The Nigerian entertainment industry is teeming with talents, skills and acts that have put the country’s name on the map as one of the most talented and thriving entertainment industries in the continent and the world (shout out to our faves who are killing it out there on stages across the globe).

Not long ago, Editi Effiong’s film, The Black Book, took the spotlight as it trended on the global Netflix scene, breaking boundaries no Nollywood movie has ever sought to accomplish. Richard Mofe-Damijo proved to us all that black in fact, does not crack.

Recently, five artists from Nigeria (Asake, Ayra Starr, Burna Boy, Davido, and Olamide) were nominated for the 2024 Grammy Awards. If e easy, do am.

Unquestionably, the Nigerian entertainment industry is a force to be reckoned with, as it is effervescent and boasts of uniqueness, liveliness, and loyalty to the Nigerian and African culture.

First of all, podcasts are known to be educative, relaxing, entertaining, and exciting, but with the recent release of podcast shows on Ayra Starr’s internet, you may have to reduce the volume of your device if you’re listening in public because you never know what’s coming next. We’re not saying all podcasts will get you bombastic side eyes but well…

It gets even worse when one begins to think about how far a fan can go to support the incorrigible and inconceivable mindsets of celebrities which fans have idolised.

The pandemonium of podcasts in Nigeria has noticeably focused on a few socio-political topics, such as misogyny, sex workers, RELATIONSHIPS, gender roles, money and archaic beliefs and many more head aching topics.

Before we get into the main gist below, please and please, we are just saying what everyone else on Ayra Starr’s internet is saying so calm down, it’s not that deep. 

Caramel Plug

Influencer Ogechi Ukonu (Caramel Plug) once took centre stage on social media when she claimed that women relied on men for different things.

In the pilot episode of her podcast ‘Rants, Bants, and Confessions’, the content creator revealed that most women have different men who cater to their every need. She believed these men had roles to play in a woman’s life, each different from the other.

Despite using these men for all they have to offer, a woman would eventually become submissive to a man who can meet her needs.

In her perspective, men only existed to serve a woman’s needs, and these women were painted as gold diggers who could only offer sex as a means of payment for the gifts given to them by these men. She boiled down the relationship between a man and a woman to being transactional in that women would only submit to men when their financial needs (giftings) were met.

“Women have men for everything—the ones who give them gifts. The ones who are there want to sleep with you. We have men for everything. So, if you are coming into a woman’s life, and you say, ‘I want you to be submissive, I want you to stroke my ego, I want you to do everything,’ and all of that stuff, you have to be ready to make sure you’re ticking all these boxes, you’re doing everything for her.”

Such controversy was not taken lightly by the netizens who attacked her for such lewd statements. It was a week and you just had to be there to experience the drags and mentions.

Tolani Baj & Moët Abebe

The ex-Big Brother Naija Tolani Shobajo (Tolani Baj) has one too many times made controversial statements which set the internet on fire as some questioned her intelligence and cause for her reasoning since the start of her ‘Bahd & Boujee’ podcast with co-host Moet Abebe; both ladies have been seen entertaining wild and ludicrous beliefs which is being frowned upon by society.

In an episode on Bahd & Boujee, Tolani Baj revealed that she was a soft babe who brought nothing to the table (an abstract weighing scale which measures what values and contributions potential lovers provide before consummating their relationship) but her expensive and “succulent” private parts.

She claimed that doing such was not easy and challenged women to do the same if it was easy. This self-degrading statement was a response to the actor Yhemolee’s question to the hosts, asking what they brought to the table in their relationships.

Moet Abebe also claimed that although she bought the same as Tolani, she also provided her brains in her relationships.

This exchange has gone on to prove that a woman’s worth is tied to sexual favours, and with that, anything they desire can be attained by sleeping with the right person(s).

Nedu Wazobia

Actor, on-air personality, and comedian Nedu was not spared on the internet and in the corporate world as he allegedly lost deals worth millions due to several of his statements portraying him as a misogynist.

The podcaster has on several occasions called out women, including the women on the Big Brother Naija shows, as gold diggers whose only interest lies in material things that can be obtained through the use of their bodies.

Speaking through The Honest Bunch Podcast with three other hosts, Nedu once claimed that the contestants of Big Brother Naija reality show were attention and fame seekers, but the women were much worse as they had no substance.

He was accused of undermining the hard work of these BBN housemates and alleged that the women often got on the reality show only to market their bodies and attract customers (influential and affluent men).

“You know what Big Brother does for you? It takes you from here and shoots you up, but there is no substance to hold you on to,” he said.

The question of whether podcasters airing their opinions is in any way beneficial has been the topic for years since these entertainers only focus on a specific range of issues that target certain demographics and gather “engagements” on their posts and shows. You know what they say, “there’s no such thing as bad press, any press can be good press”.

Podcasters have often displeased their audience more than they entertain them. This case is a global pandemic, as it gives them (podcasters) room to hate and encourage hate on whatever their subject happens to be.

In conclusion, the pandemonium in the Nigerian entertainment industry caused by podcasts has shown the true colours of these influencers, be they misogynistic, tribalistic, homophobic, entitled, or money-hungry, and though a large number of them are still riding their popularity wave in the industry, this can mainly be attributed to the celebrity stanning by fans who either refuse to call out their celebrities for their wrongdoings out of unquestioning loyalty, or they share the same views as the podcasters.

We’re not saying that your faves should not air their opinions oh, we’re just asking if controversial podcasts are a means of marketing and reaching a larger audience because they know how the internet would react to them. Personally, those drags on the internet would make us cry but that’s just us.