How satire is shifting audience expectations, worldviews and society-at-large.
Hear from political philosopher Tim Soutphommasane in a conversation with journalist Osman Faruqi, reflecting on hate and race politics.
Producer: Anna Burns
Podcast edited by: Serena Adamedes
When Adeola Fayehun was 19 she moved to the US to study. There she saw proper roads, running water and stable electricity. It dawned on her that what she was used to as "normal" growing up in Nigeria was in fact not. Something wasn鈥檛 right with the political system in her home country and she wanted to call out the 鈥渟cammers鈥� 鈥� the corrupt officials 鈥� who had lied to and stole from the people. But Adeola wasn鈥檛 in a position to freely speak the truth.
In Nigeria, it鈥檚 important to respect elders. You kneel to greet them, you don鈥檛 say they鈥檙e wrong, nor do you call them liars and thieves. So when there鈥檚 the dynamics of established traditions and social and cultural expectations, as well as a corrupt political system at work, how do you circumnavigate all that?
For Adeola, the answer is satire. 鈥淚 try to make people laugh in the show 鈥� they find it entertaining. My goal is to reach them ... I don鈥檛 want them to be turned off before listening to what I have to say.
鈥淎s a sign of respect, I would kneel for them on the show, make them laugh and call them thieves. You can鈥檛 say I disrespected you when I just kneeled for you.
鈥淵ou want respect, I鈥檒l give it to you, but I鈥檒l also speak my mind."
"There is actually something about moving away from the frame of objectivity and speaking indirectly, which audiences recognise as authentic," adds Julian Morrow.
Remarking on the subtle power of satire, Professor Umberto Ansaldo, Head of the University鈥檚 School of Literature, Art and Media, says, "All human cultures have humour even if they choose to focus on different areas and express it in different ways.
I think one of the things it does is give us relief when things don鈥檛 make sense or when things are plainly wrong."
Adeola points out the only times we see Africans in the news are either when they鈥檝e done something exceptional or when they鈥檝e committed a crime.
鈥淲e need to change the narrators,鈥� Adeola says. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 why I think it鈥檚 very important for us Africans to tell our stories, because no-one can tell them as adequately as we would. That鈥檚 why I do what I do ... it鈥檚 to open people鈥檚 eyes.鈥�
True to the spirit of her show, ,听Adeola strives to reflect as much of the African experience and diaspora 鈥� in all its political glory and tragedy. She celebrates achievements of people who deserve the recognition, so in one show you can laugh, cry and be inspired. She also calls out leaders who鈥檝e abused their power 鈥� and this isn鈥檛 limited to politicians.
鈥淪o many of our men of God have become God of men.
鈥淎 lot of people will write to me that 鈥榠t鈥檚 okay for you to talk about politicians but don鈥檛 talk about men of God, just leave them for God to judge鈥�, which really bothers me because the Church has really failed.鈥�
Adeola seeks to use her platform to break that idea and mentality of 鈥渨orshipping our leaders鈥�, be they political or spiritual.
An episode of Keeping It Real with Adeola Fayehun from 12 June 2017.
One criticism of satire is that while it reaches audiences it鈥檚 not reaching across the divide. Julian Morrow agrees with this idea to an extent. 鈥淢ost of the time, most people are preaching to the converted.
I think it is possible for [satire], whether it鈥檚 particular clips or particular shows, to get bigger than that and sometimes it makes a bubble that鈥檚 going to burst.鈥�
He says satire might not be a 鈥減aradigm of political effectiveness but its existence is a symptom of some things society is getting right鈥�. Say, if you鈥檙e in a position where you can be arrested for commenting or laughing about a political movement, then that鈥檚 a problem.
鈥淕ood satire has an advantage in such a polarised world,鈥� adds Professor Ansaldo.
鈥淔ake news can tell you something is white or black, and all you鈥檙e left with is whether you鈥檙e going to believe it or not.鈥�
But the strength of good satire, like听the work of Adeola, says Professor Ansaldo, is that it gives agency to the audience.
鈥淚t鈥檚 your responsibility, whether you鈥檙e buying this story or not. I have given you the facts and I have revealed the absurdity, now it鈥檚 up to you.
鈥淪o in a sense, you鈥檙e empowered now to make your own decision.鈥�
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Lead image: Professor Umberto Ansaldo, Adeola Fayehun and Julian Morrow at 'Satire is new global saviour for news, seriously'.听Photo by Bill Green.听
