Yes, I do admit it. I’ve had quite a number of great laughs by a handful of our Kenyan male comedians who dress up as men and give us memorable skits. Top on my list is Crazy Kennar, no doubt about it.
Kennar, Mike Muchiri, Flaqo Raz, Obayi and Terence Creative have given us subjective humor that audiences continue to laugh at. While not new, their exaggerated female roles are part of comedic tradition and it has been entertaining. Some have been respectful about this trope and as numbers don’t lie, audiences still enjoy it. As long as there will be demand, the supply will be unlimited.
But then, not everyone enjoys this ‘male dressing up as a woman’ trope. In fact, their eye-rolls are probably two more rolls away from blinding them whenever such skits come up on their social media feeds where the chances of going viral are greater for these comedians.
For these set of people, it then begs the question: Is it time for male comedians to rethink the ‘female’ shtick?
Donning wigs, fake breasts, stuffed derrières to make them larger, high pitched voices and over-exaggerated perceived feminine behaviors and characters remain popular among such comedians but then, do these tropes reinforce harmful stereotypes?
Many male comedians reduce female characters to parodies- loud, over-emotional, overly dramatic or obsessed with appearance. This outdated portrayal dismisses the depth of real women and often mocks rather than celebrates femininity. If comedy is meant to evolve, shouldn’t it reflect a more refined and respectful portrayal of gender?
Additionally, the humor sometimes ends up feeling lazy. Relying on gender-swapping and exaggerated female behavior often feels like low-effort comedy. In an age where audiences crave fresh, smart humor; sticking to an old formula might make comedians seem out of touch with who the real woman on the ground is. True comedic talent should extend beyond dressing up and playing into overdone stereotypes.
So what could the middle ground be?
My opinion? They don’t have to give up the cross dressing gig but they could try and evolve the trope. They can craft more intelligent, well-rounded female characters who showcase wit instead of the stereotypes including women being loud, confrontational, oversexualized, gossipy, long-suffering, money-minded and born to persevere among other tropes. It is a tiring and disappointing trope to continue watching such skits because it is a worn-out trope.
So what do you think? Should male comedians abandon this cross dressing trope? Should they rethink how they go about it?
