Ghanaian comedian and YouTuber Ras Nene, popularly known as Akabenezer, has become a household name through his entertaining video skits. His content brings laughter to homes across Ghana and to Ghanaians living abroad. His recent performance with a team of Ghanaian actors at a London theatre shows how far his work now travels. Yet in 2026, one theme has become increasingly common in his skits: a sexualised narrative that repeatedly reduces women to objects of male conquest.

One recent video illustrates this clearly. A woman named Ewurabena steps out of a room after a knock at the door. Outside are a group of boys known as ‘area boys.’ Akabenezer has told them he is going to sleep with her. When she appears, he follows her, and the boys celebrate him loudly for conquering a woman they consider arrogant in the neighbourhood. Her perceived attitude becomes the justification. Her body becomes a trophy for male bonding. The act itself becomes a moment of public celebration.

I enjoy Ras Nene’s content from my home in Leeds. Like many Ghanaians abroad, I appreciate the creativity and humour he brings. But I am becoming increasingly uncomfortable with this recurring theme. I have heard too many stories from friends and colleagues about abuse and coercion. When comedy normalises sexual conquest, it deserves honest scrutiny.

This concern is not abstract. Sexual violence remains high in Ghana.

Social attitudes often blame women for the actions of men, and the data reflects this. Roughly one in three Ghanaian women has experienced emotional, physical or sexual violence from a husband or intimate partner. About one in five women has faced physical or sexual violence. These are not abstract numbers. They are real women living with real harm.

In the skit, the young men reinforce a dangerous idea. They suggest that a woman’s attitude justifies planning to sleep with her and celebrating it publicly. The message is that she deserves this treatment for being arrogant. This kind of narrative mirrors the logic that underpins sexual coercion in real life. It is not harmless fun.

At the same time, Ghana’s film industry faces many challenges. Many young creators now turn to comedy skits to build careers and revive local storytelling. But the rise of sexualised comedy should not be encouraged without question. Social media reaches everyone, including children, with little parental control. That alone should concern us.

Comedy and media are powerful cultural tools. They shape attitudes and influence behaviour. While these creators work hard to keep local content alive, they should help shift culture in a positive direction rather than recycle old harmful narratives. Ghana is a society where sexual harassment is often normalised, where women are frequently blamed for the violence they suffer, and where consent is still poorly understood. In this context, humour built around sexual conquest is not innocent. It is harmful.

What these skits normalise is not harmless laughter. They normalise coercion disguised as play. They normalise sexual pressure framed as entertainment. They teach boys that entitlement is part of masculinity and teach girls that discomfort is something to laugh through. This is how societies become desensitised to sexual violence long before it happens.

Ras Nene is talented. His team is creative. His reach is undeniable. But influence comes with responsibility. Ghana cannot afford to laugh away narratives that contribute to the harm so many women face. Comedy can still be funny without reinforcing the culture we urgently need to change.

This is also a moment for our regulatory agencies to act.

The National Media Commission, the National Film Authority, the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, and the Creative Arts Council need to pay serious attention to the new realities of digital content. The old rules designed for television no longer match how skits and short videos spread today. Clearer guidelines that address harmful narratives on social media platforms would help protect younger audiences while still giving creators room to work.

If we are not careful, what we laugh at today will shape what we tolerate tomorrow.