"So I just saw a post on Linda Ikeji, about an Instagram post by a Nigerian TV personality, saying that she "cringed and sank" into her seat at the cinema when she was watching the film Concussion (starring Will Smith as Nigerian Doctor, Bennet Omalu). She also said Will Smith showed "disregard for (not) incorporating Nigerian mannerisms into his acting". What a load of tosh! (And I mean that in my best British accent).
And she's not the only one 'complaining' about Will Smith's accent in this film, I have heard some rumblings among Nigerians since the film came out. Are we missing the point here? This is a $35m film made in Hollywood, with arguably one of the Top 5 bankable actors in the world (black or white) playing a positive role about a well educated Nigerian doctor, who researched and discovered the link between banging heads in American Football and a fatal disease called Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), and whose work has saved lives of retired NFL players, AND all we see to complain about is the lead actor's ACCENT?!
This Instagram rant was made by a TV Personailty in Nigeria, where her industry, Radio and Television, is full of fake American and British accents, and even some far out tongue twister accents that God knows where they got it from. Am I the only one laughing at the irony here? This is our problem really. We complain that American TV and Film often depict us as fraudsters and jokers like "Prince from Nigeria" who wants to marry 10 wives, then when you have a big film like this portraying one of us (Concussion is a true story by the way), not only in a positive way, but a good hard working man that has achieved a lot academically and fought for his research and findings, against the almighty America's game and the NFL, we somehow find some shit to say about it. Will Smith's accent?! Are you for real?!
So I got into some Twitter back and forth with some people about this issue, and some of the things I heard were "Will Smith is an actor, he should have perfected the accent". So what should we do now since he didn't perfect the accent, should they have scrapped the film? And someone else said "there are many actors out there, they should have given the role to another actor". As you know, there's this hoopla about the Oscars, and some black actors boycotting the Awards this year, maybe Will Smith was not nominated for Concussion because his Igbo accent did not come out well well in the film. Lol. And this same girl on her Instagram had to join the whole thing with Jada Pinkett (Will Smith's wife) not going to the Oscars.
Another Nigerian had some "advice" for Will Smith and his wife Jada on Twitter, that they should have consulted proper Nigerians before Will did the part. Like they were now exploiting Nigeria and Nigerians. But know this. On a global stage, Will Smith (and his wife Jada) have done a lot in the portraying of positive Nigerians to the world. This couple, along with Jay Z, put their money into the production of Fela on Broadway, when no Nigerian that was approached was willing to put money into the stage play. But you know what? Yes you guessed it, when Fela on Broadway became a worldwide hit, some Nigerians rose up to say the guy that played Fela did not master the accent.
Now, please, I'm not calling out this TV Personality, personally or professionally (in this season of beef, I don't need or intend to create one. Lol), but I have to say this, I don't care about Will Smith's accent in this film, unlike her I am very proud of this film, as far the subject matter, the production, and the Hollywood weight of the lead actor. Will Smith did a damned good job of playing Dr Omalu, who, as it happens I have never heard the real man speak, who knows whether the good doctor sef speaks like Will Smith's portrayal in real life! The man left Nigeria in 1993, studied in London and in America, maybe some of us still want him to sound like Mr Ibu, meanwhile our young Radio and TV Personalities travel to London and Dubai for 2 weeks and we can't understand what they're saying anymore.
Anyway sha, me I don't like to shout. From time to time I just like to test my microphone.
236 comments:
«Oldest ‹Older 201 – 236 of 236Jim Iyke and some Nollywood actors always try to put up an American accent when they act roles of someone that has lived in America all his life. But you never see Americans coming out for them and criticising them for not getting the American accent correctly. What's all the beef about Will Smith? Naija una own too much sef. Pls let Will Smith be. You cant expect him to get the accent 100% correctly. Nobody is perfect
Naija people una body too dey pepper una. Abeg leave Will Smith alone. It is because of him that the film is selling. If they had used a Nigerian actor as lead role, that film for no too sell like that. Trust me.
Naija people una body too dey pepper una. Abeg leave Will Smith alone. It is because of him that the film is selling. If they had used a Nigerian actor as lead role, that film for no too sell like that. Trust me.
*Linda. Accent and mannerism are big parts of movies
Criticism is how we improve art. Many people share the lady's view. Hollywood is big enough to achieve near perfection in its movies.
This guy killed it. Touche!
a beg Bennet Omalu did NOT leave Nigerai as child. He studied medicine at the university of Nigeria and only left after he became a medical dr in the early 2000's. His Nigerian accent was strong and well formed with a noticeable Igbo twinge : no way it would have been erased by now.
I don't blame the OAP who noted Will Smith's accent. acting is ''make believe'' and Hollywood actors go to great lengths to portray the character they are representing on screen so its believable. They loose weight to play HIV positive characters for e.g. and use all sorts of make up tricks to make people look sick, injured, mean, etc. etc. to the extent that some of us even forget they are acting.
Will Smith is a great actor and I admire his work. In this movie though, he was not believable as 'Ben Malus'...
Agreed, Agreed and Agreed ...
Bolanle doesn't fake accents but then I felt slapped in the face when I read her opinion on Will Smith's accent in Concussion as in, she only saw the accent and publicly came out to do what again, criticise Will?
First, I am not against any one of them's opinions, I agree with ayo, plenty nigerians fake accents, sometimes they get confused and mix it up,yes it was a great movie,great acting,positive story but let's be truthful to ourselves, when Jennifer Hudson played winnie Mandela, she learnt d accent, yes , will could have learnt about the man in question,Dr omalu was a man raised in his father's land, school here,worked here before he left 4 d US & yes we don't speak afrikaan here,so he should have learnt d way he spoke b4 now or give us normal eng & to correct all those that says he was showing the positive side of nigeria as a country, he was only showing the positivity of a Nigerian, all I see 4rm bolanle view is d accent he used which really isn't our accent.but I still love will any day tho.
SMH...nigerians would always have something to talk about! We can never be pleased.
Oh and if that is Bolanle then I am really disappointed in her...have you guys heard her pronounce her surname?
I still hold you in high esteem Bolanle, it couldn't be you up there in this post.
But what if the said Doctor actually speaks like this?
SHE'S RIGHT. FOCUS ON THE SUBSTANCE OF THE ROLE HE PLAYED AND STOP BEING STUPID OVER HIS ACCENT
But what if the said Doctor actually speaks like that?Will Smile we know(he went out of his comfort zone with the accent, Dr Omalu on the other hand most of us hasn't meet with or heard, the said Doctor left Nigeria some decades ago and he is just in his late 40s, meaning that there is a possibility he doesn't have the real Nigerian accent anymore.Mr Ayo is so right, Bolanle should go learn how to pronounce her surname before critizing Will Smith.
Now u jst made # common sense!
I totally agree with Ayo on this. The so called Presenter really messed up with her fake self. Instead of appreciating the good we try to act like we are perfect. This Naija sef ehn.
I totally agree with Ayo on this. The presenter really messed up with her fake self. Instead of appreciating the good we pretend like we are perfect. How do you expect Will to speak, when all we do is speak fake English. Nice one Ayo.
Thank you for the reply u Gave Mr Not smart
This Ayo guy couldn't have Said it better. He just spoke my mind and he did it sarcastically well without beef.
Linda this guy made me comment on your blog for the 1St time. As for bolanle guess u have now found that attention you have been looking for. Some of us finally know your name now and know u are MO Abudu's staff and a hater
This piece is well articulated. After reading it, I had to go look up this Ayo guy. Talent doesn't hide! What's the name of the lady she replied?lol First comment on LIB
I agree with him 100percent!
Who is Bolanle Biko?
Lol..It got me laughing
Lol..It got me laughing
Are you sure the real Dr Omalu had an igbo accent? Bolanle Olukani does not have a yoruba accent. We need to be less narrow minded.
Dr omalu left naija since 1993..pls how do you expect will Smith to speak like an igbo man?when some nigerians go abroad for one week and come back with a foreign accent how much more someone who left naija over 20years ago..pls if u don't know want to say. .keep mute..ode
Ure so right mr.ayo... bolanle dare criticise will smith for his accent...I guesz she thinks everyone can play fake easily juz like she fakes her own accent....she see donald trump for there..she no criticize am...ungrateful nigerian we are.... am glad there are still some sensible nigerians alive like Ayo... thank you once again Ayo for speaking up...else bolanle go dey feel like one star...good riddance to bad rubbish!!!
Ayo thumbs up! You nailed it, nothing more to add.
I believe it's high time NBC sits up and ask most radio stations and some TV stations to make it mandatory that their OAPs and Presenters speak with the Nigerian accent. Enough of all the fake accent all over the airwave.
This anon must be Bolanle. There are so many tv presenters that dont fake accents but their voice still sounds good. So i dont get ur point. Fake accent is never better. I hardly listen to radio cos d pple are so fake and i like originality. Frank Edoho, Joseph Benjamin, Uwana Udobang all sound excellent. They speak good English void of fake accents.
About the movie,it wasn't made to appeal to Nigerians. It was made to inform the public and to make money. And it happened to be about a Nigerian. Get over yourself and stop looking for wrongs. Bolanle herself cannot depict a role of a Nigerian in a movie cos she has one of those accents
If you live in America you damn well know that having a Nigerian accent is not exactly a positive attribute. It is an added disadvantage on top of your skin color, it could cost you dearly at job interviews. Americans don't want to strain themselves to try to hear what you're saying, or have you repeat yourself so many times. It's the reason many Nigerians spend thousands of dollars on accent reduction classes. There are Nigerians living in the US with no Nigerian accent!
The accent shouldn't be the problem. Right now, we should even be grateful that some Americans choose to see Nigerians in a good light and use good role models to portray us. I don't see any one of us doing same. I watched the making of the movie and the real Dr Omalu was there all thru the process and his primary concern was getting the story right because his medical research ended being an important medical discovery in America's favorite pastime.
Let us for a moment be thankful that a lot of Americans will hear some good about Nigerians for a change with all the negative publicity we are getting lately Dasukigate and Donsld J Trump
Exactly what i said to myself why is an accent that important. i have a friend who left naija after secondary school to america and you can't understand what she says anymore why? i don't know. the bolanle babe sef she's nigerian yet she has a foreign accent haba!!! the good dr's accent can never sound nigerian in any form!!!! will did a fantastic job end of story!!! Nigerians want to be recognised internationally yet they have issues with an accent ok oh!!
Eis accent isn't good isn't good according to y'all but dy picked him over ur Alist actors in Nigeria take several seats!! It was never about the accent focus on the movie... I totally agree with u Ayo!��
There is absolutely no reason to generalise, a few bad oranges from a tree doesn't mean all the oranges from that tree are bad
Spot-on Ayo! Some of these OAPs are faker than made in china and yet they complain about things they have lil or no idea.... #SoHelpUsGod
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