During a recent press conference for the Prime Video comedy reality show, Last One Laughing, Taaooma, a talented Nigerian content creator, found herself taking offense when someone referred to her as a ‘skit maker.’ In a new interview, Taaooma sheds light on the reason behind her reaction and why she felt compelled to correct the individual who used that term to describe her. Here is what Taaooma had to say about the matter:
“I felt the need to address the issue during the press conference because being called a ‘skit maker’ seemed limiting and undermined the broader scope of my work as a content creator. While I do create skits, I also engage in various forms of content creation, including comedy sketches, vlogs, and social commentary.
As an artist, I continuously strive to evolve and explore different avenues within my craft. I didn’t want to be pigeonholed into just one category when my body of work extends beyond that label. It’s essential for people to recognize the versatility and effort I put into my content.
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I believe the terminology we use to describe creators is essential as it influences how others perceive our work and our contribution to the industry. By correcting the person who called me a ‘skit maker,’ I aimed to raise awareness about the diversity of content creation and the need for more inclusive language when acknowledging the efforts of creators like myself.
Ultimately, I hope that through such discussions, we can foster a more understanding and appreciative environment for content creators, one that celebrates the multitude of talents and skills we bring to the table.”
During an interview with The Will Downtown, Taaooma was asked “At the Press Conference, You corrected someone in the audience who called you a skit maker. Why don’t you like being called that?” She responded:
TAAOOMA: Skits are something very unplanned; I do skits sometimes. I actually don’t have a problem being called a skit maker; I just find that it belittles the work that’s put in. When people call you a skit maker, there is a particular way that they see you. I’ll give a perfect example. If I come into this building and the gateman refuses to open the gate for me because I came in a Toyota Camry but would let me in if I came in a Range Rover. That is what this thing looks like. You can call me a skit maker and acknowledge that perhaps I’m actually putting work into it. But when they call you a skit maker, they make it look like that is all I do, but I know how much work I put into my content, so you can’t just call me a skit maker. I won’t take that. It’s just the way I cannot just call you a janitor in an office where you are the CEO.
This is very personal. Even my mum sometimes confuses what I do as skits, and I’m like, “Mummy, please, I do a lot of work.” I know you feel like I’m playing because if you meet me on set, you will feel like I’m having fun with it, so you might not feel like there’s a lot of work in it, but there’s actually a lot of work. And for some of us that shoot, edit, sound engineer, and many other things, these are things that people feed their families with, and I do it alone. And at the end of the day, you want to call it just skits? No, I will not take that. That’s why every single time, I get to correct people. Please let us sensitise each other now so people won’t go out there and think I’m just having fun. I know I’m having fun, but at the same time, I’m putting in a lot of work.