Comedian Senior Pastor has been trending for the past 48 hours after a snippet of his performance on a popular comedy show in Nigeria was shared. Before we go into details, it is good to stress on the fact that Senior Pastor has always found solace in the Nigerian entertainment industry. Nigeria is his stepping stone.
He recorded how he used to travel for shows to Nigeria uninvited, just to watch most of these big Nigerian names perform. Many might be labelling his humility to get attention and stay afloat as weakness, but “Chuck skin” is a solid ground on which this gentleman has built his career on.
Definition of ‘chuck skin’
Before we continue, let’s define the meaning of chuck skin.
Though there is no official definition of chuck skin, to chuck skin low-key means the act of seeking for notice or trying to benefit from other people’s spotlight. Chuck skin can also be referred to as seeking for notice from people who do not know you but whose circle you are trying to be in to feel important, successful or a sense of achievement. These are people who on any given day, you would not be in their midst or circle. For example, trying to force yourself on people or circles of people who are of a higher social class or who are very successful who you have no connection with.
The dramatic 80/20 propaganda championed by CY International might favor a few Cameroonians with little or no attention in foreign lands like Nigeria but it wouldn’t serve Senior Pastor (whose rising comedy career has been influenced entirely by Nigerians who opened their doors widely for the new Cameroonian sensation) any justice.
To reintroduce Senior Pastor, Chris Best popularly known as Senior Pastor Comedian is a Cameroonian comedian who has been rising over the years despite many shackles and drawbacks in the Cameroonian entertainment industry. Just like many others doing it differently, Senior Pastor can be credited for his consistency over the past few years after which we can say the art is finally paying off.
While Senior Pastor is one of those effortlessly gifted stand up comedians, he has not had it easy with his career especially revealing what happened before he finally got favor from the Nigerian industry especially from popular comedians like AY, Alibaba, Gordons, and more. It was nothing but rejection, sacrifice and humility.
It’s no doubt that despite his contributions, he still remains one of the most underrated, but undeniably one of the few who could stand toe-to-toe with some Nigerian comedians on a stand-up scenario. It should be noted that Senior Pastor’s credibility goes beyond skit comedy.
As a matter of fact, he is one of the few comedians making it entirely from comedy through his vast networks. If there’s one thing this gentleman has proven to master, it’s networking and making use of these networks.
As it’s popularly said, “your network determines your net worth” and the father of two (boy and girl) happily married is proving that the source of his relevance has been God and God alone, setting him above man’s expectations.
Over the years, Senior Pastor has been one of the most ‘bullied’ comedians in Cameroon. His character and ability to fit in where many people consider as a no-go zone had him labeled as the “Minister of chuck skin”. According to him, he believes a lot in the scripture” God resisted the proud and gave grace to the humble”
With Chuck skin, Senior Pastor has been able to prove to the Cameroonian population and showbiz milieu that comparing with the Nigerian industry is not the way out. He even went under scrutiny for saying,
“We shouldn’t compete with people we should be learning from”.
Even with his humility, he has been able to bring the leading Nigerian comedians for almost no fee, he’s been a brain behind so many shows like the popular “I’m Not Joking Show” that has now become an annual show, where other young Cameroonians are being given the platform to showcase their own art.
For young comedians reading this, you might need to go back to the drawing board. Sticking to Cameroon won’t work for everyone. Which soever way you choose to show patriotism be it in sports, comedy or music genuinely is something that benefits the country in the long run in one way or the other.Not everyone can get recognition in their own home immediately. Tembu Daniel evidently needed to make seamless trips to Nigeria before finally getting the respect back home.
Don’t sit back and join the bandwagon of criticism. Just because it might not be working for you. If doesn’t work for you, it doesn’t mean it won’t work for others.
