Eric Omondi is one funny guy, but comedy is subjective and sometimes the President of Comedy Africa can take things a bit far.
The comedian recently stirred up the internet with a strange stunt that had him dressed up in a wig, and red bodycon dress all to push the Lato Milk brand. The idea might have gotten lost in translation, as K.O.T was in an uproar over the gimmick that was supposed to encourage sales or improve Lato Milk’s brand placement in the market, but things did not work out that way.
Fans and critics took to social media to express their disappointment in Omondi. Famed diplomat turned musician wrote “Mr. President…Your Highness…bro…Eric… I’m worried about you. Unaona najua kazi ni kazi lakini it looks like you’re enjoying this too much” while Kate Actress added, “I swear she is hot.” Another pointed out, “At times I tend to think you have gender issues. I am afraid you gonna transgender soon.”
This recent performance by Eric is the perfect opportunity to remind ourselves that this is not the first time the former Churchill Show mainstay has made a questionable move when it comes to his skits.
Here are 5 times Omondi pushed the boundaries:
1.How to be Vera Sidika
Vera Sidika has been in the spotlight since she first appeared as a video vixen in the P-Unit release ‘You Guy’. Of course, Eriko played into the hype and grabbed the opportunity to be Vera for a day. The drawn-on eyebrows, blonde long wig, figure-hugging attire, fake ass, and sky-high heels added to the comedy of it all. But even then, someone may have noted some red flags. One commenter wrote, “can we just take a minute to appreciate the fact that Eric can walk in high heels better than some of us ladies.”
2.How to be Akothee
Eric has been cross-dressing and getting big laughs for a while. His clever comedic format has been legendary, earning him a big following and the ‘How to be Akothee’ is no different. Wigs, a full face of make-up and girly dresses just kept in line with the skits. He got more than 1M views for this video. Clearly this content had its audience, or were many just curious to see Omondi embody the vivacious personality of Akothee?
3. Eric Omondi presents ‘Saratina’
Eriko is truly special. Injecting humor into some of the important productions of our time, Omondi created one of the funniest parodies of Sarafina. The production dubbed ‘Saratina’ saw him dress as a high school girl (short dress and all) and even a wig. Omondi even had all the moves down to a science, not to mention the effort he put into refixing the lyrics to the various original tracks. However, some questioned why would a grown man dress up as a teenage girl? What sort of comedy is this? Some noted he looked like famed singer Rose Muhando, while another commented, ” Eric omondi anakaapoa akiwa dame” encouraging Eric’s brand of comedy.
4. Nairobi’s Slay queens
Satire met life’s realities in this viral video from Eric Omondi. The skit was shoot in the Nairobi streets, as Omondi hobbled along in the early morning, dressed in one heel and velvet green dress. The genius that is Omondi hit the nail on the head, making for some great relatable content that had his audience in stitches. Capitalizing on the slay queen stereotypes, he managed to make several videos, each going viral for its hilarious take on Kenyan queens who slay.
5. Eric Omondi presents ‘Which Doctor’
Omondi traveled to the United States of America in 2018, and while there he took on the Big Apple in a series of parodies. Among them was the ‘Which Doctor’ production. Posing an African witch doctor, Omondi thrilled fans abroad but left a bitter taste in the mouths of his Kenyan followers.
In a recent interview, Omondi open’s up about his struggles as an upcoming comedian. He also revealled that he does indeed feels pressure to achieve success and maintain a particular lifestyle in line with the celebrity status he enjoys. The award-winning comedian is honest about his lows, pointing out that the public only sees one aspect of who the real Omondi is.
The comedy game is a hit or miss, but as Eric continues to experiment with his content it is essential that he remains true to himself. Whether or not many find his brand of comedy controversial, there are definitely aspects of it that are without doubt questionable.
