Turd Talks leave patrons in stitches
IT was laughter galore at the College of Physicians and Surgeons in Accra on Saturday, April 19, 2025, as comedian Oh Joo hosted the maiden edition of his Turd Talks, a comedy show styled after TED Talks, but with a Ghanaian twist and a hearty dose of satire.
With each performer dubbed a ‘Lecturer’, the show replicated a conference setting, complete with slide presentations and structured topics. But instead of ‘intellectual discourse’, patrons were served a delightful buffet of humorous lectures dissecting everyday Ghanaian life with wit, sarcasm and flair.
The ‘Lecturers’ covered topics such as How Not to Succeed as a Terrorist, State of the Hair Affair, The Female Phenomenon: Where Multitasking Meets Magic, A Hypothesis of a Stubborn Architecture Client, The Evolution of Mobile Phones, Health Care in Contemporary Ashaiman, Human Anatomy, among others, leaving in their wake an audience convulsed with laughter.
Another highlight of the night was the sign language interpreter, who didn’t just ‘translate’ but added an entertaining layer to the show, even attempting to interpret song lyrics.
And with Clemento Suarez doubling as MC, and introducing himself as RNAQ (Rich Nigga Association of Qatar) one would expect nothing but a night of good fun and loads of laughter.
And that’s exactly what happened. Khemikal set the tone with his lecture on ‘How Not to Succeed as a Terrorist’. Channelling the demeanour of a university lecturer, he hilariously explored how different Ghanaian tribes would behave if recruited as suicide bombers. He later concludes terrorism wouldn’t survive in Ghana because, in his words, “Ghanaians can never be good terrorists.”
Afia Barcelona followed with ‘State of the Hair Affair’, examining the social biases surrounding dreadlocks and the obsession with wigs. Her take on women constantly touching their wigs "just to confirm it’s still there" had the audience howling with laughter.
His lecture on ‘Human Anatomy,’ turned the spotlight on women, defining them as “weird creatures” in the most comic yet respectful way. From mothers who always seem to be right to his hilarious bit about buying an expensive phone only to be scolded the money could have been used for banku. Kwame Obed’s segment earned him roaring applause.
Kojo PJay tackled ‘Branding the Nation and Community’ where he jokingly proposed a liposuction for Ghana's map, changing the national motto to ‘Freedom and Settings’; and releasing the eagles on the nation’s Coat of Arms.
Patrons couldn’t help but nurse their splitting sides when Jerry Ashinyo took his turn. He taught his ‘students’ ‘The Female Phenomenon: Where Multitasking Meets Magic’, sharing hilarious stories, including how his ex-girlfriend's snores rivalled their generator.
Papayaw Ataamle, who delivered ‘The Role of a Father in the Life of a Child’, had patrons laughing non-stop with tales about his father, their infamous Geisha soap story and others.
Jeneral Nta Tia delivered ‘Economic Hardships and Its Resultant Effects on Human Behavioural Patterns.
Bernard the Magician taught ‘Mind Reading: The Only Exam I Never Failed’ while Ebenezer Dwomoh took up ‘Hypothesis of a Stubborn Architecture Client’ and Jeffrey Nortey sorted out Bar to Bar’.
Headliner Oh Joo closed the night with his piece on ‘The Evolution of Mobile Phones’. Through his engaging slides and interactive delivery, he walked his audience through how communication has transitioned from love letters to modern mobile trends.
His humorous insights brought the evening to a very satisfying end.
