With Jenifa’s Diary, Funke Akindele has unified us in our foolishness!
No, sorry, what I meant to say was that with Jenifa’s Diary, Funke is taking back the reins and giving other actors something to aspire to. The show is not lacking in humor, following, or performances. With an abundance of celebrity appearances and a loyal fan following, even in the diaspora, Funke has created her own franchise.
And the best part is that it is a franchise that sells itself by word of mouth.
Here are the next 5 lessons, we can all learn from Jenifa’s Diary (#10-6 is HERE)
#5 – NEVER CONFUSE LOVE for a man’s money with love for the man
If there’s one thing Jenifa always gets straight when she meets a man, it is what she likes about the man. When she first arrives in Lagos and meets that dupe on the bus? She is not confused. She knows that she only liked him because he said he came from London and because she thought he lived in VGC.
When she loves her teacher, she lets it be known (even to him) that what she loves about him is the way he speaks English (o tito! Nothing deeper). When she loves Banky, she loves his music and how he dances. And when she was on her way to Warri, she tells Toyosi that she is going to meet this man because “this bobo fit rich”.
#4 – FASHIONABLE STYLE can be achieved with whatever you have already.
Lol! I can’t pound on this one too much. It goes without saying that regardless of her numerous attempts to become a gbogbo bigz gyals, she never actually goes out and changes her closet. She doesn’t try to redefine her own definition of fashion. She just wears whatever she wants to wear, the same way that she always has.
It’s almost as if in her head her fashion sense is way ahead of the rest of us and she’s waiting for us to catch up. So what is the moral of the story? Maybe your fashion sense is ahead too… don’t go around wasting money on designer bags and shoes (lol)
#3 – How to be a TRUE FRIEND
Toyosi and Jenifa’s friendship is true relationship goals right there.
I mean, for some reason, Toyosi still hasn’t thrown Jenifa out till now. In fact she even takes her out… IN PUBLIC. And she also defends Jenifa among her friends.
Jenifa also truly loves Toyosi and they have created a blissful and habitable living space where they cook for each other, shop for each other, wash each other’s clothes and have learned to never stay mad at each other. It’s the perfect marriage.
#2 – Get up and go and GET YOUR MAN
In following with her uncanny ability to determine why she wants a man, Jenifa is also able to do something that many of us females are still learning, which is to get up and go get the man.
When it came to her teacher, played by Alexx Ekubo, she did not just sit around dreaming about the man (don’t get me wrong, she did this too). She made sure that her feelings were weeeellll known to him (I’m sure he wished it was a tad bit less well known). She pursues him. She writes him a love letter. She publicly reads this love letter. She publicly admits her love for him. And then she defends her cause lest anyone think it an opportunity to mock her.
She comes. She sees. But sometimes she doesn’t always conquer.
#1 – LIVE YOUR OWN LIFE
The biggest lesson we can learn from Jenifa is to live your own life.
Sometimes it is not the smartest thing. Sometimes it is smarter to just listen to other people’s words of advise. Sometimes it is smarter to look before you leap, think before you speak, research before you partake. But all of that one is for learners. Jenifa learns on the job and she takes no prisoners (or she takes ALL prisoners, I’m not too sure how that saying works).
I’m not even sure what my morale is in that last lesson… but it matters not cos I’m off to get started on Season 2 of Jenifa’s diary. Yelz!
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Lekki Wives (The Reunion) is Coming This June!
