If you’ve been paying attention, you may have noticed that Africans in Africa have started producing their own content. We have African TV shows, African movies, Africa-focused fashion magazines, tech blogs, the whole shebang.
This is because Africans are SICK and TIRED of the sheer Westernization of our people and a lot of people are beginning to worry about the non-representation of Africans in the media. It’s just nice to turn on the TV and see someone who looks like you talk about the things you care about, you know? Not everytime espresso. Sometimes egusi and jollof (not necessarily simultaneously.)
Last week, we had an in-house challenge to watch some of our favorite foreign cartoons to see if Africans were represented somewhat and discovered something even more interesting – Nigerians HAVE been mentioned in foreign cartoons, and for notorious reasons.
After reading this, will you be amused, upset or downright furious? We’ll let you decide!
Rick and Morty
I had to watch this twice to get it, but there’s an episode where Rick is abducted by aliens who are trying to scam him into revealing the secret for making dark matter (yes, it’s a very science fictiony show).
In one scene, Rick is seen telling Morty “They are Zigerion scammers, Morty. The galaxy’s most ambitious, least successful scammers.”
In a Rick and Morty fan discussion forum, it has been confirmed that the word ‘Zigerion’ is a modification of ‘Nigerian’ and it was an allusion to Nigerians being scammers with ridiculous scam techniques.
(Random: the Zigerions were very uncomfortable with looking at the naked bodies of Rick and Morty.)
Family Guy
In this irreverent cartoon show that mocks popular culture, Peter Griffin’s Father-in-law, Carter Pewterschmidt is scammed by a ‘Nigerian Prince’ and angrily goes to Africa to bring justice to his scammers.
When he gets there, he discovers, in a stunning twist of fate, that the Nigerians have used his money to take care of the poor starving African orphans. He is celebrated as a hero for all the money he ‘sent’ to Nigeria.
(Bonus: ‘Family Guy’ depicted ‘Uber rides in Nigeria’ as villagers riding about on the back of a rhinoceros.)
The Simpsons
Brace yourself: this one has a lot of Nigerian scammer jokes, although the actual story isn’t about Nigerian scams.
In this episode, the King of Nigeria visits Nigeria and gives Homer Simpson the task of taking care of his daughter.
And Homer Simpson…misplaces her. Hilarity and Nigerian stereotypes ensue.
(Bonus: on the night this episode was released, it was the second most watched show on FOX, with 3.93 million views. Nigerians winning?)
Futurama
In this episode, Zoidberg receives a scam email and he rushes to tell his friends about it:
He tells them: “Friends, friends! His Majesty Prince Adisaraki O. Zoidberg of Nigeria died and according to this e-mail, I, Zoidberg, am his next of kin. Once I wire some good-faith money to an overseas bank account, I’ll inherit his kingdom, his canoe, and his plump young wife.
To which Hermes, one of his friends, says: “You dumb stumps. Don’t you realize you’re being scammed?”
In other news, here are our favorite cartoons from the 90’s (warning: a lot of memories are about to be unlocked):
