“COMEDY ISN’T MEANT TO BE INTELLIGENT” — JOSH2FUNNY DEFENDS ‘OLODO UPRISING’

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By:Tajudeen Aminat

Nigerian comedian and skit maker, Josh Alfred, popularly known as Josh2Funny, has weighed in on the growing popularity of “brain-rot” content creators and influencers with limited formal education in the country.

The discussion followed rapper YCee’s recent criticism of the trend, which he described as the “Olodo Uprising,” referring to the rise of content creators whose work is perceived by some as lacking intellectual depth.

Speaking during a recent interview with media personality Nedu Wazobia, Josh2Funny described the “Olodo Uprising” as both a blessing and a curse.

He criticised those attacking the so-called “Olodo” content creators, arguing that comedy has never necessarily been about intellectual sophistication.

Josh2Funny recalled his early days as a skit maker, particularly his “Mama Felicia” character, saying the content was not designed to be sophisticated or intellectually stimulating.

“What YCee said is straight-up the truth. There’s an uprising of the Olodo people. Now, it’s a blessing and a curse,” he said.

He added, “When I started, it was easy for people to call me part of the Olodo Uprising. My character, ‘Mama Felicia’, didn’t make any sense. It wasn’t a well-articulated comedy. I was just fooling around.”

According to the comedian, comedy does not have to be intelligent to be successful, noting that what some people consider “stupid” entertainment has contributed significantly to Nigeria’s creative industry.

“Comedy has never been something that is supposed to be intelligent. The so-called elite might call it ‘stupid’, but it built a million-dollar industry called Nollywood,” he said.

Josh2Funny, however, acknowledged that social media has amplified the visibility of such content, making creators more vulnerable to criticism.

He cited social media personality Peller as an example, arguing that his activities might not have attracted as much attention in the pre-social media era.

“It’s just that social media has now exaggerated it. The person in question, Peller, you see him all the time. If it were when there was no social media, nobody would know what he does,” he said.

He also suggested that some of the criticism directed at such creators could be driven by envy, particularly because some have achieved financial success without conventional academic qualifications.

“So, it is easy for trolls to come for him because his life is in public. Also, some people are envious of him for being blessed without a degree or quality education,” Josh2Funny said.

He questioned what critics expected such creators to do if they lacked formal education or strong English-speaking skills.

“But what would you have him do? Should he become a thief because he doesn’t know how to speak good English?” he asked.