As Bobrisky’s ‘Best Dressed Female’ Award Ruffles Feathers

Ferdinand  Ekechukwu

It’s been mixed reactions of some sort on social media in the past few days following the award of the ‘Best Dressed Female’ to Bobrisky, a famous cross-dresser, at the premiere of a Yoruba epic movie ‘Beast of two Worlds’ in Lagos last Sunday. The infamous ‘Best Dressed Female’ award has again raised questions bothering on the gender identity of Bobrisky.

Does cross-dressing qualify one as a female? Can a male be rightfully considered female by means of transgender? Can cross-dressing or transgender assign status on an individual other than that acceptable to a society by nature? Bobrisky had occasionally in recent times laid claim to undergoing surgery to transition into a woman.

In 2020, Bobrisky revealed that he opted for cross-dressing to make ends meet after 25 years of being a man. Born Idris Okuneye, he had detailed the beginning of his transition and early influences.  In September 2021, Bobrisky also talked about some of the perks he enjoys being a “woman.”

Sadly, in the world of showbiz, anything goes whether good or bad. The controversies trailing Bobrisky winning ‘Best Dressed Female’ speak loud. Not a few observers adjudged the incident as misplaced, condemning the judges who deemed the popular influencer worthy, being that Bobrisky was not born female and so does not merit the award which a good number of female celebrity guests at the event deserve.

In the wake of the controversies, Bobrisky has stressed love and allegiance to the “sisterhood”, which further stoked arguments among Nollywood celebrities who condemned the award in totality, expressed shock and dissatisfaction at the organiser’s decision, citing it as destructive and disrespectful to women, culture, and traditions.

While many thought they had heard the last of the matter, popular singer Habeeb Okikiola, commonly known as Portable, disapproved of the award and took to the studio, releasing a diss track aimed directly at Bobrisky after both parties engaged in a war of words online. Portable’s take on Bobrisky’s choice of lifestyle appeared rather entertaining.

Taking a jab at Bobrisky in the diss song titled ‘Brotherhood’, Portable sang in Yoruba, “You guys should warn brotherhood not to come to my hood cause e go chop firewood. You’re my brotherhood, brotherhood go brotherhood, now you want to join sisterhood. You’re a disgrace to brotherhood. Look at his bum bum like Akpu (Fufu)”.

Concerned about the series of drama that unfolded after awarding Bobrisky the ‘Best Dressed Female, the movie producer Eniola Ajao, a couple of days later, apologised to all the parties involved in the dramaa. She also announced two women as the new best dressed females.

She had previously admitted in an interview that picking Bobrisky was a deliberate action to promote the movie.