And The Misrepresentation Begins in Bob Hearts Abishola

When Bob Hearts Abishola premiered in September 2019, I was elated because of the potential the Rom-com had of rewriting the misrepresentation of Africans in American Tv history. I was so happy I wrote about what it felt like as a

a Yoruba person to be watching his culture properly represented in Hollywood for at least the first time. I wrote CBS Abishola Hearts Abishola and a Yoruba fan with the hope that the series will live up to the expectation. The review is my third most-read article on medium and it called the attention of those who did not know of the series before reading the review. The elation was based on the intro song by Sola Akingbola, the pronunciation of words, and the casting. This is not to say that the casting was altogether accurate but with the addition of Anthony Okungbowa as Kofo and Bayo Akinfemi as Godwin from the third episode of the first season, there was the certainty of employing Yoruba language more accurately with their wittiness in both English and Yoruba.

One could question the casting of the incredible Barry Shakaba Henley as Uncle Tunde because of Shakaba’s inability to verbalize some Yoruba words properly. However, one needs to know that the characters of Uncle Tunde, Auntie Olu, Abishola, Kemi, Dele, Godwin, and Kofo indicate different generations of immigrants. Uncle Tunde and Auntie Olu are much older and have been in the United States longer than the others. This is revealed in “The Devil’s Taste Buds”, the seventeenth episode of the second season, where Uncle Tunde and Auntie Olu have immersed themselves into the American culture. They could not pronounce Ogbono correctly and they are now accustomed to the American subdued flavors. Therefore, Henley’s casting as Tunde and his ability to speak Yoruba correctly or at least fairly can be excused. However, on a second look, Tunde and Olu have only left Nigeria for twenty years as revealed in the first episode of the third season. They lived their speech formative years in Nigeria and would have spoken Yoruba efficiently. It still reflects in Auntie Olu but not in Uncle Tunde, and maybe that has to do with the fact that is played by an actual Yoruba, Shola Adewusi. This is not to seclude anyone from the translingual participation in world languages. Language can be trans-native and we would not care if Henley says the words correctly with the intonation or speech marks. That can also be argued against that we all adapt to environments differently; while Auntie Olu is still very much in consonance with her linguistic heritage, Uncle Olu is not.

Kemi is the same generation of immigrants as Abishola, Kofo, and Godwin but the character is always mispronouncing words with way too much forced Yoruba accent that is marked by a Western speech undertone. You can forgive Dele of that but Kemi. And again, the excuse for Uncle Tunde applies to her. However, what is unforgivable is that Chuck Lorre and Gina Yashere have centralized Yoruba as a national language where even the Igbos in America must definitely be greeted with the Yoruba language. Chukwuemeka, a one-time suitor of Abshola who later became Kemi’s boyfriend was repeatedly greeted in Yoruba as though that is how the Igbos are greeted. Chukwuemeka and Ogechi (his mother) greet and are greeted with the Yoruba language. This may be some sort of principle of charity in language to their friends who are Yoruba but this charity is not extended to Chewie and Ogechi. A one-time otutu oma would have sufficed. This is what the Yorubas are known for; grabbing one word from a language and using it as a means of greeting. Since this principle is not extended to Chewie and Ogechi, the apt conclusion is that there is an erroneous assumption that the Igbos and Yorubas share the indigenous language, Yoruba.

In Beyonce’s Black is King and Erroneous Representations of Africa, I talked about stereotypes in representing Africa. As much as Ankara known as the African print is seen as African attire, Africans don’t wear them 24/7 365 days a year. No, we don’t. While it is often used for fashion, it is not what you see on us everyday. It is just a silly stereotype to make ties and almost all the costumes African print. It is pertinent to point out what is now known as African print was first made by a Dutch Company in the 1800s. It is therefore what is pleasing to the Western world to associate to Africa in defining us. African Prints as they are called are not emblems of our identities. Notwithstanding, we can’t rule out how it has become an important part of our daily lives. Nonetheless, we do not wear them every day and everywhere. There is still a huge chunk of coloniality in our dressing, not to then talk of folks who are in the United States.

If there is anything that is still original about the series is the intro by Sola Akingbola, and of course, the now once in a while accurate Yoruba usage of Godwin and Kofo. I looked forward to The third season with enthusiasm because while they are a lot of misrepresentations in the series, it can still crack your ribs. The first episode got off to a good start until Uncle Tunde’s sorry Yoruba in pricing, and yes, the VERY American accent of the trader in Balogun market. Balogun Market. Balogun Market. Which gives one the idea that Chuck Lorre and Gina Yashere are rather lazy at casting or they are running on a tight budget that is not enough for them to get casts who can accentuate the Yorubaness of Yoruba characters and Lagos city. I expected some Lagos Yoruba but I got none. Rather, I was met with Abishola’s mother who is a Yoruba-Nigerian living in Nigeria but with a thick American accent which she tried to hide. Sometimes, there’s a rush to have a conversation with Yashere or Lorre, just to ask them why?

With the new episodes from the third season, one expects a redress for the inaccuracies but the opening episode greeted many Yoruba fans of the series with a Studio simulation of Muritala Muhammed International Airport, Balogun market, a cab driver with a Yoruba name that is evidently not Yoruba nor Nigerian, whose accent is something of a mix of Eastern Africa and Southern Africa accents. It’s also pertinent to mention the annoying Yoruba accent of Abishola’s mother; a Yoruba woman who lives in Lagos but can barely say a Yoruba word better than the Wheelers. The second episode is even more repugnant. Though the fight between Ebunoluwa (Abishola’s mom) and Auntie Olu (Ebun’s younger sister) may be comical to some it is not short of a complete misrepresentation of how Yoruba people treat their children’s guardian; at least, that’s not how they ought to be treated. When Ebun narrated at dinner to The Wheelers about her inability to birth a child and how Abishola is like the child she never had, it seems they are on the right path of actually presenting to the World a culture of Yoruba adoption and guardianship. Whatever progress they made with that, they ruined with the fight between Olu and Ebunoluwa. Ebun using Olu’s inability to bear a child to abuse her is mean and un-Yoruba-like. Here is a culture where parents appreciate the care guardians give to their children. Well, they did redeem it by allowing Tunde and Olu to sit beside the bride’s parents. However, while Olu mended the fence, Ebun didn’t. This in itself indicates Ebun’s initial venomous attitude which is presented as what Yoruba mothers may be like.

The series still has its ability to make you laugh. It is impossible to stop anyone from picking who they want to represent since we all now live in a global village that collapses cultures. You can decide to represent a people, what you can’t do is tell people how they should be represented.