message for girls who always want to be collecting without paying.  If I were a girl, I would know that if I collect on day one, I wouldn’t do so on day two, so that things would not result in violence. Why can’t people see it from that perspective rather than castigating a comedian who just cracked a joke."

In case you missed it I will highlight the questionable bits...

"The joke that my colleague shared was an existing joke that had been there for a while. Forget the fact that he came out to champion it and even put it on Facebook; a joke is a joke. These are realities that people have not come to terms with. Comedians did not invent rape, so if I talk about an existing situation in the country, I am calling the attention of those in authority to the problem so that they can take care of it. As I said, comedians are social commentators. The comical part of it, you can just act and re-enact. His tweet does not mean that he is a rapist or does anyone have a record that Basketmouth is a rapist? For a fact, he was talking about a topical situation. For instance, he said that in America, when you take a girl out on a date, day one, this is what happens. Day two, this is what happens but here in Nigeria, you spend this amount of money on day one, two, three and the girl is not forthcoming. The next thing is maybe the guy wants to go and take the girl by force. It is also a message for girls who always want to be collecting without paying.  If I were a girl, I would know that if I collect on day one, I wouldn’t do so on day two, so that things would not result in violence. Why can’t people see it from that perspective rather than castigating a comedian who just cracked a joke."

I'm sorry, but is this guy a moron? Let's take it from the top.

The joke that my colleague shared was an existing joke that had been there for a while.

Does that make it any less offensive? Let's apply his logic laterally. In the interview he did with the punch he claimed to have over a 100 pairs of shoes. Judging from his comments, and the interview in general, the sentiment that he's got more shoes than brain cells can't possibly be a new one. Does that suddenly become less of an insult because I'm not the first one that's said it? 

a joke is a joke. 

No. A joke isn't a joke when you're the only one laughing. A joke is only a joke when your audience says it is. If your audience doesn't think that your jokes are jokes, then you'll be on the unemployment line looking for a new job. 

It is also a message for girls who always want to be collecting without paying.  If I were a girl, I would know that if I collect on day one, I wouldn’t do so on day two, so that things would not result in violence

This one just takes the bloody biscuit. So you mean to tell me, that you sought out a girl, and gave her money, or gifts, or food? She didn't hold up a gun to your head. She didn't blackmail you. You did it thinking that by feeding her jollof rice 9 times, it meant immediate and direct access to her carpal tunnel of love? This is what I mean when I say that someone is pinching my nose and calling me bastard. Stahp it! Just Stahp it. If you're giving while you aren't under duress of any sort, then why should she not collect? 

The sad thing here, is that while Basketmouth has probably learned a little bit of a lesson, AY is still as naive and oblivious as they come. The victim is never to blame. It is a shame that the burden of responsibility lies on the potential victim to protect herself and not on the man to restrain himself. At least that's what it seems like here. 

All of this still begs the question, WHAT KIND OF ANIMALS ARE WE PRODUCING IN THIS COUNTRY?

Happy Days,

Afam