Michael Iluma, a senior studying International Relations and Acting at the University of Southern California, who hails from Abuja, Nigeria, provided three pieces of folklore for this collection.
The interview was run, within his bedroom, on West 30th Street in the outskirts of the University of Southern California campus.
Folk Performance: “How many times did I say your name?”(a Nigerian Saying)
Folk Type: Folk-Speech.
“Anything more about Nigerian Parents?”– Stanley Kalu
STORY: oh for sure, you could literally do your whole project on just that. The worst though is when they like say your name a bunch of times and then ask you how many times they’ve called your name. So i’ll be like “three?” then my dad will be like “that’s how many times i’m going to beat you. Go get a slipper.” How fucked up is that?
Background Information: Discipline is a huge part of Nigerian culture. The repetition causes psychological duress because you understand, from the beginning of the statement, that you are going to be hit with a slipper.
Context of performance: Michael performed this act, as many Nigerian children do, in an accent-heavy impression of his father. The Father, in Nigerian culture, is often the disciplinarian.
Thoughts: Nigerians should stop hitting their kids.