Athena Kugblenu: ‘Kelli from Insecure is the funniest comedy character ever’
The funniest standup I’ve ever seen …
Eddie Murphy doing an impression of Richard Pryor in Raw, telling outrageously accurate jokes about having a poo. Very relatable.
The funniest sketch I’ve ever seen …
Richard Pryor and three white Egyptologists find a book of life in a tomb that proves the intelligence and capabilities of ancient African civilisations. His white colleagues, appalled at the idea they’ve found evidence of African self-determination and ingenuity, end up locking Pryor in the tomb and knocking it down. It’s funny because it’s true.
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The funniest TV show I’ve ever seen …
Insecure and This Country are the two funniest TV shows I’ve seen in the past few months. Kelli from Insecure is, for me, the funniest comedy character ever created.
The funniest film I’ve ever seen …
Coming to America. A scene where a landlord is chastising a tenant for falling down the stairs is one of my favourite film moments of all time.
The funniest book I’ve ever read …
My Sister, the Serial Killer, by Oyinkan Braithwaite – it’s fantastic.
The funniest item of clothing I’ve ever owned …
I bought a pair of sunglasses from a street seller in Barcelona last year. I thought they looked great, but they earned me the nickname “Comfort” because they made me look like a west African oil magnate’s ostentatious wife.
The funniest meal I’ve ever eaten …
I had an ex who was such a bad cook he once messed up peanut butter and toast. The toast wasn’t toasty enough and the peanut butter was a bit solid, so he’d pulled the bread apart as he was spreading the peanut butter. When he brought it up it looked like something he’d found on the floor, then stamped on.
The funniest word …
Privilege, because I talk about it a lot but still can’t spell it without auto-correct.
The funniest joke I’ve ever heard …
“Everybody laughed when I said I wanted to be a comedian. Well, they’re not laughing now.” A Bob Monkhouse classic.
Kugblenu’s podcast Keeping Athena Company is at athenakugblenu.co.uk. Follow her on Twitter @athenakugblenu
