June 12, (THEWILL) – Popular content creator and comedian, Debo Adedayo, professionally known as Mr Macaroni, speaks with SHADE WESLEY-METIBOGUN about his work, activism and sundry issues. Excerpts:
How did you venture into content creation?
I started creating content in 2019. I was just tired of working as an actor. I started acting in 2011, but I wasn’t getting as many jobs as I wanted. I wasn’t getting the kind of scripts that I wanted. As an actor, when you are not getting enough scripts, you will be tired and frustrated. I have been there. So I know what it means. I saw the likes of Lasisi Elenu and Brother Shaggi online, they were doing their stuff and people admired their acting skills. I thought of giving acting a try. That was how I started.
Why weren’t you getting enough acting jobs back then?
In Nollywood, you just can’t start acting today and expect to get lead roles in the movies almost immediately. You have to hone your skill and give it some time to grow first. In my case, I spoke out against certain things that were not quite right about the movie industry and some people were not cool about it. I had noticed that each time I was on the set of a movie, there were some things that I could not tolerate. I would just speak my mind. Apparently, that was not how to react to such things; people just accepted whatever was thrown at them. When I started speaking up against such things, a lot of people felt I was troublesome and they stopped calling me for jobs. I think that explains it.
Can you recall your first skit and how it was generally received?
When I started, I was producing some educational videos. The teacher and student stuff. I used to ride a bicycle in my videos. I was a primary school teacher and my kids used to make fun of me. We shot a lot of these videos and I wanted to put them on YouTube, but I changed my mind later and posted them on Instagram. At first, nobody was viewing the videos. My friends would look at them and make some comments just to encourage me, but other people were not interested. It wasn’t until I started playing the Daddy Wa character that people started showing interest in what I was doing. One day I just decided to try another character. I put on Agbada and people responded more to it. I acted the part of an elderly man trying to woo a girl. I called her, but she pelted me with insults. That caught the attention of many people. People said that what we showcased in the skit was what elderly men do to girls old enough to be their daughters. So, I decided to create more content around that character since it was loved and accepted.
When positive responses weren’t coming at first, were you tempted to give up and try something entirely different from content creation?
No, content creation is my escape route. I felt it was my own thing and nobody could tell me how to go about it. So I wasn’t ready to give up on it. I never for once felt like giving up.
Looking back at the journey, can you comfortably say it has been rosy for you?
We thank God. I can’t say it has been entirely rosy for me. That would be dishonest. There were challenges and I was able to overcome them. It has not been 100 percent rosy. A part of my brand is also activism. It is a part of me that can never change. A lot of people don’t like that part of me. They have asked me to stop speaking against government. And I have lost some people because of this. I have also been arrested at some point and beaten up, but the beautiful thing is that I understand who I am. So when such things come up, I am always prepared to face them.
What made you so interested in activism?
It started in secondary school. I just did not like to be intimidated. I always liked to speak up for myself. I didn’t like to be bullied. When I became the head boy in my secondary school, I spoke up against the school authority. They actually changed and students started enjoying good food. That is how it started for me. I speak up for the people around me.
Are you considering switching to partisan politics in the future?
I am of the school of thought that believes that it is not compulsory for an activist to participate in politics. I think that activism is part of governance and nation building. There are people who always hold government officials accountable and force them to do things better. In the nearest future, if I think there is any capacity where I feel I can serve, why not? I just want to be myself, do what is right and encourage people to do what is right too.
How did you come about the stage name, Mr Macaroni?
It was from a series I was doing. The director told me that he liked the way I was taking my role. He asked me to give myself a name in case they want to add more things to my character. I was caught off guard at first and I had to think about it for a few seconds before coming up with Mr Macaroni. I adapted it as a stage name.
A lot of people say the content creation industry is a million dollar business. How true is this?
It is true. Content creation is like crude oil. There is a lot of opportunity to make money in content creation, ranging from brand promotion and brand ambassadorship to earning additional revenue from the digital platforms, such as Facebook and YouTube. You get to do special appearances. It is a highly lucrative industry.
Why don’t you flaunt your wealth on social media like other content creators do?
I don’t have anything against people who do that. It is also a way to let people know the goodness of God in their lives. I have never been that kind of person. I like to keep my personal business private. With the way things are going in the country, a lot of people are not privileged to have some of these things that people flaunt. Most of the time, I don’t like to throw it in other people’s faces. My privacy is important to me.
How rich is Mr Macaroni?
I thank God. God has been kind and generous to me. I can say that I am comfortable enough to eat when I want to eat and help those who do not have to eat.
Some skit makers have been described as not funny. What is your take on this?
The idea of content creation started from being funny. Some people have shot videos that lasted only 10 seconds just to make others to laugh. I don’t blame fans who say that some videos are not funny. Content creation has gone beyond just making people to laugh. Some people use their content to inform and educate the society and some are used for product advertisement. I see my content as a tool for societal transformation. It is okay if everybody cannot find some people funny. It all depends on the content people put out there. It is left for the fans to choose. I also believe everyone has their target audience. Content creation must not focus on comedy alone. Those that dance and upload on social media are also content creators as well. I try not to make people laugh when I create content around government issues. I don’t want people to laugh in such situations; I want them to feel the gravity of the message I am trying to pass across. So it has a different angle and I always implore people to look at it from different perspectives.
What informed the wedding pictures of Mummy Wa and yourself, which you posted online some weeks ago?
It was actually a photo shoot for some wedding vendors. I didn’t believe that people would take it so seriously. Mummy Wa is usually in my videos and people know that she is in a relationship. I didn’t know people will believe it.
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