Freaky Table: The Culture Conversation Cameroon Needed
A celebration of Freaky Table, a YouTube talk show hosted by Joan Ngomba, Kwoh Elonge, and Yana Max, which brings sharp, entertaining analysis to questions of culture, entertainment, and society in Cameroon. The writer sees in the trio's work a natural video counterpart to Poise's own editorial mission.
Few people make smile like the Freaky Table trio that is Joan Ngomba, Kwoh Elonge and Yana Max. It is becoming a habit for me, already, to tune into their YouTube channel to watch their content every Monday morning.
For those of you whom have been following PoiseSocial for a long time, you would very likely know Kwoh Elonge. If not from the comment section, then perhaps from his articles that we share from his Facebook platform called ‘Unfiltered’. Kwoh is a prolific writer; one that Tino and I have long fantasized writing with us here on PoiseSocial.
As for Joan, she needs no presentation. Anyone who follows the show business in Anglophone Cameroon, even remotely, has very likely heard of her. As for Yana Max, I am discovering him, and he has not left me without a good impression.
If I had to describe the Freaky table, I would say it is what PoiseSocial would likely be if it were a YouTube talk show. Between Kwoh’s insight and sarcastic remarks, Yana’s analysis and Joan’s anchoring, these three musketeers have been able to create something that analyses society, entertainment, business and culture in a singular manner that is not only entertaining but also digestible and thought-provoking.
What the trio is doing is important and necessary. Not only are the topics discussed on the show culturally and time-relevant, they are also brought up in a manner which sparks the right debate on the issues. Perhaps, no episode has really laid out the issue of interest as the recent one the controversial bill of the Ministry of Arts and Culture that had the whole music and entertainment industry reeling with disgust. A lot of what was needed to understand about the bill was laid out, and an up-to-par analysis of the situation was done.
Some other topics evoked on the show are as follows:-
Anglophone Comedians: How funny are they? University of Buea and Lack of Student Social Culture. Can Rap get Cameroon Global Recognition? When Should An Artiste Drop an EP? Star Directors: Big Songs, Bad Videos. Manu Dibango: Cameroonians Question His Legacy. Is Cameroon Entertainment Industry Invisible to The World?
These are all relevant questions that all need a dose of consideration and a measure of thought given to them. And Freaky Table is doing just that. One thing I have noticed as well is that as the episodes go by, the more and more the hosts are beginning to find their feet and to get into their roles.
I will also have to applaud the amount of the research that they put into their topics to make sure they can cover them in the best manner possible. Although I may have found their foray into one or two topics a little tenuous, I can personally forgive them as I have made similar missteps myself here on PoiseSocial, and no one has universal knowledge, after all.
To sum things up, if you are a fan a follower of PoiseSocial, then there is any reason at all that you should not be a fan of, and a follower of “Freaky Table.” You will feel at home there, as much as you feel at home here.
Go subscribe.
- Wandji Wilfred.
In 2020, as digital platforms reshaped how Cameroonians engaged with cultural commentary, independent creators were carving out spaces for substantive debate on local entertainment, policy, and identity—especially in the Anglophone sphere, where institutional media often fell short.
The piece recognizes that serious cultural criticism need not be solemn; Freaky Table proved that wit, accessibility, and rigor could coexist. Then and now, it speaks to the hunger for media that treats entertainment and policy as worthy of genuine thought, and to the quiet power of homegrown voices setting the terms of cultural conversation.