Jaiye Kuti Laments Growing Trend Of Actors Dancing, Creating Skits For Films
Actress and filmmaker Jaiye Kuti has expressed frustration over the growing trend of actors turning to content creation, particularly dancing and making skits, as part of their movie promotion strategy.
In an Instagram post, Kuti shared the emotional toll this trend has on filmmakers, revealing how she felt compelled to dance online to promote her movie despite significant financial investment in its production.
Kuti highlighted how some actors, like Odunlade Adekola, have turned to dancing as a marketing tool. She empathised with her colleagues, noting that many are now creating skits just to draw attention to their films.
She urged viewers to support the industry’s evolving promotional efforts, saying, “I have seen an ongoing discussion online concerning Executive Producers/Producers dancing to their movies. Do you know that some Executive Producers go as far as selling what they have to make a good movie? It is getting tiring and emotional for me.”
She continued, “When I made my movie, which was on Prime Video, I didn’t need to dance, and I made my money, which even earned interest. I spent money on my second movie with my partner, yet I still had to go to the street to dance to create publicity for the movie. It is bad, and I feel for me and the rest of us.
“There was a time when Odunlade was dancing, and I wanted to cry. After spending so much on publications, radio tours, billboards, and others, we’d still be required to come out and dance; it is bad. Actors have turned to skit makers just because they want to sell their movies. Viewers, you need to help us.”
Kuti also praised Funke Akindele’s dancing abilities, acknowledging that not everyone can dance like her.
She emphasised that everyone has their unique strengths and talents and that a good film will ultimately speak for itself.
“Not everybody can dance like Funke Akindele. God made everybody beautiful and imbued all of us in different ways. Everybody has a place in art. It is not everybody that has that strength of Funke Akindele. Funke Akindele is a natural dancer. But please, when the film is good, you will know,” she said.
Titilope Adako is a talented and intrepid journalist, dedicated to shedding light on the untold stories of Osun State and Nigeria. Through incisive reporting, she tackles a broad spectrum of topics, from politics and social justice to culture and entertainment, with a commitment to accuracy, empathy, and inspiring positive change.
