IShowSpeed, one of the most famous content creators and streamers in the world, started a journey through African countries about a month ago. The 28-day tour, which took place through a total of 20 countries, including Angola, Kenya and Mozambique, was initially clearly focused on football. IShowSpeed started during the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon), whose dramatic final he streamed live in Morocco on January 18th and the fans as Mascot surprised. He last streamed his 21st birthday from Nigeria on January 21st.
The performances of the American Darren Watkins Jr., who is called “Speed” by his fans, thrive on the spectacle and insider gags: somersaults, improvised fights, races, an imitated dog barking or the Ronaldo vs. Messi theme characterize his three to eleven hour live streams. This is also the case with “Speed Does Africa”. But this time his journey also has a surprisingly political dimension. On social networks it is said that his pictures resemble Western ones Propaganda narratives about Africa are crumbling and at the same time educate his young fan base – intentionally or unintentionally – about colonial exploitation.
In Ethiopia, for example, Speed learns that coffee has its origins here. Occurs in South Africa Speed with local greats in car spinning, a form of motorsport that has its origins in Soweto, South Africa, which many was not aware.
During a visit to the headquarters of a diamond dealer in Botswana, “Speed” wants Buy rough diamondswhen he learns that in the country with the richest diamonds, only two customers are allowed to buy rough diamonds – one of them is the British multinational De Beers. During his visit to Egypt, he was the first to stream live from inside a pyramid.
Homecoming for Black Americans
His streams show that he is received with a lot of enthusiasm, humor and mutual respect, and the residents often show him their traditions. “I’ve never felt out of place anywhere in Africa. Everywhere I go the love is real,” he says in a livestream while driving through Zimbabwe. In Kenya, he bursts into tears during a helicopter flight because he sees live that his YouTube subscription numbers have increased to almost 50 million.
Many see his African tour as a kind of “homecoming” for him as an African American who probably has his roots in West Africa. In Senegal he is greeted by his tour guide with “Welcome back home, this is your first step”. It’s particularly empowering for African-American fans to see how naturally he vibes with the local communities and that his skin color doesn’t play a role at all. Many African Americans describe a new feeling of connection to their African roots and the continent.
A comparison is also made to his European tour, where he also caused mass crowds from his fans, but also partly racist experiences had to do when he was insulted with the N word, had bananas thrown at him or was mocked with gorilla costumes. To the perception of many observers, this appears to be a reversal of classic Western stereotypes: African fans are seen as “more civilized” in contrast to the “aggressive” European ones.
But there was also aggression against the streamer in Algeria; he was shot in a football stadium Ultras pelted with water bottles. The Ultras’ behavior embarrassed many Algerians afterwards, including them apologized with the reasonsit wasn’t because of the streamer, but because of the cameras. Ultras don’t like being filmed.
Learned stereotypes about African countries
Many of his viewers from America are amazed that there is WiFi, cars and modern infrastructure in “Africa” and suddenly feel the desire to visit the countries or even to leave America. Some viewers tell stories, some of them below Tearshow they fell for Western propaganda about Africa: “They made us believe that Africa is a very poor country, a place you don’t want to be. Speed is changing the way I look at life,” says one streamer. Another is surprised: “I thought he would feed the homeless there, but they live better there than they do.”
It is shocking that so many viewers only seem to be informed about real conditions in African countries through “Speed”. Many seem to have a very stereotypical image of the continent – that everyone there lives in huts and mud houses – all in the age of social media.
So far there have been hardly any reactions from Germany to IShowSpeed’s Africa streams. However, there is little to suggest that a much more differentiated image of Africa prevails in this country. In Germany, images of Africa with negative connotations continue to dominate, while the socio-political and cultural complexity of the continent is hardly depicted in the media. In addition, the German colonial period is still marginalized in school lessons – not to mention a systematic examination of the colonial legacy.
There are also reactions from other content creators from the African countries that Speed travels about the reactions of his American fans make fun. Critics are of the opinion that the reactions of American fans are not realization, but sheer be ignorancewhich show that African propaganda was previously accepted without question. They are horrified that it takes an American streamer to break down this propaganda.
How realistic is the streamer’s representation?
At the same time, it is said that the positive reactions he receives there are partly due to his fame and that not all African Americans should expect to receive such a reception there. Others questioned whether the scenes actually represented everyday life and saw them as an attempt to avoid stereotypical images by showing predominantly developed cities and speed hanging out with famous people.
At least he can be credited with opening the eyes of his fans, most of whom belong to GenZ and Gen Alpha, to vivid and rich images of Africa. But Africa does not need the validation of the West, like the Senegalese writer and director Ousmane Sembène once answered a journalist’s question: “My future does not depend on Europe. I want them to understand me, but that makes no difference. Take the map of Africa, put Europe and America on top of it, and there is still space left. Why should I be a sunflower and turn to the sun? I myself am the sun!”