Kikky Badass is a Zimbabwean Artist who is often more criticised for her lifestyle than for her music. That’s always been the joke; the laziest, lowest hanging, worst landing, cliche AF joke. Yeah, maybe, the fact that she oozes sex appeal, uses colourful language and in essence embodies the very definition of a bad b*tch. This may give people the feigned impression that they have the right to assume that that’s all there is to this award-winning, Empawa100 Hip-Hop Artist.
Then again, once a fat-ass is involved, can there really be more to a woman?
Listen, I’m not yet a fan of Kikky’s Music because I have a general love/hate relationship with Zim Hip-Hop nje! But, that said, I respect her artistry, heard her drop heavy bars, and dig her bad-ass delivery and general IDGAF attitude in a space where women with tattoos are slut-shamed. So, there’s that.
I attended what to me was the highlight of this year’s Shoko Festival; The Roast of Member of Parliament for the Norton Constituency, Honourable Temba Mliswa. When I saw the poster, my mind was made up.
I had to be there.
And so I did.
Both the Reps Theatre and Belgravia Shopping Centre Car Parks were full. Spilling with an assortment of Mercedes sedans, white plates, Land Cruiser bakkies and the odd ex-Japs. I found the least dodgy dark corner I could slide my old faithful into and made my way into the venue. The barmen were super whelmed. People stood agitatedly for their turn as I did for my own. Everyone was eager to get into the show. I peeped briefly into the main foyer where what looked like a hundred people of varying age groups were queued hoping to grab a last-minute $5 ticket into the show that had already begun.
By the time I was served most of the crowd had cleared and the tickets were sold out. I stumbled gingerly into the dark hall while Kadem, the Comic was rounding up his set in front of heavy velvet curtains. The 405-seater Main Theatre was so full people were sprinkled on stairs, seated, and waiting. I got lucky on the fourth row. I squished myself into those impossible seats. Breath caught, I only managed to hear Kadem ask the crowd if we were ready for the Roast of Temba Mliswa. The room thundered with applause and chants of the honourable’s nickname;
‘Bhuru, bhuru, bhuru!’
When the curtains were raised, seated were Artist Vimbai Zimuto, Magamba Network’s Sam Monroe ‘Comrade Fatso’, Bustop TV’s Lucki Aaroni, the Heavenly Commander in Charge himself; Prophet Madungwe, Kikky Badass, Comedian CKhanyiso that Guy and a pleasant surprise for me; Comedian & Chef Carl Joshua Ncube.
The Roast was hosted by Simuka Comedy and as such, it made sense to have Doc Vikela hosting. He, I believe did a great job of it; executing off the cuff and practised jokes alike, absolutely effortlessly.
A seat at centre stage awaited the Honourable man himself; who made a rather dramatic entrance with some Karate black belts. Kikky sat next to Prophet Madungwe in a very boss-lady suit and white tucked-in chiffon blouse sported with an oversized blazer that seemed to intentionally cover up her ass. Her edges were laid, and her face was beat! Sis was absolutely ready but I don’t think she was ready at all to be burnt to a crisp unlike who the crowd was promised to have as the main course.
Each panellist had at least five Kikky Badass jokes, and Madungwe had 10+ which were badly presented. Despite the crowd’s initial enthusiasm for him, the host had to intervene amidst some aggressive heckling.
Sure, the honourable got a few blows about having lots of kids, supposedly never using protection and allegedly being a bi-sexual, sex stallion. I am sure some of these jokes stung for sure, but he seemed to take these all in good form reacting comically and occasionally pacing on his platform. Maybe it was the spirit of toxic masculinity; but by god, these blows all sounded like bloody compliments! Which average, heterosexual man in Harare wouldn’t want to have the fit, silver-foxed sex appeal, the stamina to father 19-21 kids, the power to speak up in high-level government debates and the allure of assumably being able to fuck like an absolute porn-star. Oh, I left out the level of confident masculinity, so high that being sexually fluid wasn’t even the socialized insult it usually is.
His intellect and ability to carry out his day-to-day hustle as a businessman and civil servant were not brought into question unless you count the one-time Cde Fatso reminded him about being paid in ZWL. Not the same thing by the way. I left Reps with more respect for Honourable Temba Mliswa than when I walked in. I was absolutely enamoured and that was when I realized the problem. Vimbai Zimuto and Kikky Badass weren’t that lucky.
These women are both infamous for unapologetically monetizing and flaunting their sexuality, that’s their hustle and it was torn to shreds in unimaginative ways.
This is why I am pissed!
Cde Fatso and Carl Joshua Ncube managed to roast these women without calling them names. This was a much-needed breath of fresh air. Ironically; if you consumed the show for pure comic value and ignored the overwhelming amount of slut-shaming, homophobic, fatphobic commentary…what a show! I guffawed and nearly spat out my GnT(s) too many times to count, but.
Sexism & slut-shaming is the lamest and easiest take.
(While you’re here, so is making fun of a couple that has been publicly struggling with fertility, but one problem at a time.)
Isn’t there a better way to do this? This roasting thing? Also maybe, this is what roasting is about maybe.
Andazi.
Between jeers from the drunk crowd telling Kikky to show us her ass; to mean repetitive takes about her face, her Only Fans page and supposedly failed marriage. I am exasperated.
Surely there’s more to make fun out of a woman beyond her looks, sex life and AGENCY?
If not, we might need to rethink it all.
My point is not for Comedy to be governed by a politically correct lens. It’s a challenge to think wider and write more creatively. Not only might I add just sensitively to women but the human beings that were sat on those couches.
As a side note, I am convinced Prophet Madungwe is a Comedian always in character but then again, one problem at a time.
