The Elsa Majimbo #KOT Hate Train
Elsa Majimbo is the ultimate definition of audacity. The girl apologizes for nothing and is her own biggest cheerleader. The chips-eating comedian worked her way to the top with nothing but a great sense of humor. Having worked with reputable brands like Rihanna’s Fenty and Valentino, she’s arguably one of Kenya’s most successful social media talents. Her documentary premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival on June 9th and June 16th, 2022.
Despite her success, Elsa faced a lot of hate, especially from Kenyans on Twitter. In her numerous interviews, she does not hesitate to talk about the bullying and colorism in Kenya. She expressly told Anash Bukhash, during her Dubai tour, that she has an awful relationship with Nairobi.
“I have a home in South Africa and am glad I do, and I feel safe there, but Kenya is not a place,” she says.
The Elsa Majimbo hate train took off when Kenyans took to Twitter to express displeasure with her comedy. The bile that Kenyans directed towards Majimbo depicts more significant issues. Why is the cyber-bullying culture getting stronger in Kenya? People who command respect in real-life circles could not hesitate to use vile language to attack a 19-year-old girl. It began when she stated that her dowry was $ 4 million. All the tweeps could not wait to put this lady in her place.
The cyberbullying culture of new talent is not uncommon among Kenyans on Twitter. A Tik-Tok sensation, Azziad Nasenya, who rose to fame with her “ Utawezana” dance, also bore the brunt of KOT’s wrath. At first, they praised the lass on her dancing prowess. However, someone shared her contact details with strangers. Once Azziad expressed her displeasure, it was a downhill hell of cyberbullying. Some said that she was now acting proud.
There is a strong need among Kenyans to police the activities of social media talents. You are only as great as they let you be. You better get in line once they point out their exasperation with your work or personality. The next move is to cancel you, as they believe they hold your food basket. Not Elsa. She was unwilling to play by the books and sought after another audience once Kenyans rejected her. She did not show indignance. Elsa snubbed the need by Kenyans to control her art. In an interview, she stated that Kenyan comedy is shallow and founded on tribal stereotypes. Elsa put her eye on the international audience, and it paid handsomely. This left a stink on KOT’s pride, which continued to discredit her type of comedy.
Besides the need to control social media talent, Twitter has a worrying trend of “humbling” women. You can only succeed up to a particular measure. As soon as Elsa bagged the Fenty deal, some Kenyans could not hesitate to flock to the Fenty page with hate comments. They felt Elsa was not worth the contract, and Fenty could do better. This case is similar to when Azziad Nasenya rose to fame, and numerous tweeps came up with parodies mimicking her dance video. The trolls (primarily men ) turned her defining moment into an opportunity to make fun of her through the parodies. It may seem like pure comedy, but such acts scream sexism. When Azziad’s rate card leaked, her “audacity” to charge that much vexed many Kenyans. How dare she think she’s worth that much?
Women get so much scrutiny over their appearance. As Elsa Majimbo explains, she faced bullying over her skin color. This is similar to Azziad, who Kenyans accused of trying to pass herself up as “light skin.” Tweeps proceeded to post unflattering photos of her to prove a point. Colorism is alive and well in Kenya and many African nations. Unfortunately, Kenyans went on to rubbish Elsa’s claim of being discriminated against on skin color grounds. When KOT came after Azziad for appearing lighter, the matter of contention was, “how dare she try to pass herself up as beautiful?” Light-skins, especially women, are still considered top of the chain in beauty. Despite substantial efforts to debunk this belief, there is still so much work.
The hate directed towards Elsa also depicts a classic case of gatekeeping success.
As Trevor Noah puts it, “ We tell people to follow their dreams, but you can only dream of what you can imagine, and, depending on where you come from, your imagination can be pretty limited.”
Elsa Majimbo broke away from the mold of ‘local influencer, constrained by the local tastes. Kenyans are set in their ways on the extent of success and the type of content they consume. They rarely make room for comedy outside the tribal lines and daily situations that apply to their context. Humor can only exist that way. You either conform, or they churn you out of the system. Thanks to the internet, success on the global scene is much more accessible. The boundaries of success are now expansive. This takes away gatekeeping power since it’s possible to find your audience half a continent away. Your newfound people may have a much higher purchasing power, just like Elsa’s.
Another aspect that showed during the Elsa Majimbo hate train was our inability as Kenyans to communicate. Understanding that there is space for every artist emancipates you from thinking every content should cater to your needs. Alternatively, Kenyans on Twitter have formed the habit of using profanities when communicating. As much as they are uncalled for, your social media tantrums need not be disrespectful. Kenyan’s hate for Elsa Majimbo is unbecoming and emblematic of a more significant problem. Cyberbullying holds no place in a society constantly striving toward mental health awareness. Hate comments get a lot of buzz on platforms like Twitter and Reddit. Opinions do not have to be brutal. They can be kind, respectful, and considerate of the person on the other side of the screen. Before making that hate comment, maybe eat some chips first.
