Baba Talisha has sparked a wider cultural conversation after openly challenging how society reacts when men express love and admiration. The Kenyan digital content creator and photographer, whose real name is Faustine Lukale, shared his thoughts through his official Instagram account on Monday, January 12, 2026, questioning why male enthusiasm is often dismissed as weakness.
According to Baba Talisha, admiration is celebrated when it comes from women, especially in celebrity spaces, but quickly criticized when men display the same level of emotion. He observed that society comfortably accepts women screaming, crying, or fainting for public figures, yet reacts with discomfort when men express admiration without holding back.
“Funny how love becomes ‘simping’ only when men show it openly. When women scream for celebs, it’s ‘support’, but when men do it, it’s a problem? If enthusiasm were gender-neutral, this conversation wouldn’t even exist,” Baba Talisha questioned.
His statement highlighted a deeper concern about how masculinity is defined and policed. In his view, admiration should not be limited by gender expectations, and expressing affection should not automatically invite ridicule simply because it comes from men. He argued that the term “simping” is frequently weaponized to shame confident men who refuse to hide their emotions.
“Admiration becomes ‘simping’ only when men do it without shame. Confidence scares people who live by double standards,” he added.
Baba Talisha further explained that these reactions reveal entrenched social biases. To him, love only becomes controversial when it challenges outdated expectations of how men are supposed to behave. He suggested that if admiration were judged equally across genders, the debate would lose relevance entirely.
Why are men criticized for public admiration?
The discussion gained momentum following scenes from American streamer Darren Jason Watkins Jr, popularly known as iShowSpeed, during his first day touring Nairobi. Large crowds of mostly young men were seen chasing and cheering the streamer through the city, a moment that quickly went viral online.
Many of these men were labeled as simps on social media, reigniting debate around male enthusiasm. Baba Talisha’s comments added context to why such reactions attract mockery rather than understanding.
The conversation expanded when social media influencer Corazon Kwamboka weighed in with her own perspective. Speaking through Instagram Stories on the same day, she questioned the logic behind grown men running after the streamer. While she clarified that her comments were not driven by hate, she framed her concerns around national image and priorities.
“Maboys wamejam sana. Poleni, Joh. But I’m not even hating; I’m just being logical. If the goal was to promote tourism, then actually showcase Kenya: the Maasai Mara, Diani, KICC, our culture, our food, our views. That makes sense,” she stated.
Corazon emphasized that if iShowSpeed’s visit was intended to market Kenya internationally, more focus should have been placed on the country’s attractions rather than crowd reactions. She also questioned the symbolism of the scenes witnessed in Nairobi.
“Thousands of grown men chasing and surrounding one guy like he is Jesus? For what exactly?” she asked.
Is celebrity hype helping or hurting Kenya’s image?
Corazon went further to argue that the excitement surrounding the streamer did not translate into meaningful benefits for ordinary Kenyans. According to her, the visit did not create jobs, provide opportunities, or directly improve lives.
“He’s not feeding people, opening opportunities or changing lives. This wasn’t patriotism, abeg, at least if he was giving people money, baas,” she added.
Together, these perspectives reveal a broader cultural tension. Baba Talisha’s argument centers on emotional freedom and fairness, while Corazon’s focuses on purpose and national value. Both voices highlight how quickly admiration becomes controversial when filtered through gender expectations, public image, and social standards.
By Risper Akinyi